The Book of Dreams
04 November 2019 - Press releaseNew Argos Christmas Advert Syncs up with Simple Minds’ Iconic ‘Don’t You Forget About Me’
Argos has teamed up with Globe - Universal Music UK’s creative agency - to line up Simple Minds’ 80s classic ‘Don’t You Forget About Me’ as the sync to its brand new Christmas advert. The much-loved Argos catalogue takes centre stage in the retailer’s highly anticipated 2019 Christmas advertising campaign, launching to millions of viewers across the UK this season.
The new TV advertisement, the first blockbuster Christmas advert from a major British retailer this year, celebrates the iconic and long-standing tradition of circling your most-wanted gifts in the Argos catalogue – renamed “The Book of Dreams”. The heart-warming story begins in a kitchen, where the dad taps his finger on the circled drum kit, and to his surprise, the kitchen table splits open to magically reveal it, right there in front of him. Dad begins to play as the kitchen transforms into his own private gig, with bulbs beaming in the oven and stage smoke pouring from the fridge. Simple Minds’ ‘Don’t You Forget About Me’ plays on the TV and he drums along.
The advert, which had its first airing on Friday 1 November during ITV’s Coronation Street and Channel 4’s Gogglebox, was created by The&Partnership London and shot by award-winning director team, Traktor.
Dan Elton, Head of Marketing Communications, Argos, said: “This year we wanted to celebrate a festive tradition that families up and down the country all know and love. The nostalgia of circling your dream gift in the Argos catalogue never goes away and it’s still going strong in today’s tech-obsessed world. Argos is one of the UK’s biggest online retailers but the feeling of turning the pages of the catalogue is something our customers love and sets us apart from everyone else. Whether you shop by smartphone on your commute, pop in-store to browse the latest products or love to pour over the catalogue in the comfort of your own living room, Argos is the place to fulfil your Christmas dreams.”
Neil Mulford, Head of Rights Management - Advertising & Brand Partnerships, at Globe added: “This has been one of the most exciting projects we have worked on this year. Simple Minds’ iconic Don’t You Forget About Me is a nostalgic anthem and we’re sure this will become one of the season’s biggest Christmas adverts.”
Danny Hunt, Creative Director, The&Partnership said “The idea started with a great bit of planning. The brief reminded us that Christmas starts with the Argos catalogue arriving. As kids past and present we’ve all spent hours sifting through it, circling all the stuff we wanted. This led us to the idea that this is so much more than a catalogue. It’s a book of dreams. And that was a big idea we all got very excited about.”
Directing team Traktor, Stink Films, said “Sometimes the stars line up in a project; this was one of those. We had the proper ingredients: a great story, the most iconic humdinger from the 80s, full access to that classic video, two superstar drummers, a couple of kids’ drum kits and a crew that absolutely loved this project. With a large and fairly complicated set (designed by Nick Foley-Oates), we didn’t make it easy for ourselves, but we had a lot of fun doing it.”
Yan Elliott, Executive Creative Director, The&Partnership said “The year is one big drum roll to Christmas. Here, Argos have delivered the crescendo. We hope that families, up and down the UK, will not only love the campaign, but will be inspired to revisit this Christmas tradition.”
The launch of the TV advert follows a social campaign that has seen celebrities, influencers and members of the public surprised with their own ‘Book of Dreams’ from when they were young. The campaign also included the creation of Argos’ first ever digital repository of vintage catalogues from the last four decades, which attracted over 1.8 million visits in its first 48 hours. The full 360 campaign encompasses online, television, cinema, brand response, bumpers, out-of-home, social and influencer outreach. http://argosbookofdreams.co.uk/
Submit news or a press release
Want to add your news or press release? Email Paul or Kevin
Two week FREE trial