This Christmas, Tesco isn't aiming for heartwarming tears, but genuine laughter. Their new campaign, “That’s What Makes It Christmas,” throws a spotlight on the beautifully chaotic reality of the festive season – the moments most families secretly recognize.
Forget polished perfection; Tesco presents eleven short, brilliantly British sketches, narrated by the wonderfully relatable John Bishop. These aren’t grand narratives, but snapshots of everyday holiday life, brimming with awkwardness and humor.
Imagine the silence after Grandad makes an ill-advised comment at the dinner table, or a heated Pictionary battle spiraling out of control. Bishop’s voice, warm and distinctly Liverpudlian, perfectly captures the spirit of these nail-bitingly familiar scenes.
One sketch features a son returning home, his accent subtly altered by time away. His parents’ playful disapproval – “State of him!” – is a moment many can instantly connect with. It’s a reminder that simply *being* home, with all its quirks, is often the greatest gift.
The campaign doesn’t shy away from the less glamorous side of Christmas. A scene depicting the agonizing search for a Secret Santa gift for a barely-known colleague perfectly encapsulates the festive struggle. What *do* you get for Jeremy from accounts?
Despite the lack of overt sentimentality, these shorts evoke a genuine warmth. A teenage boy’s hilariously clumsy attempt at gift-wrapping, complete with excessive parcel tape, feels instantly nostalgic and endearing.
It’s a clever move, subtly echoing the emotional resonance of classic Christmas ads – like the iconic John Lewis advert of a boy eagerly anticipating giving gifts, not receiving them – but through a lens of relatable humor.
Tesco’s Group Customer Director, Becky Brock, perfectly sums up the campaign’s ethos: “Christmas isn’t just about the picture-perfect moments, it’s about everything perfectly imperfect that happens around them too – that’s where the real magic is.”
Adding another layer of authenticity, Tesco has partnered with the beloved Gogglebox families, further solidifying the campaign’s focus on genuine, everyday experiences and bringing a welcome dose of comedy to the season.
