For holiday 2024, the tiny animated rodent returns—as adorbs as ever—in a nostalgia-laden spot that celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Wham! seasonal anthem “Last Christmas.”
For an added Gen X bonus, Wham! co-founder Andrew Ridgeley makes a cameo appearance in work that comes from longtime agency of record TBWA\Neboko.
The 80-second spot recreates key scenes from the original Wham! music video and uses the pop song as its soundtrack. It had a teaser release two days before it launched, taking a page from American brands that hype their Super Bowl commercials in the run-up to the Big Game. –T.L. Stanley
AT&T
According to the etiquette of the day, it’s rude and intrusive—presumptuous, even—to call someone on the phone. That’s why everyone texts, right?
A heart-tugging holiday ad for AT&T aims to buck that trend, encouraging people to reach out to their nearest and dearest the OG way. “We’ve learned that hearing the voice of someone you care for, even via a phone call, activates the same parts of the brain as a hug,” per the brand.
The campaign, from BBDO, leans into the consumer insight that found 76% of people have saved voicemails, video or video messages from their loved ones, while 89% of saved voicemails are from immediate family.
The 30-second spot called “A Voice Can Change Everything” gives a fly-on-the-wall peek into a variety of touching messages left to kids, siblings and friends. The kicker is a sweet voice saying, “I would love to keep in touch a little more,” and a woman returning that call to her grandmother for a chat.
The ad and cutdown versions will air on linear and streaming TV, social and digital platforms through Jan. 8. –T.L. Stanley
Apple
Continuing to highlight its accessible technology for people with disabilities, Apple’s holiday film follows the journey of a father living with moderate hearing loss. Told in two parts, the ad begins with the dad’s perspective. Through muffled sound that reflects his condition, he watches his daughter open a new guitar on Christmas morning and recalls other milestones from her childhood. The perspective shifts after he activates the Hearing Aid feature on his AirPods Pro 2. Now able to hear clearly, he enjoys his daughter’s rendition of “Our House” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.
