The Christmas campaign season is playing out differently this year. Ads are arriving earlier to avoid media clashes with the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which starts late November. And of course, there’s the small matter of a cost-of-living crisis to contend with.

Retail company TK Maxx has burst out of the starting blocks on both counts, with the first big Christmas ad to arrive this season, and one that addresses spending head on.

When the ad’s protagonist, Sam, reveals she bought all of her presents at TK Maxx, she gets a suspenseful high five from her dad – and many more follow, including in a climactic showdown. Devised by Wieden+Kennedy London for the seventh year on the trot, the ad features all of the obscure charm and comedic timing we’ve come to expect from director Max Siedentopf.

The message here is fun, from the soundtrack – Cerrone’s 1977 disco classic Supernature – to the colourful setting of the ad, which was filmed in Poland. It seems to strike the right tone for TK Maxx, whose USP is all about surprising finds at low prices, and steers clear of the worthiness we’re bound to see this year.

Credits:
Agency: Wieden+Kennedy London
ECD: Susan Hoffman
Creative directors: Paddy Treacy, Hannah Smit
Creatives: Georgina Brisby, Marcelo Duarte
Director: Max Siedentopf
Production company: Riff Raff