An employee helping customers is, to most people, simply doing his job. For the boy in Tesco Ireland’s new Christmas ad, however, his helpfulness becomes grounds for suspicion: perhaps an elf really does work at the local store. Each further act of help adds to the evidence he gathers, with a book about Irish elves serving as his guide to the investigation.
It is this difference between what adults see and what a child notices that agency BBH Dublin builds the Helping Christmas Feel Magic campaign around. Launched on 2 November, it is the brand’s first standalone Christmas ad in the Irish market in more than a decade.
The choice of an employee as the central character continues the communications direction Tesco Ireland established earlier this year through the Every Little Helps platform. After showcasing different forms of support for customers and communities, the festive campaign turns its attention to the help people receive while shopping. Staff helpfulness thus becomes the basis of the plot and a way to give the brand’s long-standing promise a recognisable Christmas story.
Marcos Gemal, executive creative director at BBH Dublin, explains the idea from the perspective of the work that goes into creating the festive experience: “Christmas isn’t magical by accident. It’s built by thousands of small acts of help that happen behind the scenes. In Ireland, nobody does more of that unseen work than the Tesco colleagues. They’re not elves. But if you’re six years old and paying attention, you could be forgiven for thinking otherwise.”
An important role in connecting the different formats belongs to Wild Elves of Ireland, the boy’s grandmother’s book, from which he draws clues for his search. Created by Irish illustrator Kitty Moss, it also appears in outdoor advertising as a large-scale installation. The object that drives the ad’s plot thereby becomes a recognisable campaign element beyond the television screen.
The story continues through in-store activities, sampling and giveaways for customers, while store managers receive badges reading “Head Elf”. The campaign also includes a partnership with the Late Late Toy Show, which will air on 4 December, alongside the return of the accompanying treat boxes to the range.
The ad was directed by Elliot Power through production companies Love Song and Assembly, and was shot at Tesco Naas Extra and Tesco Celbridge. The original music was composed by Miink through Curation Music.
Helping Christmas Feel Magic runs until 25 December, across television, print and outdoor advertising, social media and activations. Across all these channels, Tesco retains the same focus: employees whose everyday work a child’s imagination turns into something worth investigating.
