At around 9:15pm on Friday 6th November, the nation began collectively weeping as this year’s John Lewis Christmas advert was premiered. You’ve probably seen it by now:
The “Man on the Moon” advert cost £1 million to shoot, and was conceived as part of a joint partnership with the charity Age UK to raise awareness of loneliness amongst the elderly during the Christmas period. Having been on YouTube since it first aired on TV, the video has already had nearly 20 million views, and remains one of the most talked-about cultural moments in the run up to Christmas.
It wasn’t long, however, before other companies began running their own parody campaigns.
Welsh homeware store Pieces for Places debuted their version, “Nan on the Town”, barely a week after the original first aired. As with the John Lewis ad, there is a link to Age UK, with all proceeds made from the sale of the scarf featured in the video going to the charity. The end of the video, however, takes a slight turn from the original:
Meanwhile, discount supermarket Aldi turned their tribute to the John Lewis advert around in just ten days, from conception to airing. The thirty-second commercial features a cameo from the star of last year’s Aldi festive spot, while still managing to represent the store’s commitment to low prices. It clocked up nearly 2 million views within five days of hitting the internet. And yes, Aldi really do sell telescopes:
As Christmas looms ever-closer, expect a few more businesses to look to the #manonthemoon for inspiration.
