It's Christmas TV Advert Season Again!

With only 47 more sleep to Christmas, high street shops are already adorned with fairy light, pumping mulled wine air freshener through their air conditioning systems and playing Wham! on repeat. As another major store, Comet, finds itself in trouble, it's clearer than ever that the likes of M&S and Argos need to capitalise on Christmas more than ever. And there's no better way to encourage this than rolling out a massive Christmas advertising campaign.

There's one advert we're all looking forward to. Who could forget the little boy who couldn't wait for Christmas? With a poignant cover of The Smiths 'Let Me Get What I Want' (which caused controversy and outrage in itself) as its soundtrack, the advert follows the young boy's frustration as Christmas day just refuses to hurry up and come. We assume it's because he's been promised the latest games console or iPod (obviously purchased by his parents from a certain middle class department store). But we're wrong! His frustration is simply due to the fact that he can't wait to give his mum and dad a badly wrapped present! Awwwww! We never find out what's within the wrapping paper, but it's sure to be cute.

This year, said department store has gone one better by creating...an advert for its advert! There was also, allegedly, hot competition amongst channels to premiere it. For a situation to occur where broadcasters are actually fighting over who will show a TV advert is very unusual. My money would have been on Saturday night X Factor's first advert break, but the winner of the coveted prize was channel 4, and they are so excited they are even going to add teaser trailers to advert breaks this week. That's right, a trailer for a TV advert.

 If you want a sneak peak at some images from the advert (or if you still haven't worked out whose ad it is!), read this excellent article from the Telegraph which sums up all of this year's Christmas adverts. It also discusses the role of technology and how this has changed advertising - useful stuff for you, Mr Higham, and for the case study into the impact of digital technology which we'll be doing for the exam.