Rethinking Christmas: a constructive temper in troublesome occasions
From Coca-Cola to John Lewis, Christmas advertisements have drawn our hearts over the years, thawing our weary cynicism with a potent mix of leisurely nostalgia and festive magic.
With the world facing the prospect of a long winter under renewed pandemic restrictions, 2020 needs the annual injection of seasonal positivity more than ever.
COVID-19 has given the creative industry a hammer blow, whether it's clients cutting their budgets or canceling projects entirely. team members on leave and superfluous; or a sudden drought in professional commissions.
The Dots community is strong over half a million people, 41% of whom are freelance workers. "Even before the lockdown, we received early warning signals of the effects of Covid when their work began to dry up," reveals founder Pip Jamieson. "Since then, our community has seen heartbreaking waves of vacation and increasing layoffs."
I think it's our collective responsibility to support talented people who have gotten into tough times and are struggling to make ends meet
In June, the Creative Industries Federation reported that nearly 50,000 UK advertising jobs (26%) could be lost in 2020 as a result of the pandemic. Ad spending is expected to fall by a total of £ 4 billion (17%).
A new joint initiative by Pinterest and The Dots offers young creatives affected by the pandemic a much-needed paid opportunity to reinterpret Christmas through the lens of top brands, adding positive sentiment to an otherwise difficult brutal climate.
Brands involved include British Airways, Baileys, Topshop, Birds Eye, MADE.COM and Sony Music.
"I think it's our collective responsibility to support talented people who have gotten into tough times and are struggling to make ends meet," says Jamieson. "When brands use their budgets to support grassroots talent, they will build strong and loyal customers forever."
This holiday season gives us an opportunity to drive positive change for our communities and the world we live in
Ray Murphy is Head of Content at MADE.COM, one of the participating brands. “The pandemic is having an enormous impact on the livelihood of many creative people in our industry,” he says. "We want to do our part to support our communities in these challenging times."
Seeds of Change is another brand. “This holiday season gives us the opportunity to drive positive change for our communities and the world we live in,” agrees Armando Reyes, director of strategic initiatives at parent brand Mars Food.
"The pandemic has temporarily disabled and underutilized many talented people in the creative industry," continues Reyes. "This project enables us to be a positive germ that creates an opportunity within the industry."
Unlike most other creative contests, Reimagining Christmas offers a development budget. Twenty shortlisted participants will be paid to spend a day developing their ideas. From this point on, the top 10 concepts will receive an additional budget of three days to put these ideas into practice.
The very best ads capture the values of the Christmas spirit through the art of storytelling. Especially stories that highlight or promote a real connection between people
In fact, it's a rare win-win opportunity for 10 individual creatives to have paid creative talks with leading brands – and show that work to the creative community even if they don't win the account.
"As we all know, parking spaces are typically not paid for. This is a wonderful way to hopefully add more work to our community while also getting the money we need so much," added Jamieson.
Not only does Reimagining Christmas offer a brief period of welcome paid work at a time when such opportunities are scarce, but it is also a catalyst for truly creative wellbeing – at a time when we all need it most.
"The best ads capture the values of the Christmas spirit through the art of storytelling," says Anna Charalambous, global social media lead at Mars Food. "In particular, stories that highlight or encourage a real connection between people."
There is so much creativity and deeper engagement that you can build when you understand the tools and formats available
And in a year when much of the world has suddenly shifted far away and we all long for those moments of connection, it is appropriate that an inspiration platform like Pinterest provide the setting for this.
People need inspiration more than ever, and advertisers need inspired customers. Pinterest does both by creating a more positive place on the internet with unique, decision-driven ways for marketers to engage consumers – from stand-alone formats like videos or sponsored pins to advanced features like AI-enabled pin extensions. Pinterest is the ideal environment for creatives to inspire thoughtful gift-giving decisions this Christmas with compelling advertising campaigns.
“Most of the Christmas campaigns will be delivered digitally this year,” Jamieson says. “Brands tend to campaign for traditional media like television first, and digital media is an afterthought. But there is so much creativity and deeper engagement that you can build when you understand the tools and formats available. "
I think the current state of the world gives brands a lot more to think about. Challenging times can lead to brilliant ideas and innovations
After 2020, brands will have a hard time finding the right tone and message in their festive campaigns. The initiative not only supports the industry with paid work, but also promotes new, inspiring perspectives on this topic.
"The festive season is one of those rare times when people really look forward to seeing what ad brands have brought out," says Murphy. "They often find their way into entertainment at the dining table."
He recalls reading a Pinterest Insight report a few months after the pandemic: "Events like Christmas are going to be 'more meaningful than ever'. I totally agree."
“In the past, the most popular ads in the days leading up to Christmas tended to play with nostalgia, family dynamics and, for a younger audience, fairytale stories,” Murphy continues. “However, I think the current state of the world makes brands a lot more food for thought. Challenging times can lead to brilliant ideas and innovations. "
Pinterest's plethora of creative formats, from groundbreaking videos to story pins, makes Pinterest the perfect playground for creative storytelling. To take advantage of the unique benefits of creative execution on Pinterest, access the creative agency advertising guide here