Brixton Finishing School students share the festive campaigns making an impact this Christmas
As the festive advertising bonanza draws to a close and people start to think about closing their laptop lids to spend time with loved ones, the Brixton Finishing School ADcademy: Breaking Into Brands programme members take a moment to share the festive campaigns making an impact this Christmas.
The ADcademy is an award-winning program that offers free courses aimed at helping individuals secure employment. Specifically to provide a starting point for 18-30-year-olds from ethnic minority, working-class, or neurodiverse backgrounds to transition into an entry-level role in the creative industries. The BreakingInto Brands Masterclass is a live week-long immersive experience where students can learn the secrets to unlocking a truly successful brand, how brands engage with their target audience, as well as strategies for brand growth and evolution. The programme is designed to showcase and open up diverse roles within the brand space to new talent.
This year’s cohort shares their favourite festive campaigns with BITE, applying the knowledge and perspective BreakingInto Brands has helped to hone. Be it the importance of storytelling, making an emotional impact or simply making people smile this season, the students share which festive campaigns have made an impact and why.
Meet Diana… a copywriter with a passion for human behaviour.
Even stripped of my name, I can be identified by my passion for human behaviour. It was because of this that I joined The ADcademy; their courses place emphasis on hitting bullseye with your target audience. This element follows me through my creative work, as I weave copy that resonates with a strategic approach.
Not every brand wants to tug at our heart strings this festive season. That is exactly Burger King UK’s strategy, as creative agency BBH have rolled out a series of geo-targetted radio ads throughout the country, encouraging listeners to ‘[Drive] (thru the) Home (of the Whopper) for Christmas’. Voiced by a robot, the adverts direct drivers to their closest Burger King restaurant as if it was GPS. This comes as yet another iteration of their ‘hijacking Christmas campaign’, and sticks to BK’s brand strategy and tone of voice. After all, why would an otherwise cheeky, playful and non-conformist brand turn all warm and loving during Christmas?
In a classic move of BK, the subtle hits at competitors stood out to me the most, with lines like ‘Fancy a milkshake? Our machines tend to work’. The adverts take root in the understanding that some of us are actually tired of the over-sentimental nature of Christmas ads. Therefore, using text-to-speech and dry delivery, the tone is sure to reach the right audience. It’s worth mentioning that Burger King has been championing AI for a while now – whether it be commercials written, posters created, or adverts voiced by AI, the brand doesn’t shy away from it. In the ‘hijacking Christmas’ campaign it works as the voice of sat nav.
Overall, the adverts make use of their distinctive tone of voice, and a consumer insight beautifully. As a cherry on top, employing geo-targetting makes it ever more effective. Maybe the King could be crowned not only as a monarch of Whoppers, but of Christmas ads this season, too.
Meet Tyrese… a digital marketer with a black belt.
My name is Tyrese, I am currently working at the Future London Academy as a Marketing Intern while studying Digital Marketing in Fashion at the Fashion Retail Academy and a fun fact about me is I am a black belt in Goju Ryu karate.
I feel that the campaign was extremely impactful and emotive. I think it enables your audience to trust you if you appeal to their emotions because it makes your brand more relatable and ultimately more likely to engage with your brand, resulting in donations. The campaign was made by a charity for tenant rights in Great Britain. I like that the advert is very wholesome and very much in the festive spirit. The little girl playing the main role is shown to be very conscious of her actions and does her best to be “good as gold”. The insight behind the campaign was to highlight the hardship some families face living in temporary accommodation, with over 130,000 homeless children waking up on Christmas morning without a permanent home. It creates a different perspective of the commonly known festive season, hoping to create empathy among those who are more fortunate.
I think the innocent spirit of a young girl being well-behaved to get what she wants for Christmas is extremely relatable, as most kids will do the same so that they can receive the newest toy they want, however, to then find out that her wish was for a home, something that most people wouldn't even consider wishing for and take for granted is extremely moving. The change from upbeat, festive music to none as well as the change in lighting and saturation of the video creates a sudden transition from what was once warm, joyful and merry to cold, depressing and mundane, really emphasising the harsh reality of the living conditions and quality of life for some people. What the campaign does well is highlighting key statistics and making additional posts surrounding the idea that no child should wake up homeless this Christmas on social media. The emphasis on “this” Christmas suggests that action must be taken here and now, which will in turn, hopefully lead to greater donations to the cause. I think what they could do next is to continue using children within their campaigns to create a greater emotional response from the audience and perhaps highlight the challenges children face growing up in temporary accommodation and how it can affect them in later life, with aims that people will take action now before it’s too late.
Meet Yinesakia… a copywriting bookworm.
I’m Yinesakia, and this is my confession... I’ve too many books to read but I keep more. Yes, I am a bookworm and (mostly) proud. I have a bookstagram and enjoy keeping up with bookish people but please don’t ask me what my favourite book is, it’s an impossible question to answer. Aside from that, I’m a copywriter and have loved the BFS academy courses I have taken because I've gained so much insight into the ad industry from previously knowing nothing and it improves my confidence every time.
I adored the National Lottery campaign 'A Christmas Love Story’ created by adam&eveDDB. They nailed the storytelling, and I was truly invested in the love story between two strangers who met on the train, it was really emotive. I’ve had experience working in marketing since BFS so when I see ads now I always wonder which agency was behind it. I think it does have an impact on culture because it was so normal. Nothing flashy or over the top just a sprinkling of Christmas magic and instilling hope. The ad also highlights diversity in a way that feels authentic. I find it interesting because I wonder what the overall impression of the lottery is and which age groups play the most. Whatever the insight, I think adam&eveDDB have done a fantastic job of appealing to everyone and I imagine that now if I get a lotto ticket, a smile will touch my face and I'll be excited at the chance it brings. It’s fascinating what great storytelling can do because it didn't feel like I was being sold anything, even though technically I was.
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