Let’s face it, the Nativity Story of the 21st century would
read something like that. What used to
be something synonymous with Christianity has now become so consumer-orientated
that it wouldn’t surprise me if the current generation of kids didn’t even know
Christmas was actually a religious festival.
Although, I’m not criticising. I love Christmas in the 21st
century. It’s inevitable that the
meaning of Christmas will change and adapt to fit the society and people
celebrating it. Jesus has been replaced
by Santa; gold, frankincense and myrrh with Ipads, gift vouchers and Call of
Duty. Spending money has always been
part of the Christmas ‘spirit’, but now it’s more lavish than ever with the
average Christmas budget to be £600 this year.
It would seem that the spending frenzy is a consequence of a wider
phenomenon which has swept the pre-Christmas build up and pervades our TV
screens in-between the X-Factor. I’m
talking about the advertising. I’m sure
you will have noticed them by now. There
is no escape. Most of the adverts are
dull and uninspired, leaving viewers with the sensation they get after a Christmas-cracker
joke.
However, over the past few years one store’s adverts really stand out:
the John Lewis ads. Typically a sequence of scenes following individuals as
they procure gifts for family and friends in the anticipation of Christmas; always
backed by an acoustic version of a well know, emotionally-charged ballad. You may remember last year’s which followed
the story of a boy desperate for Christmas with the twist that he wanted
presents, not for himself, but to give to give to his parents. It received over
4 million YouTube views and this year the high-street department store is
aiming to do the same with their advert entitled “The Journey”. This one sees
a personified snowman risk life and limb on a treacherous journey to the city
to bring back his female companion a gift.
The emotion is intense as always and the mystical cover of ‘The Power of Love’ makes a tear-jerking
watch. But with £6 million spent on this
one ad, we have to ask ourselves just how effective it actually is. Sure, we
feel something for the poor snowman: climbing mountains; crossing rivers and
motorways; caught in the crossfire of a snowball fight – there is something
about his journey, his determination and his happy ending that we can empathise
with. But does his ‘journey’ really make
us want to spend money at John Lewis? It’s
either marketing at its best or we’re just suckers for a good story, especially
at Christmas.
Whatever it is, the adverts are to be enjoyed accordingly: they won’t
resonate with everyone and most people find them hit-and-miss. Their emotional appeal is just a marketing
technique to reflect the sentimentality associated with the Christmas
spirit. What’s more, the idea that
Christmas is now just ‘all about the money’ is only a problem when people begin
to get greedy; but there’s nothing wrong with buying gifts for your family and
friends – and it’s always special when it’s reciprocal. But the fuss over presents and money can make
Christmas stressful for some people and they are anxious rather than excited
for the big day. Christmas has become so
inflated by all the hype that it’s not clear any more what it really means
today. In some sense, the build up to Christmas
is more exciting than the day itself; but for me, Christmas is a time of year
to appreciate the little things. The
glistening lights in the city centre; the rush and bustle of last minute
shopping; the still, icy landscapes; family traditions like going to the cinema
on Christmas Eve; and most of all, those damn ads – they give me misty eyes
every year!
