2013 holiday ad extravaganza: Part 2

We don't do a 'secret santa' exchange here at Campaign Asia-Pacific. But we do exchange links to Christmas ads. This year we have such a large collection that we gave you half yesterday and present the second half today.

There's no overarching theme here. These ads or videos come from all over the world and take all kinds of approaches to capturing—or lampooning—the Christmas spirit. If you have favourites we missed, please let us know in the comments below, by tweeting @CampaignAsia, or comment on Facebook.

 

BBDO's Hong Kong office led the creation of this regional ad for Starbucks. Is having a great voice a prerequisite for becoming a Starbucks barista now?

 

This Eden Cheese ad from the Philippines is admittedly a little, um, cheesy (sorry). But we dare you to watch it without getting teary-eyed. We double-dare you.

 

With nearly 28 million views, this video from Canadian airline WestJet is probably the viral hit of the season. Sure, it's purely materialistic, but you have to give the team credit for its mad speed-shopping skillz. And for true evidence of Christmas spirit, take note of the guy who asked for underwear and accepted it with good cheer while his flight-mates were agog at their new tablets and big-screen TVs.

 

Last year, Cartier had real jaguar cubs cavorting through a jewel-encrusted winter wonderland. This year, we assume the cubs weren't cute enough anymore (like post-Home Alone Macaulay Culkin), because the brand has gone with fully animated alternatives. Doesn't make much of a difference, really—it's still a pointless, plotless exercise. But when you're able to command the ridiculous prices Cartier charges, you're not going to try anything too daring. 

 

Speaking of cats, even an all-star cat cast can't save this spot for Purina Friskies from mediocrity. We're sure fewer than 2 million views was not what the brand had in mind when it decided to hire superstars such as Grumpy Cat.

 

The John Lewis Christmas ad is a big deal among the industry in the UK, and you can't argue with 10 million views. The ad may look like pure animation, but it's actually a mixture of 2D animation and 3D stop-motion techniques. So if you're into the behind-the-scenes, check out the making-of video here. 

 

The next two instantly forgettable ads make it clear why John Lewis chooses to spend its money to rise above the sameness of Christmas advertising. Even though Marks & Spencer mashes up Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz—and adds Helena Bonham Carter for good measure—its 'Magic & Sparkle' ad leaves us cold. And Debenhams' romantic fantasy 'Wishes made fabulous' make no impression at all.     

 

It wouldn't be Christmas without a Coca-Cola ad, now would it?

 

And finally, the NBA's version of Jingle Bells would be neat if it weren't so obviously fake.