#XMAS2015: House of Fraser defies Xmas to hip-hop beats

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It comes as no surprise that the latest House of Fraser Christmas ad was described as the "antidote to the festive fuzzy norm". The store's campaign, titled 'Your Christmas Your Rules', aims to challenge traditional notions of Christmas and pays tribute to a sense of rebellion, of abundance of style, of unapologetic fierceness.



With its elaborate hip-hop dance routines choreographed by Parris Goebel, who has worked with the likes of Beyonce and Justin Bieber, and its mixture of punk, plaid, pastel and over-the-top eyeliner, it is perhaps one of the least 'Christmass-y' ads of the year, but it certainly is eye-catching. I find it somewhat a breath of fresh air in the general moppiness of the John Lewis’ patented seasonal ad recipe (which I will write about in another post), but for some of the more traditional festive cheerers this may come across as a little too different and a little too out of tune with the rest – which after all is exactly what the campaign aimed to do.

House of Fraser's director of brand and creative, Tony Holdway, explained: 'This time of year is all about inspiring our customers to curate their own fashionable and bespoke Christmas, free from stress and brimming with ideas and individuality. Challenging the norm is exactly what we’ve tried to capture in this year’s multi-channel campaign and we hope it will encourage people to think far more openly and creatively this festive season. I think it’s a campaign like no other.'

House of Fraser 'Your Christmas Your Rules' 2015 Christmas campaign @Thorns Have Roses

Anna Carpen, creative director at 18 Feet & Rising, the agency that created the campaign, added that the campaign is not to be taken as anti-festive, but simply as something to 'cut through the usual jingle bells'.

House of Fraser wasn't the only one this year to try and stir away from the John Lewis's heart-tugging formula, with brands such as Marks & Spencer, Coach and Mulberry all preferring to inject a bit of humour and festive energy. What's yet to be seen is which of the two directions will generate more sales.

Click here to read my post on Burberry's 2015 Christmas campaign, which celebrates Britishness and pays homage to Billy Elliot in its 15th-year anniversary.



sources / photo credits:
The Drum
Daily Mail
TV Ad Music

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