You don’t need to be a member of Mensa to know that choirs are incredibly popular around the Christmas period. Music in general is popular too as many artists battle it out to achieve the UK Christmas number one each year. However this year, UK retailers have played a bigger part than ever in placing music in our hearts and ears over the festive season.
What does it mean for the choir industry? We think it shows that singing is still popular and that it’s reaching a broader range of people in modern times. As much as we all appreciate traditional choral music at Christmas, it just wouldn’t be the same without pop music giants like Last Christmas, I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday and Fairytale of New York. So it seems to us that in a bid to gain your custom this year, UK companies have jumped onboard the singing train and ventured into the much loved and ever-growing world of contemporary choir singing. Good on you guys!
We’ve listed below 5 of the most popular Christmas adverts that feature singing in 2017.
1. Co-op – Tender
The Co-op advert features Blur’s hit song ‘Tender’ in their Christmassy advert. The song, originally released in 1999, featured the London Community Gospel Choir. Singing groups, dance troupes, a ukulele band and a scrum of muddy rugby players – young and old – all come together to warm the cockles and get even the most bah humbug viewers into the yuletide spirit.
2. Sainsbury’s – Every Bit Of Christmas
Sainsbury’s has unveiled its Christmas advertising campaign which is a change in direction from the ‘Christmas specials’ of recent years into an extension of the retailer’s year-round Living Well campaign. From pigs in blankets to novelty socks, ripped paper hats to Brussels sprouts, “Every Bit of Christmas” celebrates the many ways that Brits live well over the festive season.
3. Amazon – Give A Little Bit
The soundtrack of Amazon’s Give Christmas 2017 campaign is based on the Roger Hodgson song “Give A Little Bit”. It follows the delivery journey of a parcel ordered on a bus through to its arrival into the arms of its delighted recipient – a young girl in a remote part of the world.
4. KFC – Good Times
KFC has foregone CGI and snow-covered scenery for a minimalist setting at Christmas, releasing a festive spot that sees an all-female six-piece perform a stripped down version of Sam Cooke’s ‘Good Times’ using only the chain’s buckets as percussion.
5. Just Eat – Magic Is Real
Just Eat is rolling out a new creative platform around the ‘magical world’ of its food delivery service, kicking off with a 60-second original musical featuring a cast of singing and dancing restaurant owners and a flying scooter.