Behind the windows of this very special Drum adVENT Calendar you’ll find a different member of the creative industry venting their feelings on a Christmas ad, or ads, they love or loathe. Today it’s Mick Mahoney, Havas Worldwide executive creative director.
“Why, hello. Happy Holidizzle y’all”.
You have to love a Christmas ad that opens with a line like this. Especially when it comes from Snoop doing his best Bing Crosby seated in a high-back next to a roaring log fire. Festive gold. (Perhaps next year Snoop could duet Little Drummer Boy with Bowie around the piano. You can have that, Sid.)
The Cautionary Tale of Ebenezer Snoop and his lost holiday spirit is a daft mix of camp crimbo live action and Beavis and Butthead animation that reworks the classic tale. It features a cast of animated sporting greats as Christmas spirits past, present and future. “Bah humbizzle.” Apparently Ebenezer Snoop has stopped spending time with his crew. And consequently, according to a rather awkward sounding David Beckham ‘things just aren’t the same when you’re not in the game”.
Anyway, as I’m sure you know, the moral of the tale is to remember to make time for friends and loved ones and to not get lost up your own self-important back-side.
To be honest, I’m not altogether clear what Adidas has to do with any of this, other than to cameo it’s sponsored stars, but then it is Christmas so I guess the normal rules don’t really apply. Perhaps it’s a sign of the times that even Adidas have chosen to put out such a heart-warming bit of Christmas fluff instead of a more too cool urban carol.
After all, who isn’t in need of a little bit of happy holidizzle fun right now?
Mick Mahoney is the executive creative director at Havas Worldwide London (formerly EuroRSCG London). In his career Mick has worked for many of the best agencies in London creating famous and successful campaigns for brands such as Stella Artois, Nike, Johnnie Walker and Durex.
Who hasn't done the walk of shame at least once? Google Creative Lab's Steve Vranakis praises Harvey Nichols 2011 Christmas ad in his 12 December adVENT.