The brighter side of the moon
It’s December, already. Whether you are a convinced supporter of ‘Happy holidays’, or a timeless supporter of the classic ‘Merry Christmas’, it is unluckily that in this time of the year you will be able to stay out of seasonal discussions. Like it or not, it’s December … so, get ready, soon you will be sucked in a whirlwind of X-mas ads and of Year End summaries. But what if, this time, it is not going to be the same old story?
This post is about changing topoi (themes) in a changing world
‘THE BRIGHTER SIDE OF THE MOON’
One of the most well-known paintings of the Dutch artist Bruegel the Elder is The Triumph of Death: an impressive mix of people dying, fire and pillars of black smoke. If you look closer at this desolating landscape, you will also find a prettily prepared dinner table, a backgammon board and people playing cards, lovers playing guitar and even… a skeleton flirting with a young lady!
The Triumph of Death by Pieter Bruegel (source: Wikimedia Commons)
In this painting it seems that Death has come to claim its supremacy over Life… but the little things of daily life are hard to kill. Hidden in the details, Life still resists and tries to go on as if nothing happened. I remember that the first time I looked at this scene I thought: that’s the most successful masterpiece… about the worst!
But Bruegel the Elder has not devoted his skills solely to the End of Time. He displayed his complete mastery in depicting the regular passing of time as well. He painted indeed a series of six seasonal paintings of different months of the year… he created a perfect visual companion for a calendar, so to speak.
For his ability to make the most of life changes, if I had to nominate a campaign manager for the Year End Summary 2016 and for the seasonal ads that come with X-mas, I would go for the Brabant visual genius: Bruegel the Elder!
I am convinced that he would have the talent to tell us, through his powerful layered stories-for-eyes, that even the Triumph of Death has its brighter side! Unfortunately, Bruegel the Elder’s mastery is not a viable option; so, let’s have a look at those current visual narratives that the real market of X-mas Ads 2016 has to offer us…
Many are greeting the 2016 as the age of anger and of the rise of populism. And, indeed, there have been signals from all over the world that such ominous label is, after all, well-deserved! The election of Donald Trump as President of the United States, Brexit and the rise of far right movements in Europe, the rise of support for the President Erdoğan in Turkey, and the greater weight of the global role of the President of the Russian Federation Putin, are just the tip of the iceberg.
But politics is something that can keep you busy all through the year, whereas I promised you to talk you about ‘seasonal’ topics and X-mas ads. Shortly I will fulfil my promise, but I first want to explain what this snapshot on world politics has to do with my interest in X-mas ads…
Advertising is about a brand talking to its (perspective) consumers. This statement holds true for all ads. Now, let’s keep this truth aside for a moment, and let’s focus instead on the idea that advertising is also about creative people sharing stories with other people, who in turn feel involved with the stories they listen to. This statement holds true only for the greatest ads!
From the snapshot on world politics, unluckily, we can tell that there is a greater number of people angry and fearful; a growing mob that hates ‘foreigners’… then, you can understand why I was concerned about the kind of stories that might be generated within this cauldron of chaos and disdain!
Unluckily, we do not have to go too far back in time in order to find some sinister examples. I still remember the shameful racist slogan that, in Christmas 2009, was used for a ‘security operation’ by the Local Council of Coccaglio, an Italian town governed at that time by Lega Nord (the Northern League). The police carried out house-to-house searches for illegal immigrants and the operation was named … ‘White Christmas’. That’s what I call malicious creativity!
To my surprise, instead, as far as Europe is concerned, the brighter side of creativity did it again! This year, some great X-mas ads seem to share a strong common theme, which counteracts the wave of nationalism and intolerance whose rise we have been witnessing in the last months.
This year, the X-mas ads do not just tell us the same old story that all you need for X-mas is your four safe walls and your dear family! Quite differently, these new ads are telling us that, sometimes, love requires you to leave your comfort zone, to travel, to learn a new language… and you have just to embrace this challenge, since the joy it will bring you is worth all the efforts you make!
You’ve got to see such a brighter side for yourself! So, here it is: the best (in my humble opinion!) ad for X-mas 2016. It’s a Polish ad, and its title is: ‘Czego szukasz w Święta? / English for beginners’! I wish I could write more about this story, but I do not want to spoil it.
On the same brighter side, here’s a British X-mas ad: ‘Coming Home for Christmas’
Advertentie.
