PRIVATE VIEW PART 1

Me and my copywriter Leon have wrote our very own Christmas edition of 'Private View' as Campaign does every week. Enjoy our themed (not as Henry and Leon) but as 'The Ghost of Christmas Present (even though it’s passed)' and 'Scrooge'.

The Ghost of Christmas Present (even though it’s passed)

Ho, ho, holy cow, that was a great Christmas for many reasons, but mainly for the advertising. Those big companies just couldn't wait till the big day to give me their presents for delivery… fortunately so in my case. It never hurts to be organised.

Here’s a selection that sparkled onto your screens over the festive period. We'll start with the one we were all waiting to see after 2011’s cracker. John Lewis (1). This ad was beautifully crafted by adam&eveDDB and they delivered a real gem yet again with a love story between a snowman and snowwoman, creating a lovely sentimental value. Five words from me: John Lewis, do it again.

My second present was from Waitrose (2) who delivered a campaign that set them apart from the rest. They donated their budget (thought to be £1 million) to a selection of charities through their ongoing green token scheme. It's admirable that they gave the money away to a good cause. Well done Waitrose.

The next one pleasantly surprised me (I had a sneaky peek before I delivered it). I was under the impression this ad was for a toy company after the first fifteen seconds, but it turned out it was actually an ad for Barclaycard (3).

A man gets taken around a 'Toy Story' style room underneath a toy store. He’s the same size as all the toys that are surrounding him, wanting to be picked by him to be one of his Christmas presents. It was playful with some nice humour in the dialogue. I loved it – one of my favourites over Christmas. And it didn’t get tedious, either; in fact, every time I saw it, I spotted something else happening. If you didn’t catch it, go and watch it now. It's a must-see.

I also managed to fly across the pond to the US and deliver a present from eBay (4). A child gets a surprise because her parents have bought her a pony – the gift every little girl dreams of – with comical consequences. There was a very simple product demonstration here too. It was refreshing to see a Christmas ad that approached the task slightly differently. Five Christmas tree golden stars from me.

I then returned to the UK to offload the last present from Go Compare (5), who carried on regardless with the 'Saving The Nation' campaign that DARE started, showing Gio Compario on the receiving end in a variety of situations.

It was far better than the campaign’s previous efforts and it went against the conventional Christmas ad. Let’s hope they continue their good form this year.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to get ready for Super Bowl XLVII where I’ll see what 2013’s big bucks agencies have to offer. You might spot me sitting pitchside (I won’t be wearing the red suit, mind).

Keep an eye out for Scrooge's opinion tomorrow.