Pandemic Christmas ads focus on family, hope and kindness

The pandemic was on the minds of retailers when making adverts for what is set to be a Christmas unlike any other, writes Denise O’Donoghue

Cian Kearney from Douglas stars in SuperValu's Christmas advert. Picture credit: Still from SuperValu ad.

The battle of the Christmas adverts has begun, with UK retailer John Lewis releasing its 2020 offering one day after Irish supermarket SuperValu generated much discussion with its video of a young boy wishing and hoping to see his grandfather at Christmas.

Released on Wednesday, the one-minute clip shows a young boy decorating a Christmas tree with his parents as a radio bulletin details the latest Covid-19 restrictions before he nervously asks: "Is he still coming this year?"

After eight-year-old Cork boy Cian Kearney's character was seen in the popular advert running to hug his grandfather after a long separation due to Covid-19 restrictions, the young Douglas actor revealed he has not seen his own grandparents since before the current level 5 restrictions were put into place, making the scene all the more poignant.

“I haven’t seen my nana and grandad in a long time,” he told 96FM’s Opinion Line. “Seeing them at Christmas is probably going to be the most important thing, I really want to see them.” 

Cian Kearney and his grandad, pictured before the Covid19 lockdown

The popularity of the advert has seen Cian attract much attention from his family and his peers.

“My grandad wants an autograph,” Cian said, adding his classmates did not believe him when he told them he would be in an advert on television. 

“At first they just didn’t believe me. Now every one of them is talking about it, so I’m happy.” 

It is not his family’s first foray into acting. His father, Ger, starred in The War of the Buttons as a child, and Ger said he was originally approached about the role of the dad in SuperValu’s advert before attention turned to his son’s acting skills.

“A casting agent who I occasionally auditioned for contacted me,” said Ger. “They got less interested in me and more interested in Cian — I’m getting an awful slagging from my brothers that I’m not convincing as his dad.” 

Ger said the family is thrilled by the reaction to Cian’s starring role, with people at home and abroad being impressed by the boy’s acting.

“Someone told me it’s very big in Saudi Arabia and France, it’s snowballing,” said Ger.

It comes as other supermarkets in Ireland also release their Christmas adverts. 

Tesco Ireland's Christmas advert will launch tomorrow evening and it has a message that children will be delighted to learn: this year, there is no naughty list. Adults too will be encouraged to treat themselves this festive season. After all, we've been through enough this year (amen, Tesco).

"This Christmas, we’ve gone for a little bit of light relief, with a self-deprecating humour acknowledging that we all have those moments of weaknesses or [not-so] guilty pleasures as we all adapted to the situation at hand," said Tesco Ireland's Cathal Deavy.

"We hope that it rings true with our customers and helps to bring a smile and a nod of recognition when they say: 'That was me' [or him, or her]."

Across the pond, John Lewis’ latest Christmas advert highlights the kindness of the public during the pandemic. Picture: John Lewis and Partners/PA Wire

Aldi's offering continues the story of Kevin the Carrot who, this year, is far from home, prompting concerns among his and Katie's children that he won't be back in time for Christmas. Luckily, Santa (who looks an awful lot like Colm Meaney) swoops in on his sleigh to save the day.

Elsewhere, Lidl's advert has some strong The Elves and the Shoemaker vibes. It shows some Christmas elves preparing their aisles for the festive season in the middle of the night, hurrying out of sight just as the first worker of the morning enters the store.

Across the pond, John Lewis’ latest Christmas advert highlights the kindness of the public during the pandemic. The advert begins with a boy whose football has become stuck in a tree and moves through a series of acts of kindness, switching from live-action to various styles of animation.

The retailer had considered shelving the production of its highly-anticipated annual marketing campaign, but said charity partners persuaded the company to go ahead. This year's advert is intended to spark further acts of kindness, John Lewis said.

With messages focusing on kindness, hope, and the importance of family, this year’s Christmas campaigns are likely to evoke a more intense outpouring of feelings from viewers than in previous years.