Christmas is traditionally a time when we go the extra length to share love and positivity with others; spreading joy and merriment throughout the season. A more modern Christmas tradition is, of course, the Christmas adverts, known for being extremely wholesome and likely to cause a teardrop or two.
Companies such as Coca-Cola and John Lewis are powerhouses when it comes to wholesome Christmas content, with many refusing to believe ’tis the season until they’ve seen the highly anticipated commercials. However, this year the best Christmas commercial award has to go to the Norwegian postal service Posten for their extremely progressive and heart-warming take on the Christmas marketing tradition.
Appropriately named ‘When Harry met Santa’, it tells the romantic love story between the two men, separated by time and distance due to Santa’s hectic lifestyle. Only seeing each other briefly once a year, the advert succinctly shows the many emotions that absence can evoke within someone; pain, longing, and tentative affection. It’s an incredibly warm and beautifully soft advert, ending with the two men finally getting to spend the whole night together as Santa has enlisted the help of Posten to distribute his gifts.
The advert comes at an apt time, as in 2022 Norway will be celebrating 50 years since the legalization of same-sex relationships in 1972. Norway has consistently been a welcoming country for the LGBTQIA+ community and is known for its progressive attitudes and laws.
Whilst there will undoubtedly be many who take issue with the advert, generally, it has been very well received, going viral on the internet and praised for its progressive story. I for one think it’s wonderful and has way more of an emotional impact than a commercial has any right to be!
Watch the advert for yourself below, but you might want to make sure you’re prepared – it might just be the most heartwarming one you’ll see this Christmas!
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