It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. The shops are full of baubles and the Christmas ads are lining up to infiltrate our evenings with heartwarming images of families gathered around the tree and tiny children beaming in plaid pjs. All, except one. “We’ve tugged on people’s heartstrings for 9 or 10 years,” says Seb James, CEO of Boots UK. “This year, we’re doing something different. We want to do something revolutionary and actually help customers to find gifts.”
If this doesn’t sound particularly revolutionary to you, consider the Christmas ads of the last few years. They’re beautiful, emotional, but do they leave you armed with a gift list that can take the stress out of Crimbo shopping? No? Me either.
This year, Boots has ditched the log fires and tinsel and instead given us a horny protagonist who demands “sandalwood and fig massage oil” off her sheepish husband, Neil. “It’s better than another cookbook,” she reckons. They’ve given us a militant sports buff who wonders what to buy the person who gets up every Sunday at 6am to be yelled at by their PT. They’ve given us an exasperated best friend who has no idea what to choose for her 100% vegan pal, a beauty nut, who watches YouTube tutorials to nail the next makeup trends and some school lads who Tik Tok their way home from school.
Best of all, Boots offer up gift solutions for every type of tribe in the form of their new Bootiques (see what they did there). From tomorrow, when the advert airs for the one and only time across the prime time Saturday night telly slots, you can head to Boots (in store and online) for curated edits for every ilk. What to get your bestie for the leastie? They’ve covered that. What to buy the on-fleek-beauty-kween? Ditto. What to buy the strange, moody tweenager? They’ve got a list ready. And what to buy the person your heels over head with? *Coughs* it gets a bit raunchy, but there’s stuff for them, too.
So there you have it – the anti-emotional, non-wilty, ultra feisty Christmas ad that’s here to help. Wishlists at the ready.