You know if a baby Iguana’s first task is to escape a terrifying amount of snakes to reach its Mama and Papa, you can survive a Monday. You also know if Hilary Clinton lost out to a man who’s last name is Trump, and she can still get up in the morning, your week isn’t going to be so bad. If we weren’t in the mood for Christmas last week, we certainly are this week. A blanket of snow left Bramley Grange looking like a Christmas card, Star Bucks released their #redcups and the festive adverts are creeping on in. So without further ado, let’s get cracking with what’s caught our eye this week.
#BusterTheBoxer vs. #KevinTheCarrot
It’s no secret that John Lewis reigns the kingdom of Christmas adverts. From a lonely snowman to a man on the moon, they dominate social media conversation, but this year it seems they have had a little competition for the Christmas crown…
As history goes, John Lewis tend to steer down the tear-jerking route with their seasonal adverts, creating an emotional connection between the viewer and the character’s story. This year however, they’ve taken a different path and walked down humour street, connecting their audience through a different kind of emotion.
Premiering on Twitter, John Lewis started the week off with three teaser trailers, to finally release the two-minute feature on Thursday. It tells a tale of a little girl, a trampoline, English wildlife and Buster (also known as five-year-old Biff), making you smile, making you laugh and making those with a trampoline sleeping with one eye open. Who knew animals loved bouncing so much?
Their campaign is built around Buster and the wildlife bouncers, with an accompanying email, a sponsored Snapchat lens, personalised Twitter replies and more content for users to explore. For the Blue Digital team, it’s definitely up there as one of our favourites!
Who would have thought that a carrot could become a star of Christmas? Aldi obviously did. with this year’s Christmas advert. Kevin the Carrot takes centre stage as he retells the story of The Night Before Christmas. His journey see’s him battling a stormy cauliflower cheese, avoiding tumbling roast potatoes, and having close shave with a grater to finally reach his destination. Accompanied by a Christmassy melody and poetic script, the advert leaves you with a festive tingle, and has certainly got us in the mood for a Christmas feast. For some, this has become a firm favourite, but for other’s it’s neck and neck. Aldi, however, don’t seem to be fighting for that Christmas crown, but instead are enjoying the view, releasing a second Kevin instalment that shows him getting comfy for the advert he’s been waiting for all through the year…
Introducing #KevinTheCarrot… the star of our brand new #Christmas TV advert! pic.twitter.com/02Lhkqevls
— Aldi Stores UK (@AldiUK) November 7, 2016
#KevinTheCarrot is ready to watch it all over again… Are you? #BusterTheBoxer pic.twitter.com/79u9fv02Uj
— Aldi Stores UK (@AldiUK) November 10, 2016
#Mannequin Challenge
We’ve seen some crazy challenges happen over the years, but the latest craze that’s taken over social media by storm is the mannequin challenge. This one involves, yep you’ve guessed it, standing as still a shop window mannequin. Starting off as a high-school ‘thing’, it’s spread across seas and into the celebrity world, so we’ve pulled together some of our favourites we’ve found.
That James is a real crowd pleaser. #MannequinChallenge pic.twitter.com/EwqD2z5xhy
— The Late Late Show with James Corden (@latelateshow) November 8, 2016
Our DJs take on the #MannequinChallenge with a little help from @MeCookieMonster 🍪✨ pic.twitter.com/GKR604m8ig
— BBC Radio 1 (@BBCR1) November 8, 2016
The reigning NBA champs just took the #MannequinChallenge to another level 🇺🇸
(via @cavs) pic.twitter.com/CCo0iKPIrL— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 11, 2016
Snapbots have landed
No aliens aren’t invading. These yellow, cartoon looking vending machines are in fact Snap Inc’s (Snapchat) first physical product that are now on sale in LA. Being placed in locations that are known for memory-making-moments, these vending machines allow you to purchase a pair of Spectacles.
Instantly recognisable by their bright yellow exterior and one eye face, they sleep until someone enters it’s field of vision. You can then virtually try on the glasses, choosing the right colour and style, which will then pop out through the Snapbot’s mouth.
Things are already heating up on social media, with the anticipation as to where the next bot is going to land! They are yet to reveal plans about a UK or European release, so for now we’ll be sitting tight, and keeping an eye on the map to follow the landings of these comical bots.
Here’s to a weekend of Christmas adverts and a Friday afternoon full of mince pies.