Back in October, BBDO Atlanta released a heartfelt spot for Toys R’ Us entitled “Tree,” one of the first holiday ads of the season while “re-engineering the entire marketing model of Toys R’ Us.” Since then the agency has released a handful of spots with a decidedly more lighthearted tone, but now the agency has unveiled a kind of spiritual successor to “Tree” with the 60-second “RC Car.”
Like “Tree,” BBDO Atlanta’s latest effort takes the focus off of Toys R’Us products to tell an emotional story. This time around, one toy is prominently featured, an assuming RC Car which, as a gift, is more than it appears. The ad shows a young boy and his father celebrating the season by making a gingerbread house, decorating the tree, participating in a Christmas pageant and visiting Santa. Viewers may initially assume it is a story about a single father and his son, but the ending, in which the RC Car factors heavily, reveals otherwise. It’s an emotional ending, but a twist we’ve seen before. Some viewers may appreciate the depiction, while others may find that ad pandering or manipulative. To combat such negative views, and as an extension of the campaign, Toys R’ Us is partnering with the USO to “bring awesome moments of holiday cheer to millions of active servicemen and women across the country” through holiday programming in each of its centers nationwide.
Credits:
AGENCY: BBDO Atlanta
CLIENT: Toys “R” Us
Title(s): RC Car
Chief Creative Officer, Worldwide: David Lubars
Chief Creative Officer, Atlanta: Wil Boudreau
Creative Director: Rhea Hanges
Creative Director: Brett Baker
Associate Creative Director: Bryan Lee
Associate Creative Director: Chris Miller
Executive Producer: Alberto Enriquez
Account Director: Danielle Willett
Account Executive: Hannah Aaronson
Group Planning Director: Emily Viola
Senior Planner: Nina Hensarling
Production Company: MJZ
Director: Fredrik Bond
Director of Photography: Roman Vasyanov
Music Producer: Wool & Tusk