Campbell-Ewald and Alltel give Chad and the gang the Rankin-Bass treatment in a suite of holiday spots [1]. They're well done and diverting, but the approach seems strangely familiar. Oh right, Alltel produced a similar effort last year [2]! There's nothing inherently wrong with that, but it's like getting a slightly different red tie two Christmases in a row. No matter how nice the second one is, the novelty has worn off—the thrill is gone. Also, the rival sales guys seem kinda subversive in a South Park-y way, while Chad and Santa come off as patently uncool. I was rooting for the mischievous crew to hijack the sleigh and bombard the countryside with Xboxes, iPods and Kindles. Let's face it, Alltel, your stuff's not on too many Yultide wish lists. By the way, a red tie really would bring out my ruddy complexion nicely—and I didn't get one last year. In case anyone was wondering.
—Posted by David Gianatasio
Links:
[1] http://www.adweek.com/aw/creative/ad-of-the-day/article_display.jsp?creativeId=269908
[2] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwxJq6jWq9A