Penny commercial
Christmas advertisement with mother and son as internet hit
A Christmas tree is decorated with balls and a string of lights. (Archive image) Photo: Britta Pedersen / dpa-Zentralbild / ZB
© dpa-infocom GmbH
Before Christmas, people are up for heartwarming stories. This also works in advertising. What the lonely grandpa was six years ago is the Corona youth this year.
The mother of a teenager wishes for Christmas in Corona times that the boy can have normal youthful experiences such as secret parties, kisses and even lovesickness:
The food discounter Penny is currently a topic of conversation with an almost four-minute commercial. In the first 24 hours, the clip, made like a fictional film, was clicked on around a million times on YouTube. There have been many enthusiastic responses.
From November 18, the spot with Livia von Seld and Julius Gause (director: Marcus Ibanez) will also be shown in the cinema, according to the Serviceplan Campaign agency in Munich.
Spot reminds of Edeka grandpa
Addressing social problems in a Christmas commercial is reminiscent of a sensational Edeka spot six years ago. A lonely pensioner lured his family home for Christmas with an obituary notice.
The 2021 spot is about the consequences of the corona pandemic. The Corona time is violent for all generations. Lockdowns, closed clubs, and canceled parties or flights have hit young people at the all-important stage of growing up. The discounter brings this feeling to the point with a conversation between mother and son at the kitchen table at night.
What do you want for Christmas? The mother begins to think and sees scenes in her mind’s eye that all parents probably know: teenage sons who sneak out of the apartment and go out to party or have to be picked up somewhere drunk. The mother even wishes her son that his heart be broken. In the end, mother and son hug each other. The whole thing advertises a competition in which the prizes are “unforgettable experiences”.