Ad of the Day: Vodafone Ireland’s Christmas campaign tells of connected rural romance
Vodafone Ireland has teamed up with creative agency Grey London for its heartwarming 2021 festive campaign. ‘Each Christmas’ tells the story of a young farmer who pines for his old neighbor, a woman who has moved abroad and only returns to her hometown during the holidays – depicting an emotionally resonant reality of modern Ireland.
In the film viewers see the two characters growing closer with each Christmas spent at home, the long emotional goodbyes at New Year, and the sadness of being separated in the interim months. The warmth between them is obvious and, finally, the young woman decides to move back to the town and open a business, which is made easier by Vodafone Ireland’s mobile and fibre broadband infrastructure, much to the delight of her neighbor.
“This year’s Vodafone Ireland Christmas ad captures the growing feeling and reality that rural Ireland has begun a period of regeneration,” said Niall Reynolds, marketing manager at Vodafone Ireland.
“With remote working a reality off the back of the necessities of the pandemic period and the quickening pace of Vodafone Ireland’s mobile and fibre broadband infrastructure expansion, more and more people are moving closer to loved ones and closer to where they want to call home.”
The concept for the film was built on a few truths: the first being that people will often leave rural areas in search of advancement and opportunities; the second highlights the traditional pilgrimage back home to see loved ones at Christmas; and thirdly that Vodafone aims to enable its customers to stay connected wherever they are.
“As expats, we’re sure that this story has universal appeal and will speak to the hearts of anyone that lives abroad or who has the opportunity to only visit their hometowns once a year, for just a few days before having to say goodbye again,” noted Pedro Rosa and Roberto Kilciauskas, group creative directors at Grey London.
“That bittersweet feeling is always the beginning of a thought that every now and then can pop into one’s mind: ‘What if I stayed this time? What if I didn’t go back after Christmas?’”
Authenticity was key in showcasing a truly Irish experience. The team enlisted a local farmer to advise on key scenes during filming, the custom dog whistle was made by a local jeweler and the Wren Boys – where people dress in straw masks and suits on December 26 – was overseen by the local wren society.
The ad will also be supported by VOD, online content, social media and out-of-home (OOH) executions.
