Laura's Word 22 November 2012

As the Northern Hemisphere cosies up in their flannel jim-jams and granny-style slippers in preparation to do battle with errant flatmates and family over the heating thermostat, south of the equator things are taking on a decidedly summery vibe. It’s a tale of two seasons, and this week’s newsletter definitely reflects that. While Bieber flashes his purdy smile for Macy’s Black Friday sale and North Americans prepare for an epic day of shopping, their Southern American counterparts are cranking up the air con.

 

No Latin American summer lovin’ for me though. I’m squarely entrenched in a drizzly, chilly London , where there seems to be an average of 1.3 hours of daylight each day. Still we’re not letting a little wintery weather get in the way of a fiesta – on Tuesday night I headed out to Soho House for the launch of Discipline, a new magazine from production company Blink and this Monday will see myself and Editor, Gabby Lott don our best party frocks to attend the BTAA awards. (We’ll be the ones with the retro dance moves – come find us!)

 

It may be blustery and cold, but there’s something strangely comforting about being in-doors and toasty on a miserable day. Perhaps it’s a nostalgia thing – or one of those weird British masochist things – but I kinda like it. Whatever it is, I’m clearly not alone – in late October AMV BBDO released an ‘I Love Winter’ campaign for Heinz. It’s been out for a few weeks now but for some reason it always makes me pause and pay attention. 

 

 

Having the mental fortitude of room-temperature chocolate spread, I’m clearly very open to suggestion - the whole thing is cueing me up nicely for Christmas. 

 

All it’s taken is a few early sunsets and accidentally catching the second half of Home Alone at the weekend and I’m so full of festive spirit that I’m not even irritated by the tinny Christmas hits on a playing on a loop in the shopping centre I have to walk through each day. Which is a good thing, because LBB HQ has become inundated with seasonal, Santa-strewn campaigns over the past fortnight. Independent’s Ed Sayers has created pop-up Christmas for eBay, AMV BBDO have released a nicely observed study of pre-Crimbo family dynamics and there’s a tiny little ad you probably haven’t heard of for John Lewis (I have had I-don’t-even-know-how-many non-adland friends and MY MUM texting me and Facebook-ing me about this one – if I ever set up an advertising awards event, I think that might be my judging criteria).

 

But the campaign that has really got me geared up for the festive season is one that doesn’t even mention the 'C' word. Pereira O’Dell and Biscuit Filmworks have brought the letters of the alphabet to life in a really lovely set of spots for Scrabble and it has just transported me into the holiday headspace. After all, it just ain’t Christmas if nuclear war hasn’t erupted over the use of proper nouns and someone hasn’t flung the board across the living room in a huff.

 

Ahh….. Christmas