The Argos catalogue takes center stage in the U.K. retailer’s 2019 Christmas advertising campaign. The ad celebrates the time-honored tradition of circling your most-wanted gifts in the Argos catalogue. While the catalogue has been a firm fixture with families for the last 46 years, it’s been absent from Argos’ most significant annual TV commercial for the past decade. This year, however, the Christmas edition of the catalogue plays a starring role in the festive campaign. It has been renamed “The Book of Dreams” and the ad delivers on this promise as a dad’s childhood dreams are awoken when he sees a drumkit his daughter circled in the Argos catalogue.

The heart-warming story begins in a kitchen, where the dad taps his finger on the circled drum kit, and to his surprise, the kitchen table splits open to magically reveal the drum set, right there in front of him. Dad begins to play as the kitchen transforms into his own private gig, with bulbs beaming in the oven and stage smoke pouring from the fridge. Simple Minds’ 1980s classic “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” plays on the TV and he drums along.

The father is joined by his daughter, woken by the noise, and suddenly the kitchen is transformed into the gig of a lifetime, with adoring fans chanting along. In a scene-stealing moment, Cubby the Curious Bear–one of Argos’ predictions for the most popular toys of the festive season–leaps off the stage and crowd surfs.

Directing team Traktor of Stink Films helmed the spot for agency The&Partnership London.

Yan Elliott, executive creative director, The&Partnership, said, “The year is one big drum roll to Christmas. Here, Argos have delivered the crescendo. We hope that families, up and down the UK, will not only love the campaign, but will be inspired to revisit this Christmas tradition.”

Credits

Client Argos Agency The&Partnership London Yan Elliott, Micky Tudor, executive creative directors; Danny Hunt, creative director; Ludo Thomas, Arthur Harry, creatives; Andy Roberts, sr. producer; Alfie Glover-Short, producer. Production Stink Films Traktor, director; Joost van Gelder, DP; Nick Foley Oates, Eva Vento, production designers; Richard Ulfvengren, producer (Traktor); Millen Nickolov, producer (Icon Films) Editorial Final Cut Ryan Beck, editor. Postproduction/VFX MPC Jean-Clement Soret, colorist; Kamen Markov, shoot supervisor; Jake Nelson, VFX supervisor; Phil Whalley, producer. Music Song: “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” Artist: Simple Minds Music Supervision Leland Music, London Codie Childs, music supervisor; Chris Hill, music arranger; Brad Webb, drum supervisor. Sound Design Grand Central Recording Studios (GCRS), London Munzie Thind, sound designer. Audio Post Grand Central Recording Studios (GCRS), London Munzie Thind, mixer.

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