The much-loved Argos catalogue takes centre stage in the retailer’s highly anticipated 2019 Christmas advertising campaign, launching tonight to millions of viewers across the UK.
The new TV advertisement is expected to be the first blockbuster Christmas advert from a major British retailer this year, and it celebrates the iconic and long-standing tradition of circling your most-wanted gifts in the Argos catalogue. While the catalogue has been a firm fixture with families for the last 46 years, it’s been absent from Argos’s most significant annual TV advertisement for the past decade. This year, however, the Christmas edition of the catalogue plays a starring role in the festive campaign. It has been renamed ‘The Book of Dreams’ and the advert delivers on this promise as a dad’s childhood dreams are awoken when he sees a drumkit his daughter circled in the Argos catalogue.
The heart-warming story begins in a kitchen, where the dad taps his finger on the circled drum kit, and to his surprise, the kitchen table splits open to magically reveal it, right there in front of him. Dad begins to play as the kitchen transforms into his own private gig, with bulbs beaming in the oven and stage smoke pouring from the fridge. Simple Minds’ 80s classic ‘Don’t You Forget About Me’ plays on the TV and he drums along.
The father is joined by his daughter – woken by the noise – and suddenly the kitchen is transformed into the gig of a lifetime, with adoring fans chanting along. In a scene-stealing moment, Cubby the Curious Bear – one of Argos’s predictions for the most popular toys of the festive season – leaps off the stage and crowd surfs.
The advert airs on Friday 1 November during ITV’s Coronation Street and Channel 4’s Gogglebox. It was created by The&Partnership London and shot by award-winning director team, Traktor.
Dan Elton, Head of Marketing Communications, Argos, said: “This year we wanted to celebrate a festive tradition that families up and down the country all know and love. The nostalgia of circling your dream gift in the Argos catalogue never goes away and it’s still going strong in today’s tech-obsessed world.” Elton added “Argos is one of the UK’s biggest online retailers but the feeling of turning the pages of the catalogue is something our customers love and sets us apart from everyone else. Whether you shop by smartphone on your
commute, pop in-store to browse the latest products or love to pour over the catalogue in the comfort of your own living room, Argos is the place to fulfil your Christmas dreams.”
Danny Hunt, Creative Director, The&Partnership said “The idea started with a great bit of planning. The brief reminded us that Christmas starts with the Argos catalogue arriving. As kids past and present we’ve all spent hours sifting through it, circling all the stuff we wanted. This led us to the idea that this is so much more than a catalogue. It’s a book of dreams. And that was a big idea we all got very excited about.”
Directing team Traktor, Stink Films, said “Sometimes the stars line up in a project; this was one of those. We had the proper ingredients: a great story, the most iconic humdinger from the 80’s, full access to that classic video, two superstar drummers, a couple of kids’ drum kits and a crew that absolutely loved this project. With a large and fairly complicated set (designed by Nick Foley-Oates), we didn’t make it easy for ourselves, but we had a lot of fun doing it.”
Yan Elliott, Executive Creative Director, The&Partnership said “The year is one big drum roll to Christmas. Here, Argos have delivered the crescendo. We hope that families, up and down the UK, will not only love the campaign, but will be inspired to revisit this Christmas tradition.”
The launch of the TV advert follows a social campaign that has seen celebrities, influencers and members of the public surprised with their own ‘Book of Dreams’ from when they were young. The campaign also included the creation of Argos’s first ever digital repository of vintage catalogues from the last four decades, which attracted over 1.8 million visits in its first 48 hours. The full 360 campaign encompasses online, television, cinema, brand response, bumpers, out-of-home, social and influencer outreach. http://argosbookofdreams.co.uk/
Source: The&Partnership
“The Book of Dreams” The&Partnership brings the joy of the Argos catalogue to UK audiences added by newsroom on
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