You’d think 2020 would be an easy year for Weepy ads — it’s been a rough year for everyone, culminating in a holiday season that will be very different from those in the past.
But this year was surprisingly tough for our annual celebration of tearjerking holiday ads. A lot of brands decided to go with less-weepy, more-upbeat ads this year, which I totally support. The ones that aimed for weepy-heartwarming, though, pretty universally nailed it, and it was hard to pick the top four and put them in order. I’m pretty satisfied with my choices, buy any brand that didn’t make it into the list can take comfort in the knowledge that the competition was fierce.
On with the 2020 Weepy Awards:
Pre-Show: TK Maxx, “Li’l Goat” (Wieden+Kennedy); Aldi, “Kevin’s Out in the Cold” (McCann UK)
We’ll warm you up this evening with two adorable ads that, thanks to the wealth of worthy ads this year, have to get pushed to pre-show entertainment. In TK Maxx’s Li’l Goat ad, a farmer buys a designer for his goat because, he tells us tearfully, she “bleeding well deserves it.” (If it gets him teared up, that’s good enough for us.) Aldi’s ad, part of their ongoing Kevin the Carrot campaign, gets honors for nothing more than the line reading of “It’s not Christmas ’til my Daddy gets home” by a li’l baby carrot. Don’t worry, Li’l Baby Carrot. Harry the Hedgehog, with an assist by Santa and an homage to E.T., will get Daddy home for Christmas.
Honorable Mention: Amazon, “The Show Must Go On” (Lucky Generals)
Not unexpectedly, the COVID pandemic has played a role in many of this year’s ad, and this one brings it more front-and-center than some others — although many have illustrated the apart-but-together aspects of this year’s holiday season, not as many have come right out and shown people in masks. This Amazon ad does that, telling the story of a young ballerina who earns a starring role in her ballet school’s Christmas show and rehearses joyfully and diligently, only to be devastated when the show is canceled, we can assume, because of the pandemic. With the help of their neighbors (including, possibly, a guy she’s been making eyes at) and, of course, an assist from Amazon, her younger sister is able to stage a beautiful, snow-dusted rooftop performance. I’m tearing up just writing about it.
Bronze: Etsy, “Gift Like You Mean It” (72andSunny)
Etsy’s Christmas campaign shows how personal, personalized gifts can be meaningful at Christmas. One features grandparents who, despite pandemic restrictions, able to be close to their grandson with the help of a precious if somewhat surrealist doll based on one of the kid’s drawings. A second features a girl named Shiori who can’t find items with her name on it, but her mom is able to give her with a custom-made name necklace. My favorite tells the story of a man meeting his boyfriend’s family for the first time and worrying about being accepted, only to be presented with a handmade cross-stitch of the happy couple. Sniff.
The campaign could be accused of cheating, on account of it tells three different touching stories in three different executions, but I’m allowing it because it tells them so well.
You can see the full campaign at AdAge.
Silver: McDonald’s UK, “Inner Child” (Leo Burnett)
I don’t know if anyone remembers being a teenager trying so desperately to appear cool even as your inner child fought to get out and get excited about exciting things, but… I mean, me neither. In this McDonald’s ad, such a teenager pushes back on his mother’s every attempt to bring him Christmas joy (as his inner child dances inside him), until finally, he gives in and joins in the fun and finally falls asleep on the couch, leaning on his mom like the little boy he’ll always be to her, sniff. (The teariness is aided by a sweet, slow, piano-driven cover of “Forever Young.”
Gold: The Pavilion, “Hug This Until You Can Hug Me”
I cannot overstate how hard it was to decide which holiday campaign induced the most tears, but this one managed to just barely come out on top. Ireland always seems to come through with tearjerking Christmas ads, and this year is no different. Cork, Ireland, garden center The Pavilion brings us an ad that opens on a child visiting his grandparents — and having to greet them from the sidewalk, because he can’t come close, because pandemic, sob. His gift to them us a teddy bear that they can hug “until you can hug me,” double sob. And then they send him an even larger version of the same bear for that same purpose, triple sob, take my money.
Happy Weeping
Feeling weepy yet? I don’t blame you. Any Weepy-worthy ads I’ve missed? Drop them in comments. I’m ready for them.
And to one and all, despite the rough year, despite the Weepy ads, have yourself a merry little Christmas.