Creative Director's Choice: Jennie Moore of Wongdoody on the emotion of the Macy's holiday spot
Creative Director’s Choice gives creative directors a chance to highlight the work they think is the best out in the ad world — the ads and campaigns they believe are making a difference.
Macy's Space Station ad is the focus of this week's Creative Director's Choice
This week, Wongdoody creative director Jennie Moore gives an emotional take on why the Macy's holiday spot is so effective.
I’m a sap. Let’s get that out of the way right now. So, when I watched this year’s Macy’s ‘Space Station’ holiday spot, I did that fake yawny thing so I could hide my tears. Even on repeat viewings, I got chills every time.
Side note: I planned to review a campaign that was super groundbreaking or under the radar. But as a mom, I can’t ignore what speaks to me. And this simple, fairly traditional TV spot did just that.
The Macy’s ad features an astronaut who happens to be a mom video chatting with her daughter and husband around the holidays. The astronaut/mom isn’t going to be home for Christmas, and you can see the sadness this causes for all involved. The daughter has given her mom a 3D paper snowman (Sunny) to keep her company on her journey, and Sunny later gets opened to reveal a snow globe. The packaging then floats out to transform the inside of the space station into a winter wonderland, as snow falls back at home. And no, I don’t care that this isn’t scientifically accurate.
I’ve never travelled outside our atmosphere, but I’ll tell you what – when I’m on a work trip and missing my kids, the faraway hotel room I’m video chatting from might as well be the International Space Station. The separation is there. The conflict of doing a job I love while also missing out on other things I love is there. The appreciation for my spouse helping make this whole puzzle work in my absence is there.
The way BBDO tapped into this emotion was so true, and such a nice nod to the reality of being a working, travelling mom (or dad) at any time of year. And the message – ‘Believe in the Wonder of Giving’ – transcends the obvious holiday-shopping-at-Macy’s connection, because everyone in the spot has given something – time, encouragement and love. The result is a beautiful family moment that captures a new era where anything is possible when we support one another.
I’m not crying, you’re crying.
Jennie Moore is creative director at Seattle's Wongdoody and founding member of June Cleaver is Dead.
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