#Grandad Bear Plush

[noisycowboyglitter]

"Celebrate the Season: 10 Festive Red Plaid Grandad Bear Outfit Ideas"

A Red Plaid Grandad Bear is a charming stuffed animal that combines the comforting presence of a teddy bear with the nostalgic appeal of grandfather-like attire. This cuddly companion is designed to evoke feelings of warmth, security, and family tradition.

Buy now:19.95$

The bear is typically crafted from soft, huggable material and wears a distinctive red plaid shirt, reminiscent of classic lumberjack or flannel patterns. This attire gives the bear a cozy, rustic appearance that's perfect for holiday decorating or year-round comfort. The "grandad" aspect might be further emphasized with additional features like spectacles perched on its nose, a small pocket watch, or even a tiny pipe.

These bears often become cherished keepsakes, passed down through generations or given as gifts to grandchildren. They can serve as a tangible representation of a grandfather's love or a tribute to beloved grandfathers who have passed on.

The Red Plaid Grandad Bear appeals to both children and adults, offering a sense of nostalgia and comfort. It's not just a toy, but a symbol of family bonds, tradition, and the enduring love between grandparents and grandchildren.

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Matching Christmas pajamas have become a beloved holiday tradition for families and friends alike. These coordinated sleepwear sets offer a fun, festive way to celebrate togetherness during the holiday season.

Typically made from soft, comfortable fabrics like flannel or cotton, these pajamas feature cheerful Christmas-themed patterns such as reindeer, snowflakes, or classic plaid. Designs range from whimsical and colorful to elegant and understated, catering to various tastes and age groups.

As a gift, matching pajamas create an opportunity for memorable photo opportunities and shared experiences. They're perfect for Christmas Eve gatherings, opening presents on Christmas morning, or simply lounging around during the holiday break.

Many sets include options for the whole family, from infants to adults, and even pets. Some families make it an annual tradition to gift new matching sets each year.

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This thoughtful present not only provides cozy comfort but also fosters a sense of unity and holiday spirit among loved ones.

Reindeer Christmas decorations capture the magic and whimsy of the holiday season, drawing inspiration from Santa's legendary sleigh-pullers. These festive ornaments come in various forms, from small figurines to large outdoor displays.

Popular options include illuminated wireframe reindeer for lawns, plush reindeer toys for indoor decor, and delicate reindeer-shaped tree ornaments. Some feature realistic designs, while others opt for more cartoonish, endearing interpretations.

Materials range from traditional wood and metal to modern acrylics and LEDs. Many reindeer decorations incorporate twinkling lights, adding a warm glow to holiday setups.

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Whether used as centerpieces, mantel decorations, or as part of a larger Christmas village display, reindeer ornaments evoke the spirit of giving and the magic of Christmas Eve. They appeal to both children and adults, making them a timeless addition to holiday decor.

[oh-austin]

a fun lil' elvis tag ! thanks to the lovely @dre6ming who tagged me!

when and what was your first exposure to Elvis Presley? when I was a kid my grandad used to show me all this old music, but he used to sing hound dog to me lots!

And what was your first impression? I honestly just thought that it was funny, my grandad singing it, but I really did love elvis' music once he showed me the actual recordings

Lace shirts or jumpsuits? lace shirts, biiiig whore for those

You can steal one of Elvis/Austin's outfits, what's it going to be? I honestly just want the pink scarf, like hand it over sir

C'mon, we know you've been watching/reading old interviews and random footage of the man, so what's your favorite random Elvis quote? I love the soundbite in the live heartbreak hotel second stand-up show, where he's laughing at himself for missing his cue to come in. "we're gonna have to do it again, I missed it that time. *laughs*, ready when you are [to the band, still laughing]". its very endearing, definitely listen to it!

Did you find Austin Butler's lips distracting despite them being in a movie about the King of plush upper lips? (Be honest now) I always find them distracting actually, bold of you to assume I don't

What's an aspect of Elvis' character you wish more people appreciated? his genuine love for his family

You meet Col. Tom Parker for the first time, forewarned with the knowledge of what a scumbag he is, what do you do?: A. nothing, you're a coward who doesn't care about an abused golden-hearted men B. you give the Colonel a stern telling off C. you encourage Elvis to leave him and break the contract D. you slap a legal document against that fat suit and declare "Mrs. Claus is bringing you a lawsuit" E. you waste no time with formalities, it's a letter opener to the jugular for that piece of trash

E, treat people with kindness xo

What was your favorite aspect/scene from the Elvis 2022 movie? I love the scene where he's been taken away after the 'trouble' performance and he's got his head resting against the headrest of the car, soo good

You can choose only one song or piece of media to convince someone to become an Elvis fan, what is it going to be? burning love, converted my boyfriend with that song- he's constantly jamming to it unapologetically

How many children would you give Elvis Presley from your own -or theoretical- womb? (listen to the beast in ya) three, four at MAX- but I feel like two is ideal with his lifestyle

Where are you hanging out with EP, his bedroom with the teddy bears, Club Handy, his private jet or Graceland? graceland, im a domestic woman- lemme in

What is the peak Elvis era? warning, this says an awful lot about you... 50s......... I love the lace

How long have you been an Austin Butler fan (be honest now, God is watching) aliens in the attic in like 2009 <3 although I liked tom better than jake, sorry austin

What kind of Elvis chick are you? -a 1950's prospective wife material that he's already sampled, a 1960's filmset fling or a Vegas torrid backstage affair? prospective wife, literally would clean up after this man- whore for domestic life

Is Austin Butler an honorary southerner now? Answer options: A. hell no, California can keep his sweet cheeks. B. hell yes, he's practically been possessed by the soul of the King of the South

A- definitely not, that man has california running through his veins

Pick your poison in the fan-fiction realm: angst, fluff, smut, fluffy smut, angsty fluff, angsty smut?...or is reading about Elvis Presley an acknowledged health hazard? fluff, I want it all day every day- my weakness is dad!austin fluff

Spit or swallow for this man? (And if you don't understand this question move right along) I hate bjs with everything in me, so I have to be feeling extra slutty to even CONSIDER THEM........ but I would swallow

Would Gladys approve of you? Take your above answer into consideration I mean.. I hope? but probably not at first, I'd try to win her over though

Which of Elvis' cars is your favorite? look I don't know anything about cars, so sorry. but the one he's driving with priscilla in the little home video scene

What are your odds for besting this man at karate? definitely not, but I would try to give him a run for his money

If you could meet Elvis and have enough composure to tell him something, what would it be? love your music boo, thats it

What’s a hobby or pastime of yours you wish you could share with Elvis/Austin!Elvis? I love the beach, its my favourite place to go any time of the year- so I'd take Austin down to my local and make him jump off the steps of the jetty with me

What’s the Elvis 2022 quote you’ve been mumbling to yourself ever since you heard it? honestly idek, so sorry

What are your top 3 go-to Elvis songs? blue suede shoes, suspicious minds, viva las vegas (its my guilty pleasure song)

If you could spare him one tragedy what would it be? seeing his mumma pass, so so sad- feel like she would've been able to steer him in the right direction if she was still with him

Is there a modern artist that sorta scratches for you the itch that Elvis’ absence leaves? look I love harry, but I don't know if I would say he 'scratched' the itch if that makes sense- but he's definitely a close second

How did you react at the end of the movie when In the Ghetto started to play A. I got up and fixed a snack because I have no soul, B. I left feeling alarmingly horny, C. I was impressed but didn’t realize how affected I was until days later when it was still with me D. I cried buckets they had to bring in a mop E. I may have appeared emotionless but in fact my soul was leaving my body and I don’t think it’s returned quite yet

E again! I literally have no soul when watching films in the cinema, I was also working when I saw it so I couldn't or my client would've been like celeste wtf

If you’ve got a favorite gif or photo insert it here and bless us all

I won’t tag anyone, but anyone who wants to participate can <3

[fazbear-ent-official]

I noticed the mediocre melodies location didn't have any plushies at the prize corner so I made these lil dudes.

Only problem now is now I'm trying to convince Grandad Hippo to let his mini self go, and Nedd Bear stole the rest. Please help

these are so frickin CUTE watch me spend my paycheck money on a xxl version of the happy frog plush : (

[adorablenihilist]

I’ve just finished up a *marathon* crochet project and I’m exhausted, having stayed up entirely too late (4am) to finish it, so this post’ll probably be a mess, but no one has ever accused me of having my shit together, so...

Anyway,

It’s a gift for a family member who is expecting, so it was really important to me to get it right. I’m not usually super proud of my finished objects because I’m still pretty new. I’ve only been doing it for a few years, very on-and-off at that, and was self-taught.

The only person in my life who ever crocheted was my great-great grandad and he’s been dead since I was a tot. My grandma knits but I cannot understand how the fuck to make knitting work.

I’m really, really proud of this little set that I made, but I can’t spoil the surprise by posting it on my personal accounts where they might see so in my sleep-deprived state I thought to write out a likely-barely-coherent post on tumblr

I’m not a photographer. These photos are not great

But the bear and the blanket are plush and soft and pretty

I used a babydoll for scale.

This picture gave me the giggles because I’m at that stage of sleepy, but I was really excited to post this.

Ok,

Goodnight

[scullysexual]

Soft asks dimples, nightlight, and plush

Dimples.  Most attractive features of a person’s face?

Eye colour.

Nightlight.  Do you read before bed?

Nah. Because I share a room I have no real light source other than fairylights that don’t give off much light and maybe a light on my phone which I can’t have on full brightness. If I try to read I’m straining my eyes too much. I do write sometimes before bed, though.

Plush.  How many stuffed animals do you still own?

I have four. A bear (Regina) my mum won in an arcade grabby machine, a whale (Mulder) I got from a zoo in Spain, a giant alien from Toy Story, and my duck (Duckie) I got when I was born. Right now, only the alien and Duckie are on my bed. The other two are at my Grandad’s house with all my other stuff.

SOFT ASKS

[angelteyam]

Perfect (h.o.)

Part 1/1

Pairing: Harrison Osterfield x OC

Word Count: 1,592 (wow what this is so short)

Summary: When Harrison desperately needs a shoulder to lean on, Jess is there – as always.

A/N: This is my piece for @gottaletgopete and @parkerpuffwrites writing challenge!! And yes, the OC is named after @parkerpuffwrites (with her permission of course), because I just love her to bits. Hope you enjoy <3

Warnings: MAJOR FLUFF ALERT, sad!Harrison, too pretty blue eyes (HHHRK) i know no angst much shock

Prompt: “Just stay a little longer.” – with Haz

--

It wasn’t very often that Jess saw Harrison’s beautiful blue eyes swimming with tears. But when she did, she knew something was very, very wrong.

It had only happened a few times in the long time they’d been best friends. First, when his childhood pet had crossed the rainbow bridge. And second, when his grandpa on his dad’s side had gotten sick. They hadn’t lost him, thank god, but Harrison was nonetheless terrified that they would.

And every time Jess watched his crystal blue orbs grow cloudy with the sudden influx of tears, she always felt a piece of her heart crumble. So naturally, Jess, being who she was, resolutely decided that whenever Harrison cried, she would be there to help wipe the tears away.

Immediately, Jess knew something was wrong that day, when she texted Harrison asking what he was up to and he responded with a curt, “not much”. Harrison was always using way too many emojis, or at the very least was sending text after text until he finally got out all the thoughts he could. When she responded asking what was wrong and Harrison said “nothing”, Jess sighed and crawled out of the warmth of her bed, slipping on her shoes.

Sometimes, Harrison could be just as moody and unpredictable as he had been in his pubescent teenage years. So Jess, having lived through those times, knew that Harrison’s “nothing” really translated to “everything”.

Jess trudged down the hallway of her apartment, grabbing her keys and purse as she went. She slipped on her coat, taking one last look around to make sure the lights were off, before she stepped through the door and out into the London sunshine.

Luckily, Harrison’s shared apartment with Tom was only a short walk away. So she wasted no time in hustling down the sidewalk, her headphones blasting her favorite playlist in her ears. Something in her had clicked at Harrison’s short tone, and nothing would stop her from being there for her best friend when he needed her.

And he definitely needed her this time.

When Jess knocked on the apartment door before softly edging it open, she found the living room empty, piles of soft blankets on the couch, Tessa snoozing away in her plush bed on the floor, the TV still running softly in the background. Harrison was nowhere in sight.

Not good.

Jess hung her coat on the hook by the door, slipping off her shoes, before she padded down the hallway to Harrison’s room. She gently pressed the door open with the pads of her fingers, peeking her head in.

“Haz?”

A strangled moan that sounded peculiarly like a dying diesel engine came from the lump huddled underneath covers of the bed. Jess took that as her cue to enter, striding across the room to sit on Harrison’s bed, her hand coming up to reach for the covers and pull them away from his face.

To put it simply, he looked awful. His blonde hair was sticking out in about a million different directions, and his bright blue eyes were puffy and red. His lips were swollen from biting down on them too hard. Jess could still see the stains of fallen tears left streaked against his cheeks.

“Aw, Haz,” she sighed, taking in his rugged appearance. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s just been a really rough week.”

That was all the information she needed. She pulled back the covers and slipped underneath, sitting up against the headboard and pulling Harrison’s head so it rested against her stomach. Harrison tangled his arms around her middle, snuggling into her t-shirt and allowing the rest of the tears to fall.

Even after his grandad, Jess had never seen Harrison cry this much. She hated prying, especially when he was in such a rough state. But if he needed to talk, she was pretty much the only one he would vent to besides Tom.

“Do you want to talk about it?” She whispered, her hands coming up to tangle into his hair and massage his scalp. She heard him sigh at her touch, visibly relaxing, and she felt a little more relieved.

“I’m just…overworked is all.”

And he wasn’t lying. She knew how sometimes Haz felt like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. He was the opposite of Tom – Tom liked to put all of his energy into his work and press tours and everything that came along with being Spider-Man. He relished in it, and he could always return to normal life without missing a beat. But Harrison was different. Tom may have been good at crying on demand, but Harrison was the emotional one. And sometimes, if he let them, his emotions would stay bottled up for months on end, eventually bubbling up and exploding out of him like a volcano.

And he’d been holding these particular feelings in for years.

So Jess just…held him.

He was sniffling, shaking ever so slightly as he cried, his tears dripping down his cheeks and soaking into the cotton of Jess’s t-shirt. She just sat there, one hand on his back rubbing soothing circles and the other tangled in his mop of blonde hair.

It felt like hours before either one of them made even the slightest move, but then Harrison tilted his head up to her and sniffled. His crystal-clear blue eyes were shimmering, the last few tears escaping down the bridge of his nose, but even then, she could tell he seemed lighter.

“Thank you,” he whispered, resting his head on her chest and giving her a gentle squeeze. “Thank you for always being there.”

“Of course,” she replied, smoothing his hair with the pads of her fingers.

Her throat was starting to close up. Harrison wasn’t the only one who’d been keeping certain feelings at bay. For months now, every time she looked at him, her stomach would surge up into her throat and her toes would start tingling.

But she couldn’t allow herself to feel that way. No, she wouldn’t. Her friendship with Haz was far too important to put at risk. He meant quite possibly everything to her, and she wasn’t willing to risk that on a silly crush.

But what she didn’t realize was that some of Harrison’s tears were shed for her.

He’d been feeling the same way as she had for a very long time, practically since they’d left secondary school. And he knew, deep down, that she was the only one he was ever destined to be with. But he knew how important their friendship was to her. So he never acted on it.

That is, until Jess muttered something about Tessa needing to go outside, and tried to leave the bed. But Harrison held on to her tightly, keeping her there.

“Can we just... just stay a little longer. Please.”

“Haz…,” she warned.

“No, Jess,” he said, stronger this time. He sat up to face her, his blue eyes now clearer than ever, boring holes into her skin. “I know what you’re going to say, but it’s stupid. Think about how good it would be. It would be as easy as breathing for you to be with me.”

“Haz,” she whispered softly, her eyes now pooling with tears. “I can’t afford to risk our friendship, and you know that. You’re too important.”

“Jess,” he soothed, his hand coming up to press against her cheek. “I will always be there for you. Just like you are for me. Even if things go south, I will always be your best friend. I promise.”

Jess shook her head just slightly, if only to get rid of the tears in her eyes. “I don’t know…”

“Just try. For me.”

Jess looked up into his blue eyes, and she swore she saw their lives flash across his pupils. In all the time she’d known Harrison, he had never gone back on his word. Ever. And on the rare occasions that he did, he was there by her side in a flash, bearing chocolates and a teddy bear and profusely apologizing. But every time, his reasons were always sound.

So Jess made a decision then. Harrison swore he heard her whisper yes into the air, even though her lips hadn’t moved, and the next thing he knew, she leaned forward and pressed their lips together.

Kissing had never felt like this. This was what everyone talked about – this was what they had seen in all the movies. Fireworks exploded around them, and Harrison left sparks against her skin wherever he touched. Their lips fit together like the pieces of a puzzle, and almost instantly Jess felt like she was flying. Kissing Harrison felt right. Peaceful.

Perfect.

When they pulled away, Harrison’s blue eyes had finally returned back to normal, and Jess felt a wave of sunshine wash over her. He was smiling so brightly she thought she might go blind. But up until that point, she’d never really thought about how bright he always was, always smiling. Really, he deserved the chance every once in a while to cry. But in that moment, everything clicked into place for her. He was her comfort, her light, her rock holding her to the ground when gravity threatened to let go. And she was his.

Harrison pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead and allowed her to rest her head against his shoulder, their eyes closing peacefully. He may have been exhausted from crying for hours, but in that moment, with Jess pressed up against him, he’d never felt more alive.

“Love you, Jessie Bear.”

“Love you too, Hazzy.”

Taglist:  @starksparker @madmadmilk @gottaletgopete @hollandroos @parkerpuffwrites @dontmindthefangirling @sunshinehollandd @hollandsosterfield @sakaariians @aestheticgaybish @eeyore101247 @parrkerspeters @underoossss

 two fics in two days i am shooketh

[poeticandvaguelysweet]

Prompt #195 - Charlie and the Christmas Lights

PROMPT: We have a family tradition to walk the neighbourhood with our kids to check out all the Christmas lights. 

I’m starting off with a Charlie and Elliot prompt because this is the 50th Charlie and Elliot fic and thought it may as well lead us into my Christmas countdown. The plan is to post a fic a day until Dec 25th. Let's see what happens. 

Friendly reminder that if you would like a Christmas card from me I will be sending them in the next week and a bit. Please send me your name and address if you would like one. I have 20. They’re not handmade or nothin it was just the amount I picked up. 

24 days to Christmas. 1st prompt. 

AO3 - C&E Index 

CHARLIE AND THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

They tried to uphold a few traditions when they had the girls, keeping Christmas as a time for family activities. They decorated the tree, made gingerbread houses and walked the streets on Christmas Eve trying to pic their favourite house.

Claire didn’t want the tree up that year. She didn’t want to visit family or have family come to her. She wanted out and away from the house and he had done everything in his ability to accommodate that after Christmas Eve. Owen would bend over backwards for his wife but he wasn’t passing up a seven-year-old tradition they started when Charlie was four-months-old.

‘Ready go!’ Elliot shrieked, little legs jumping up and down on the floorboards by the front door. She was chanting, calling her family to hurry up.

Owen tried to wrestle a cardigan onto the over-enthusiastic two-year-old, laughing at her as she tried to wriggle away from him before Owen caught her. He lifted her feet off the ground, holding Elliot to his hip as he draped her in warmer clothing for the setting sun. ‘What’s got you so impatient?’ He tickled the girl before putting Elliot on her feet.

‘The lights!’ The little girl announced, pulling on his hand as she turned towards the door. Owen chuckled, telling her to wait.

‘They’re going to be there all night, little one, patience.’ He turned towards the heart of the house, eyes scanning the staircase, the living room and the open arch of the kitchen. Empty. ‘Charlie, Claire, let’s go!’ He realised he sounded like his two-year-old in that moment, hollering the house down instead of calmly finding someone. They always stepped out the door at 5:30pm on the dot and it was currently 5:25pm with no sign of anyone. Claire appeared quickly, showing herself from the hallway behind the staircase, freshly dried cardigan in her hands as she shrugged. Charlie wasn’t with her.

There was always a problem with Charlie lately.

Owen sighed, telling his wife that he would deal with it as she stepped forward and took Elliot’s hand calmly. He took to the stairs knowing checking the first possible place she would be; her room. She was there, sitting on her bed with a book in her lap. ‘Lets go, kiddo.’ Owen called to her, clapping his hands to move her along as he smiled at the side of the girls head.

She was dressed, shoes on, feet handing off the bed as to not dirty her sheets as she slowly dragged her eyes up to his. ‘I’m not going.’ The little redhead told him with all the passion of her mother on a determined mission.

Owen forced a wide fake grin across his lips, half of it a grimace. ‘Hate to break it to you, but you’re seven.’ She blinked at him. ‘I’m not leaving you in the house alone.’

‘You’re only going to be in the street.’ She told him like he hadn’t known.

A thin smile replaced the grin. ‘That’s wonderful, doesn’t mean I’m leaving you here.’ She only blinked, the girl staring back at him fifteen-years-old and not seven. It was too early for puberty and too late for a fight in their night. ‘Charlie, it’s tradition we do it every year and Mr Brooks is going to turn the lights on at 5:45 on the dot. I need to see Ellie’s face when that happens.’ She shrugged. ‘You’re not getting a say in the matter.’ It wasn’t just Owen who wanted to catch the look on Elliot’s face the second the lights switched on, Charlie had been talking about it since June and when Max joined them in August she had quickly added her brother to the excitement of the tradition. Their plans had changed since then but their family getaway was still focused around still being home for their Christmas Eve tradition.

‘I don’t want to go.’ She tried harder, glaring at him like she could slam her door shut on his face with just her mind.

‘And I understand that Charlie but there’s no one to stay home with you and you’re not old enough to stay back by yourself.’ He wanted to sternly remind her that they had been doing this since a she was a baby and she was nowhere near old enough to decide it was uncool.

Charlie didn’t answer him, just stared at the now closed book on her bed blinking rapidly. She wasn’t crying but she was about to.

‘C’mon, your sister is getting restless.’ He could hear Elliot downstairs, little feet still jumping up and down undoubtedly holding onto her mother’s hand as she did so.

The girl crossed her arms over her chest, really channelling the future spirit of her teenage rebellion that had reared its head frequently in the last few months. ‘I told you, I am not going!’ She shouted face scrunched up.

He sighed, stepping into her room and dropping himself to her bed. ‘What’s going on? You love seeing the Christmas lights.’ She shook her head, pulling herself away from him. It took a second for the tears to break, bubbling down her cheeks in a split second as she buried her head in her arms. ‘Charlie,’ Owen’s voice was soft, ‘I need you to talk to me’.

‘I don’t want to go without Max.’ Owen could swear he stopped breathing, he shuffled closer to her, trying to pull Charlie into his lap as she shook her head. ‘It makes my heart hurt.’ He felt his Owen chest crack, Owen just wanted Charlie to stop hurting. He wanted this all behind them, not necessarily to forget but at least to heal.

‘I still can’t leave you here, baby.’ He really wanted to wrap his arms around her and crush the girl to his chest but she was fighting the contact and he wasn’t going to push it. ‘You need to come out and see the lights turn on. I need a half hour, Char-Char. We’re gonna walk to Nana and Grandad’s, have a hot chocolate and then you’ll be home and in bed before you know it. We’ll be on our holiday when you wake up.’

She shook her head lightly, more shaking off her emotion than disagreeing. ‘I gotta do it for him? Gotta enjoy it for Max?’ She asked, reciting words Owen had given her weeks ago when Charlie loudly protested their Italian vacation for Christmas. She didn’t want to go, didn’t want to leave the house or the zoo, she wanted to stay in Max’s memory in case he came back. When they realised Charlie thought her brother could potentially be returning Owen and Claire had a bigger issue on their hands.

They gave her a teddy they had bought for him. Something that sat on the rocking chair Claire had used for each of her children. The little bear with his soft brown fur and his wobbly legs had been something Charlie picked out before Max was born. It sat in his crib until he came home before it was relocated to the rocking chair. Charlie had it now, her possession again, sitting against the pillows on her bed. Lately, it was always in reach.

‘Bring Brown Bear.’ Owen suggested, picking up the toy and dancing it in front of her. ‘Fill him with your love for Max, okay? Squeeze him light and release all your upset. But let him experience things with you.’

‘Like Mr Sheep?’ She asked, talking about her first-grade class pet. Mr Sheep went home with a different kid every weekend where the children were encouraged to take him on a weekend adventure and document it for the other students to read. Charlie had thought it was a silly task but did it none the less, smiling stupidly in the picture he took of her and Mr Lamb at the zoo, the plush animal sitting on Tango’s back in his enclosure. She thought that was cool and that the other kids would be jealous. Her teacher was a little more than shocked but that was how Charlie liked to live. Shocking people was her thing.

‘Exactly like Mr Sheep.’ He told her, the girl finally scooting closer to press herself against his side. ‘Do you think you can do that?’ She nodded softly, sniffling as she wiped her nose. ‘Ready to go now?’ Owen asked, squeezing her tightly. She nodded again, a little unsure as Owen stood and wasted no time in picking her up like she was as small as Elliot.

Claire raised a brow when he finally met her by the door, worry on her face as he put Charlie on her feet and grasped her hand. He flicked his wrist, checking the time on his watch before he smiled down at his family of four. ‘We’ve still got time.’ He reached for the door, pulling it open and rushing them all out onto the dark street.

‘She okay?’ Claire asked, catching Owen’s other hand and holding him back.

Owen nodded. ‘Just Max stuff. She’ll be okay.’ He told her quietly, squeezing her hand as Charlie let go of his to quietly shadow her still wobbly sister.

‘Thought we were missing someone!’ Mr Brooks hollered, standing on a ladder in the middle of the crowded street. He waved at Owen, nodding towards the man as he checked his watch. Their streetlights were somewhat popular, every house put in the time and effort in setting up a light display but it was Mr Brooks who outdid himself year after year. Owen had haded the man a fifty and passed him a few beers a week ago, asking quietly if he could spare the time to do The Grady house as well. He couldn’t find the spirit for it and with their impending vacation, Owen almost didn’t see the point in dressing the house with fairy lights. Mr Brooks was the kind of neighbour who was willing to help out those in need, he already had it in mind to offer the Dearing-Grady’s a hand come the holiday season. It was because of Charlie, after all, that the man had started pushing the limits on his Christmas decorations.

Noting the crowd waiting for the lights to switch on for the first time that holiday season, Owen picked Charlie up and hoisted the girl onto his shoulders as Claire gathered Elliot beside him. With his eldest daughter secured, Owen wrapped an arm around his wife’s middle, bringing his family in tight as Mr Brooks started to countdown. The timer on Owen’s watch beeped at the exact second Brooks flipped the switch filling the street with light as families cheered at the click of each house as they turned on in quick succession.

Owen’s eyes were on Elliot, the two-year-old’s face blown wide in wonder as she grinned, eyes jumping from house to house as the bright colours twinkled for her. It was all for Elliot, just as it was for Charlie and the other neighbourhood kids. There were enough lights there that each of them could have their own very special few.

Brooks always made his house a full light show, timing the changes to music or telling a story across his front yard. They waited to shuffle closer, Owen shoving his hand into his pocket, procuring peppermint sticks and unwrapping them one-handed before he held one above his head for Charlie and handed a second to Elliot. ‘Do you always have sugar in your pockets?’ Claire asked, head tilted up at him with a quizzical expression. Owen hummed, his grin wide as he pulled another two sicks out of his pocket and handed one to her.

They shuffled to the front of Mr Brooks’ yard, oohing and ah-ing over the lights as Charlie wiggled to be put down and Elliot copied her sisters request. The girls walked ahead, moving from house to house along the street, pointing out their favourites or stopping to wait for their parents as Owen called them back. Charlie and Elliot didn’t hold hands, the eldest remained a step ahead, Brown Bear tucked under her arm.

Elliot was giggling, the lights amusing her as every time she fell into step with Charlie the girl sped up. She was being her usual moody self but for once it wasn’t negatively impacting her sister. He let them walk ahead, sorting out their differences as he held his wife’s hand, revelling in the simple contact bathed in a joyous moment rather than mournful one. They needed this, tonight, tomorrow, for weeks and months after. They needed Italy. They needed to find their home base again, their strengths outweighing their weaknesses.

At some point, Charlie slowed in her evening march. It was the smallest of changes. He barely noticed it at first, in the dying light with flashing colours glowing from groomed yards. Charlie was holding Elliot’s hand.

By the time they reached his parents' house, mugs of hot chocolate in their hands and the girls half asleep on their feet Owen was sure they could find their rhythm again. He was confident the family circle could go back to where it was, a little more battered and bruised, with their scars still healing but they could be themselves ready to enjoy Christmas twelve months from now.

[captainsorryimabadass]

Once you get this it would be cool if you posted ten facts about yourself and then passed this along to your ten favorite followers :)

Ohhh what an honour. I have read some of your fics and i love them. Thank you so much =333Also @frecklesandthighs tagged me in this. Thank you chichi~ much love~~ ❤❤❤

P.S: im gonna kinda cheat and just post ten facts okay? (i probably should post 20 in total but i can’t think of that many :/ )

1.- I have a mole marilyn monroe style on top of my lips in the right side. Only mine is real and not so far in the right side to be almost in my cheek.

2.- It has being 3 weeks and i still have the same song stuck in my head. I probably listen to it a few (a lot of) times a day. It is “Blood on my Name by the Brothers Bright”. I just can’t stop thinking ‘this is such a flint song’. And now i have the need to hear it again. 

3.- My parents got divorced when I was 11 years old.

4.- I lived for two years in antartida when i was a kid, because of my fathers work. The chilean territory is the only one where complete families get send. Our village is called “Villa Las Estrellas” with only about 100 people. And it was the most beautiful experience i have ever had.

5.- I can’t live without honey for my tea. Take everything else, just don’t take my honey.

6.- I sing aloud in the shower, while cocking, doing laundry, chores, while getting dressed, doing homework, etc. I sing aloud all the time.

7.- This is a sad one. I should be the middle kid not the youngest, but my younger brother was born prematurely (at just 6 months) when i was 4. He died the next day. One of my first memories is of me and my older brother outside the house waiting to be picked up by my grandad and me holding a stuffed blue elephant (like a teddy bear type) meant to be for my younger brother. I still have that plush toy.

8.- Im ace af, and most probably somewhere in the aro spectrum too. And for all that tumblr is a hellsite i should probably thank this plataform for bringing the knowledge to me that asexuality is a thing. I would probably still think something is wrong with me if I didn’t found out about asexuality because of this site. So thanks tumblr. 

9.- I love tattoos. I have 7 of them (a paper plane, a magpie, a fox in watercolour, a mandala, totoro with his leaf umbrella, a cat streching that looks like a high heel too and a 7th one that im not naming becuase i want to cover it eventually) If I had the means to get most of my body tattoed i would. And i plan to eventually. Getting tattoos is kinda addictive and i love it.

10.- Im left handed. That’s it XD.

[gretchenzellerbarnes]

OK, so, I'm beyond devastated, I don't know what to write but I feel like I have to do something, so here goes... This little bundle of joy is Amber, my Grandad's dog. My Grandad died 6 years ago from Pneumonia, but I always still called her his dog, even though sometimes I'd joke that Amber thought she was mine.

Amber was put to sleep on Friday 7th April. She stopped eating & drinking, she couldn't hold anything down, couldn't move & had to be taken to the vet, who told my Gran that Amber had developed some kind of abdominal obstruction & that she wouldn't survive the operation.

It just happened so suddenly, I mean she was okay last weekend, then my Gran called me on Friday night to tell me that Amber was dead. I couldn't get my head round it at first, I think I was in shock.

I was angry because my Gran didn't call me before Amber was put to sleep, so I never got to say goodbye. So, I guess this is me saying goodbye to my best friend.

Amber, I'm gonna miss you so much. My Gran's house is just wrong without you jumping around like a mad bear, playing with your plush football from Ikea and that squeaky cuddly duck I got you for your birthday one year, the not-subtle-at-all way you'd nudge my hand when you wanted me to pet you or scratch your throat, the way you'd get hair all over my tights/jeans because you'd rub yourself against my legs like you were a bloody cat, or bark at the cats and birds in the back greeny, how you'd always stop & make sure I was near when we went for walks, how you always knew if one of us was ill like when my Gran fell that time & you followed her up & down the stairs to make sure she was OK, or when I was recovering from Pneumonia & I got out of hospital & you followed me about like you were my shadow, how every time we went for a walk you'd make friends & everyone assumed you were a puppy cuz you jumped about like a fucking show horse on speed, or how you were scared of plastic bags being crumpled up [PMSL], the way you never did what my Gran told you to, but you always did what I asked [well, only when it suited you], how you posed like a model every time I pointed my camera at you.

I'm gonna miss cuddling up with you on the floor when you're scared shitless because some stupid fucker is letting off fireworks, or in the back of Gran's bloody tiny car when you get agitated. Hell, I'm even gonna miss you sitting on my feet all the time, drooling every time one of us is eating food, despite always being the first one to get fed at meal times, headbutting me in the back because you clearly never understood the concept of swings, sticking your bloody arse in my face every time you wanted me to scratch it, soaking me with water every time I gave you a bath, & best of all, burping in my face & farting while you're sitting on my feet [you bad mannered little fucker! lol].

I can't believe you're gone. You'll always be meh wee do ball, my wee shite & I love you. Thanks for being my friend. Rest in peace, Amber.

[soprana-snap]

16 facts

Tagged by @rivendell101, Thanks Alisha!!

I have a small Jiji plush that I carry around in my purse, so I guess he’s my familiar.

I have a family of plants. Four ponytail palms, one basil plant, and a lignum vitae. I am allergic to them but I still love ‘em.

I can play 6-7 instruments b/c I was THE band nerd in high school. I did the military band thing, the marching thing, the DCI thing, and the color guard thing.

My natural habitat is in my house, in my pajamas, in a quiet spot with Christmas lights on.

There was once a baby rabbit that came right up to me when I went to a petting zoo. That rabbit has been my pet for nearly 6 years now. This sums up my personality in one situation.

I am allergic to apples, animals, nature itself, and yet idgaf.

My mother has like this gift of conversation and I’m just this socially awkward accessory she carts around.

I have this really soft spot for the Disney awkward age. Like Brother Bear, Treasure Planet, and Atlantis movies.

Depending on our friendship level, I will either: buy you a really thoughtful gift or, buy you a rainbow poo pillow. Either way, you are special to me.

I love Jack London’s writing. When I learned to read, I would read White Fang and Sea Wolf out loud to my grandad. I tried to read War and Peace as soon as I finished the level 1 reading books from school and my grandad let me try and fail on my own. 

I cry when listening to soundtracks. Like gdi music is passion.

There was this one time I went on a hike with a couple friends while waiting for a state 4-H award ceremony, but they left me and I literally hiked two miles through the woods to get back…and accepted my 1st place with twigs all up in my hair.

If you make anything sound close to a lyric, you bet I’m going to sing that song.

I wrote an entire novel with dragon characters when I was in 7th grade. It had the works: bad grammar, poor spelling, mixed tenses, but shit it got my English teacher to actually take me seriously when the standardized test rolled around. I got a 98%, highest in my grade.

I bounce on my feet when I flip anything in a frying pan. My coworkers like to make fun of me for it.

I’m engaged but holy hell does planning a wedding scare the crap out of me.

This was so hard

I’ll tag @not-just-any-fangirl, @thathilomgirl, @wendyhamlet, @love-n-lucky

[euro3plast-fr]

Best Christmas Adverts of 2017

25 of the best and the worst Christmas adverts from 2017, with reviews from the Smart Insights team

The battle for the most popular Christmas advert is underway. It has been reported that UK companies will spend an estimated £5.6bn on marketing in the run-up to Christmas. While prime television spots alone are expected to attract a spend of £1.3bn. From Tescos to John Lewis we cover the best and the worst of Christmas adverts for 2017.

Marks & Spencer

Marks and Spencer have used a well-known character, Paddington bear as part of their Christmas advert this year. They have launched a fully integrated campaign using the hashtag, #LoveTheBear, accompanied by its own paw emoji. The campaigns aim according to M&S’s Marketing Director, Patrick Bousquet-Chavanne was:

'We have to break through that mood of the nation, which is why the campaign plays into something much warmer and more heartfelt. As we see every year, people do want a break, a little bit, from reality and this is what the campaign is supposed to provide them with,”

Alongside the advert and social media promotion, they have created marmalade-themed recipes and are hosting private screenings of the new Paddington film both for members of its Sparks loyalty scheme. In-store, you will find Paddington Bear merchandise, childrenswear, Paddington Bear themed foods and a book dedicated to the story.

Latest update: We can now reveal our tale of true Christmas spirit with our favourite @paddingtonbear #lovethebear > https://t.co/CbdLGcbYIn pic.twitter.com/fNKu7Sr5f0

— M&S (@marksandspencer) November 7, 2017

Campaign Live reported that 'M&S's campaign achieved 159,957 engagements within the first 12 hours of release on 7 November. Of those interactions, 93% were positive in sentiment'. Whereas John Lewis only received 74,039 engagements within 12 hours.

Vodafone

Martin Freeman returns in Vodafone's Christmas ads, with a festive love story. Martin meets a young lady who’s using her Vodafone Video pass to stream It’s a Wonderful Life. The love story is told across six pieces of content – two for TV and four for social. Their main aim is to highlight two new launches their pay as you go product PayG 1 and Vodafone Passes.

Tesco

Every family has a different turkey tale, Tesco features a range of families spending Christmas day together as they focus their attention t0 the turkey. They finish the Ad with the tag like 'However you do Christmas, we’ve got a turkey for you'. I think this is a great advert from Tesco, it's heartwarming, and authentic.

Tesco did receive some backlash for the advert because they featured a Muslim family in the advert. Tesco replied by issuing a statement:

“Everyone is welcome at Tesco this Christmas and we’re proud to celebrate the many ways our customers come together for the festive season.”

John Lewis - Moz the Monster

The much anticipated John Lewis advert was launched last week, and there have been mixed reviews. Similar to previous years John Lewis has returned to its focus on creating an ad that will pull at your heartstrings. The advert focused on a little boy befriending a monster named Moz living under his bed. In True John Lewis style Moz the Monster is accompanied by Elbow, who perform The Beatles’ lullaby Golden Slumbers.

They launched the advert on John Lewis’s website, social media channel, and in-store. as part of their campaign, they have teamed up with Facebook to use their augmented reality platform, offering consumers the chance to ‘Mozify’ their faces. You can also buy Moz merchandise such as cuddly toys, books, mugs, and pajamas.

Marketing Week reported that the advert received '2,906 mentions of the John Lewis Christmas ad on social media between 7 and 8am, after the ad was released at 7.40am. During this first hour, mentions peaked at 246 per minute. Overall consumer sentiment was 86% positive, while 14% of mentions were negative.'

For me, this advert didn't reach the expectations of previous years. it didn't leave me feeling warm, fuzzy and excited for the festive season, it actually left me confused.

Sainsburys - #EverybitofChristmas

The supermarket says it made a conscious decision to move away from one-off Christmas ads in favor of a more consistent brand approach. They made an advert based on their 'Living well' campaign for consistency. The campaign is centered around a song about Christmas, featuring members of the public and a couple of 'celebrities'. For me, Sainsbury's was the biggest disappointment, compared to previous years such as Mog the cat or 1914 Christmas day ads, Sainsburys really missed a trick. For those who can keep up with the jumpy, feative song you can sing along in their karaoke version.

Peacocks - #XMASFACTOR

That's right peacocks have joined the battle of the Christmas adverts, with an XFactor theme. Featuring ex-contestants such as Jedward, Honey G and Wagner, they sing a bespoke rap 'Deck the halls with rhymes from Honey'. Although I felt a little sorry for the acts featured in the ad, it stands out from teh crowd and is perfect for their target audience.

Mcdonals - #reindeerready

Mcdonals based their story on a young girl who saves a McDonald's carrot for Santa's reindeer. We follow her as she takes the carrot home ready for the reindeers until she gets home and her older brother says You know there's more than one, right?'.

Although a slightly confusing message going to McDonalds for 'carrots', they have supported the advert with a Snapchat partnership that introduces a hub on the social platform with special features. There's a carrot-collecting game, an augmented reality lens that shows dancing reindeer and new geofilters.

The link between a carrot and McDonalds seemed odd to me as that's not what they are really about. But it tells a sweet story which got the 'Aww' vote from the Smart Insights team.

Argos - #Readyfortakeoff

Argos take us to their magical Argos distribution centre, where the elves are busy helping Santa deliver toys. However, a robotic puppy is left behind, so one of the elves chases the delivery spaceship to make sure the toy gets to the child in time. The ad ends with the message: “Argos, ready for take-off. Presents delivered within four hours'. The ad helps promote that Argos will be making deliveries within 4 hours up until 6pm on Christmas Eve.

According to Gary Kibble, Marketing Director at Argos:

'There’s an opportunity as 40% of the respective customer base currently shops at both brands so encouraging the other 60% to shop across the two is a big opportunity.'

Aldi - Kevin the carrot is back

Our Email Marketing Manager, Kim Greenop-Gadsby had to say about Aldis Christmas advert:

'Kevin the carrot is back and this time he’s looking for Santa and love. This year we find Kevin outside in the snow, acting as a substitute nose for a snowman. Harry Potter actor, Jim Broadbent commences to narrate, as Kevin is awoken by a passing train. Believing to have seen Santa, Kevin catches the train. Once inside he enters the dining car and his gaze falls upon the beautiful Katie, as she lounges upon some mince pies while reading “9½ Leeks”. Our hero is instantly infatuated and undertakes the perilous journey to reach his carrot love. He travels passed a needle-like fork and the remains of a bisected gingerbread man. Horrified, Kevin starts a chain-like reaction that leads to peas being throw into the air and heading directly towards his love. With no thought of his own safety he throws himself in front of the speeding pea. And all goes dark. He awakens to being held gently by Katie and continues to say, “I think I pea-ed myself," thus winning over his lady as she bends down to kiss her romantic hero.

This ad pulls at the heartstrings, as much as animated carrots can. Like most retailers who have a mascot in their advert, Aldi is no different and is selling a plush version of Kevin and Katie. Last year, customers scooped up multiple Kevin's and proceeded to sell them on various auction sites at extortionate prices. This year Aldi have restricted purchases to 2 Kevins and 2 Katies per customer with sales supporting the Teenage Cancer Trust.'

The carrot soft toys went on sale on 19th November online and sold out straight away. People already have the toys on eBay selling for around £50.

Pandora - DO Get What You Wish For

Somya our Content Intern, reviews Pandoras ad:

'Pandora – the jewellers you can rely on, to deliver great Christmas adverts. Unlike the dreamy Debenhams video, Pandora has gone for a more light-hearted approach, yet, making for a highly effective Christmas advert! Starting with a groovy background score, the video immediately establishes a relaxed, cheerful setting, where we see couples asking for their dream Christmas presents, by dropping not-so-subtle hints.

In addition to giving you numerous clever ideas on how to nudge your partner on getting that perfect present, the advert cleverly makes use of Christmas symbolism, to create a simplistic yet powerful holiday narrative. Moreover, the video cleverly ends in exactly 60 seconds, avoiding any dangers of becoming too repetitive.

Another interesting feature of this Christmas advert is definitely the choice of words. The caption, “DO Get What You Wish For”, could’ve been a question asking people what are they wishing for, this Christmas, but Pandora wanted to leave no scope for confusion there. Even though the caption may sound quite authoritative, oddly enough, it can help give a sense of rightfulness to the viewer. Through its simple yet powerful use of diction, the Pandora advert can leave you with a sense of worthiness, worthiness to deserve a great Christmas present!'

Asda - Best Christmas Ever

The very Charlie and the Chocolate Factory advert features a grandad and his granddaughter. The couple explores the Asda factory discovering new and exciting creations for Christmas. Although a good advert for me this doesn't have the wow factor or get me excited for Christmas.

Waitrose - #ChristmasTogether

Our Blog Editor, Annie shares her thoughts on Waitrose:

'One of the greatest things about Christmas is the magical element in colour, either garish reds and greens or delicate silvers, golds and blue to represent chilly winter days. Waitrose’s Christmas advent doesn’t capture any of these elements, instead choosing to represent their best food with a dull black and white filter. Like many other supermarket Christmas adverts, you find yourself looking at the different festive foods they offer, but the bland colours leave me feeling disappointed. Where is the crisp golden turkey skin? The brownness of the gingerbread? The light, comfortable and supportive warm hue of a family coming together at Christmas? I’m sure that even when snowed in with a black-out the candles would still shine some festive, warm emotion into the house but there’s nothing warm about this advert. I find myself staring at some black and white boiled potatoes in a black and white pan and it doesn’t make me want to run to Waitrose to buy them. I want colour.'

Sky - Movies at Christmas

Our Rob Jones reviews Skys Christmas advert:

'With the aim of bringing the family together around a movie at Christmas, Sky Cinema have produced an ad for the Christmas season which follows the relationship between a mother and daughter over 25 years. The piece, created by WCRS for Sky follows a mother and daughter from 1992 to the present day. The focus of the ad is onThe Sound of Music, one of the first films to be broadcast on Sky in 1989. The clever part? As the little girl ages, the Sky TV boxes change too. If you watch closely at each shot of the TV, you’ll notice the Sky boxes accurately change over time. For example, moving from the old Amstrad Sky TV box and finishing with a Sky Q box, in the present day.

This represents the relationship between Sky and their loyal customers. Even in the age of Netflix, who doesn’t know someone who has Sky TV. Brilliantly thought through, effectively put together and finished off with a few mentions of “The Sky is full of stars” a quote from the Sound of Music'.

Talk Talk - This is Christmas

A real British family enjoying Christmas day. Talk Talk film a one families Christmas day to capture authentic, unscripted footage. Compared to the big brand campaigns this is a refreshing advert that everyone can relate to. For me Talk Talk have capture what christmas is all about.

Boots - #Showthemyouknowthem

Boots take us back through two sisters memories, looking at their Christmases together sharing 11 boots products from the brand’s archives. Annie shares her thoughts:

'I am a big fan of storytelling! Storytelling is a great way to represent your brand, what you stand for, and what your product means to your audience. I think Boots got this right! We’ve probably all sent at least one beauty related product to a family member or friend, but here boots shows you WHY it’s important and what it means. Two sisters who have been through life’s challenges and milestones together, coming together for Christmas. But, for me it’s the story Boots tells that engrossed me into the advert because above all else, it’s relatable. Being able to empathise is a valuable personal emotion and Boots shows that they can not only relate, but empathise with the wider population and show the value in their products - the coming together of family at christmas with gifts that mean something.' 

Debenhams - #Youshall

Somya, our Content Intern shares her thoughts on Debenhams attempts to copy the cinderella story:

'The Debenhams Christmas advert is here and let me tell you, it’s here to stay! Amidst a plethora of not-so-christmassy Christmas adverts, the Debenhams advert hits you right in the feels. It makes you want to curl up in your bed, with some fuzzy popcorn and re-watch all the versions of the Cinderella movie ever. No, really, the advert itself has the potential to bloom out in a full-fledged feature film, Cinderella 2.0.

The advert begins with a romantic train setting, where the modern-day, clumsy Cinderella meets her prince charming, and needless to say, it’s love at first sight! However, Debenhams has taken the age-old fairytale, added a quirky twist to it and made it oh-so relevant to today’s day and age. Even though the advert consists the classic lost shoe, romance finds its way through hashtags and social media. With the help of rapid reposting, #FindMyShoe and #FindThatGirl seem to be the two magical hashtags that unite the digitally-savvy lovers.

In a short duration, the brand has managed to convey a powerful narrative with a strong emotional quotient. The advert effortlessly showcases the strength of smooth and crisp storytelling, in conveying a brand message and engaging the audiences. As Ryan Deutsch (Senior Vice President of Global Customer Success at Persado) correctly points out, “Retailers need to get their arms around the fact that emotions matter and that urgency is not the most important emotion." Oh, and a cameo by Ewan McGregor ain’t hurtin’ nobody!'

Barbour - The Snowman and The Snowdog

Rob gives his honest thoughts on Barbour's Christmas ad: 

'The ad features the story of The Snowman and The snowdog, which was a animated film launched in 2012, a sa sequel to The Snowman.

Whilst the ad includes some brilliant animation, snow and a pet dog, which all make the ad feel christmassy, the ad also doesn’t seem to have any association with the Barbour brand. Nevertheless, it’s great to see an animated christmas film being used, as we all those those sort of ads.'

Matalan - Creating Value in Every Moment

Our Email Marketing Manager, Kim Greenop-Gadsby had to say about Matalans Christmas campaign:

'This year Matalan feature a busy family and Dodger the dog. While the busy mum and teacher dashes off she grabs the dreaded “to-do list”, which Dodger tries to eat. We cut to the mum trying to organise the primary school Christmas pageant (which of course, includes a dinosaur, superheros and Santa). Through all the chaos of kids picking noses, fighting and set disasters, our mum receives a text from Matalan that her click-and-collect is ready. We can instantly observe our mum relax and smile. We cut to the dad and kids at home, dealing with their own chaos. Dodger again is trying to eat dad’s to-do list. After they struggle to get the tree and house ready we see a well behaved Dodger in a cute reindeer outfit. Mum collects her order from Matalan and arrives to the Christmas party. Our mum changes into a stunning red dress, is relaxed and full of smiles. Mum and dad enter a room and we see their smiles disappear. Naughty Dodger has eaten all the food.

I can relate to this advert. A working mum, having loads of those to-do lists on the fridge and dogs that would happily eat anything in sight. However I don’t think I would be as relaxed or cheery as the mum without a relaxant pill or copious amounts of mulled wine. For Christmas we all have a desire to make things as perfect as possible. At least this advert shows no matter how many to-do lists you have, things can still go Pete Tong.'

TK Maxx - A White Christmas

TK Maxx offer something a little different as they promise that they will deliver actual snow to people for free if you find an exclusive snow globe in the shop. This is a grwat spin on the normal christmas advert and makes them stand out from the very competive crowd.

Children's Hospice - #FirstChristmas

Among the chaos of Christmas, adverts like this bring us back to what really matters and raises awareness for those who find Christmas hard. This advert by Shooting Star Chase brings to life the story of the Barker family, who tragically lost their son, Matthias, after a battle with cancer. The ad tells the story of a father, struggling to come to terms with the passing of his son and how the family comes together to help him cope with their grief. Although hard to watch, an advert like this always gets my vote.

House of Fraser - Bring Merry Back

The sister theme strikes again, as House of Fraser follows two sisters through each Christmas they have spent together.

Paddy Earnshaw, Chief Marketing Officer at House of Fraser, said:

"As adults we can sometimes lose sight of the magic of Christmas as we have to do grown up stuff like manage plans and ‘to do’ lists. There is no such thing as a picture-perfect Christmas where everything goes to plan; that’s half the charm and the fun. "

Lidl

Lidl have a series of six short separate adverts following different characters such as The Cavalier Carver, The Mince Pie maverick, and the Double Dipper. Characters we can all relate to and see through the Christmas period.

Claire Farrant, the supermarket’s Marketing Director, said:

‘Our campaign “Every Lidl Thing For Christmas” has been developed to showcase the fantastic breadth of food and drink we have for the UK customer at Lidl.'

Morrisons - Christmas List

Morrisons looks to tell the story of how three families prepare for their perfect Christmas. The first ad shows a family writing letters to Santa, listing what they want this Christmas. The second focuses on a young girl and brother, who encourages her to do things such as feed a reindeer and putting the star on the tree. The aim to promote their Free From range. The adverts lack the wow factor for me and I the link between an older brother encouraging his sister to do new things and eating gluten-free are still confusing.

Here is what our Senior Research Analyst, Rob Jones, thought:

'As Tesco, ASDA and Sainsbury’s have suffered over the past few years, Morrisons have found their feet. Morrisons have increased market share, profits and revenues more recently, this is is almost unheard of in these difficult times for grocers, with the exception of the discounters Aldi and Lidl. A marketing overhaul has also helped to reinvent the brand. Continuing the brand message that Morrisons is a family focused brand, the story follows a little girl that is nervous to feed a reindeer and take centre stage in a school play, but isn’t nervous about the treats she can eat, as they are gluten free. It’s easy to associate. those with allergies and dietary limits are always unsure of what they can eat, represented by the little girl's nervousness of most things. The ad promotes the free from range, sharing the message that everyone can enjoy mince pies at Christmas.'

Overall the quality has been good but not as good compared to previous years. The biggest disappointment for me was John Lewis. It has been good to see brands using more digital platforms to promote their campaigns and adapting to platforms such as snapchat or Instagram. Next year I would love to see retailers take a brave move into new creative territory to shake it up and to challenge consumers’ perceptions with something unexpected.

Which Christmas advert gets your vote this year? Let us know what you think and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.

from Blog – Smart Insights https://www.smartinsights.com/internet-advertising/best-christmas-adverts-of-2017/