Marks & Spencer has brought together legendary children’s stories in its latest Christmas TV ad starring a roster of celebrities. The commercial with an orchestral soundtrack features Rosie Huntington-Whitely, David Gandy and Helena Bonham-Carter who present M&S goods—the apparel, accessories and food—in iconic scenes from Alice in Wonderland, Red Riding Hood, Aladdin and The Wizard of Oz.
The advert, developed by M&S’s creative agency Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R, depicts an adventure of a girl (Huntington-Whitely) who travels in the magic snowy world, getting in the middle of the most loved children’s stories as she chases her white terrier. As the plot unfolds, the girl appears at a Mad Hatter’s tea party (with Gandy), gets chased by cards, rides on a flying carpet with a handsome man (Gandy, too), walks down a yellow brick road and meets a floating wizard (Bonham-Carter) who makes only her huge green head visible. The narrative ends with a real-life scene where the wizard (now, wearing some traditional apparel) returns the pet dog to the girl.
The spot that ends with the “Believe in magic and sparkle” line was directed through Black Label Productions by Johan Renck, who is behind music videos for Beyoncé, Madonna, Robbie Williams, Kylie Minogue and more. The ad is available in two formats, the full-length 150: version and the shorter and 30: one—both of them will air on TV. The ad was released online on November 4, with the television premiere slated for November 6 (the short version) and November 10 (the full-length version).
There will be a set of shorter spots detailing the M&S’s Christmas party food range that can be seen on table at the Mad Hatter’s tea party in the major spot. On the dedicated page, M&S also invites the audience to shop by scene. The retailer also engages the audience with a call to vote for the name of the pet—Magic or Sparkle. The winning name will be revealed in the ad break when the full-length version will be aired. At the moment, Sparkle with 63% votes and is winning.
Marks & Spencer invites the audience to watch interviews with the starts of the commercial and also to discover various Christmas tips ranging from how to choose the best presents to how to decorate a Christmas tree and cook a perfect turkey.