War of the Christmas Ads

For me, there's nothing that starts off the festive period like an appearance of a Christmas Advert.  Whilst the likes of Marks & Spencer have been producing big budget adverts for a few years now, for most brands I can barely remember anything further back than last year (and that's only because we spoke about the John Lewis one in a lecture).  This year however, we seem to be inundated with the big companies trying to outdo each other, but who did it best?

1.  Marks & Spencer

In our family, it's hard to beat the M&S advert (who can forget 2007's 'Christmas Belles'?) and this year has proved to be no exception.  Feauturing two of the most insanely beautiful models on the planet, this years advert has a tagline of 'Believe in Magic and Sparkles' and brilliantly emulates a few of the best fairytales of our time - firstly my personal favourite of Alice in Wonderland then Aladdin, Little Red Riding Hood and finally moving on to The Wizard of Oz when we see the best part of the advert - Helena Bonham Carter.  The advert invokes not only that nostalgia we all love to experience during the festive season but also offers us that sense of aspiration that all adverts are meant to provoke in their audience.  'Believe in Magic and Sparkles'?  Well it's hard not too with an advert as perfect as this.


2. John Lewis

A John Lewis spokesman recently said that when planning their Christmas Adverts they like to 'connect emotionally' with their audience.  Whilst I'm not the biggest fan of their adverts I can see that this is a valid statement by looking back over previous ads bought to us from the company (2011's advert of the little boy giving his parents a present is a great example of this).  This year however I just didn't get this advert.  The had all the right components for a great Christmas ad;  Lily Allen making a comeback and singing a Keane cover, Disney animators who bought us the likes of The Lion King and an unlikely friendship between a Bear and a Hare, but somehow this still went wrong.  It seemed wrong to me that they spent £7 million on animators just to add in real life gifts (yes I know they need to advertise but it looked odd) and barring the fact that there was a Christmas Tree in the advert, it doesn't make me feel festive at all.

3. Tesco

Tesco's went for the familial angle this year by showing us a collection of home made movies over a number of decades.  We see a young couple through various stages of their relationship, from their first Christmas together, to Christmas with their children with the grandparents, to the children growing up and the young couple becoming the grandparents.  It featured a number of situations we all experience on the day, the excitement of opening our presents, rowing with our parents and of course, celebrating with those we love most, because that is, afterall what Christmas is all about.

4. Harvey Nichols

 

 

Harvey Nichols have used tongue in cheek humour to not only capture our attention this year, but also to promote a new line hitting the stores.  'I Spent It On Myself' is a situation that all of us can relate too, that dreadful feeling when you splurge on yourself knowing you have other to buy for.  To counteract any of us ever having to feel like this again, the brand have come up with a new line of gifts including elastic bands, toothpicks and a sink plug.  Well, as said by one of the self spurgers in the ad, at least you can challenge the recipient as to if anyone else got them a gift from Harvey Nic's.

 

Whilst I have to admit that the M&S is my favourite of those above, there is still no one who can quite contend with the classic Coca-Cola advert.  After all, it really isn't Christmas until you have seen it on your screen.

 

 

 



Look of the Week: Miranda Kerr

 

She may have been visibly missing from this years Victoria's Secret show,  but former Angel Miranda Kerr seemed to not be too perturbed compared to the rest of us when she stepped out in Tokyo in a stunning monochrome Michael Kors gown and Bulgari diamonds.  Nor would you notice she'd recently announced a split with her husband of three years with a smile that would dazzle any.  If only the rest of us could handle our problems with our head held so high.

Payday Purchase

I've never been a big fan of trainers. The last pair I bought were a pair of black and pink Lacoste trainers about 8 years ago (they were fashionable then, I swear), I threw them away earlier this year when I discovered them in their box, never worn.  Minus the odd pair of converse of Superga - which in my eyes don't count as trainers, more of a comfort shoe- I've steered clear of any kind of footwear which I could see my brothers wearing.  I've never even been a frequent enough gym goer that I would require anything other than the battered old new balance my sister gave me when I first moved up north (five years ago).

Step foot into Foot Asylum earlier this week however, and I'm in love.  Not only did I end up leaving with a pair of New Balance for day to day wear but I also spotted these beauties out of the corner of my eye.  Trying them on, they're honestly some of the most comfortable things I've ever put on my feet, they don't feel heavy like I remember trainers from back when I was younger and you can feel the weightlessness when you walk.  If, like me, you're going to the gym to help you get into that Christmas party dress, then do it in style with the Nike Free 5.0 Print Trainer, also available in pink.

World Premiere- The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Despite my opinion last week regarding Jennifer Lawrence's new haircut it seems the actress has actually made her crop work for her, showing Miley just exactly how you pull off super short, super blonde hair.  The star stepped out in London with a stunning white Christian Dior (obviously) gown, complete with a mega sequinned skirt and black pointed courts.  Simple yet effective.

My personal favourite of the night, however, had to be Elizabeth Banks in a stunning canary yellow Jason Wu dress, proving that you don't have to be a brunette to pull off such a bright colour.

Lady Gaga teams with US H&M

Lady Gaga will team with US chains of H&M for the release if her Artpop album, released today. The album will be carried in 175 of the retailers US stores and will sell for $9.95 and won't be replenished once sold out - although these sales won't count towards Billboard sales as H&M don't report sales to Nielson Soundscan (the company who track music sales for the Billboard chart).  If that wasn't enough, Gaga herself will be in hand to help H&M open their new Times Square store on Nov 14th. 

Monaco's Princess Graces the cover of Tatler

It's been over 30 years since her death, but it seems as though Grace Kelly is still as captivating as ever. I rarely buy a copy of Tatler, preferring the prose of the likes of Vogue and Elle, however, seeing the actress turned princess on the cover of the December issue was enough to garner my attention and prompt me to buy to read the accompanying article. 

With her biographical movie, simply titled Grace of Monaco, with Nicole Kidman in the titular role as well as being directed by Olivier Dahan (the man who bought us La Vie En Rose), set to be released in early 2014, interest in one of Hollywoods most elegant stars is about to be renewed in a way which it perhaps never was before.

Look of the Week: Mollie King

Looking better than I have ever seen her, and pretty much unrecognisable at that, this weeks best dressed is none other than The Saturdays singer Mollie King. Dressed in Gucci, the blonde beauty attended the Harpers Bazaar Woman of the Year event in London earlier this week. Her coiffed up do and nude make up transformed her usually girly look into something more mature, whilst a mesh panelled top offered a daring edge to the outfit. 

Top of the Crops

With Beyoncé, Karlie Kloss and Miley Cyrus all cutting their tresses this year, it's fair to say that shorter hair is once again in vogue.  I myself opted to have a few inches snipped off along with a new fringe (inspired by Karlie, actually), but for some (namely Miley) it seems like they took it just a step too far.

Case in point, our two favourite Jennifer's have this week taken to the hairdressers seat and had debuted shorter do's, one looks great, the other not so much.  The problem with shorter hair, and I think most will agree, is that they usually make the wearer look older (the shorter - the older in my opinion)  Not a problem if you're Jen An of course - the woman is in her 40's and still looks better than most of us in our 20's- and let's be realistic, she is the QUEEN of the bob (or is it again now 'The Rachel?). J Law on the other hand, well let's just say I'm not a fan, the cut is too sharp, too 90's and just generally wrong for her face shape.  With the world premiere of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire finally creeping up on us, lets just hope she gets a good stylist.