December is traditionally an underwhelming month

December is traditionally an underwhelming month for new commercials. Most automakers bombard consumers with ads screaming about year-end discounts and retailers try to get last-minute shoppers through the door. However, we did manage to find some smart and entertaining executions.MasterCard, a brand that's been using "priceless" moments for over a decade, can still make us laugh and, occasionally, pull on our heartstrings, no matter how resistant we are to syrupy sentimentality. "Arrivals" opens with a plane taking off as British singer and songwriter Findlay Brown's "Come Home" cradles teary airport scenes of family reunions with gentle folksy rhythms. ("Spending the holidays together, priceless.") The spot is perfect for the holiday travel season. On the other end of the emotional spectrum is a Wal-Mart spot that uses the often-mined theme of the last-minute Christmas Eve gift drama to showcase the retailer's easy and cost-effective shopping experience. The commercial is about a guy who arrives at a Christmas party sans gifts. When someone announces it's time for "secret Santa," he begins a "12 Days of Christmas" sing-along so he can duck out and speed over to Wal-Mart. There, he grabs CDs and party bags, wreaking havoc on at least one display. At the checkout counter he pauses to ask, "That's it?" when he sees the total. "It's Wal-Mart, man," responds the cashier. "Cool," says the shopper, who races back to the party, where he joins the carol, his absence having gone unnoticed. The spot captures the all-too-familiar shopping frenzy with humor and style.One of my favorites this month is a Bahamas tourism ad in which a dreary middle-aged man named Monte is revitalized by his family via a "Bahamavention." "But I'm a happy guy," protests the expressionless Monte. It's not until faced with a series of pictures in which he never cracks a smile—getting promoted, the birth of his son—that it sinks in. "I want sand between my toes," he says excitedly, finally smiling. We all need to remedy the doldrums with the occasional vacation. Why not have one in the Bahamas? On message and funny.The most unusual spot selected this month comes from Clearblue Easy—yes, the pregnancy test. It strips the ad of category norms like couples supporting each other while they anxiously wait for the product to work. Instead, it's all about the technology. The product is shot against a black background, dramatic music builds, the voiceover introduces "the most sophisticated technology you will ever pee on" and a stream of liquid hits the strip as the camera closes in on the digital reading of its progress. It's an attention-getting product demonstration that clearly shows off the features. That's a whole lot more than I can say about most pregnancy test ads.Finally, Axe gave us another sexy romp to advertise its lust-inducing shower gel. A couple, kissing in a field, start to roll through all sorts of terrain, including down a hill, across a highway and through a garden—where a buxom woman joins the tangle of arms and legs—and finally into the ocean. Yes, many women will groan, especially at the threesome scene, but it's so campy it makes me chuckle. Besides, Axe, a product that built its brand image on being a sure-fire way for men to lure women, is all about fantasy.

Brand Marketing

December is traditionally an underwhelming month

Eleftheria Parpis

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Eleftheria Parpis