JWT London launched a holiday ad for Nestlé brand Quality Street, which is at once whimsical and a bit bizarre.
The ad is based on the insight that a Quality Street tin, full of colorful wrapper signifying the different flavors of chocolate inside, are a harbinger of Christmas in the U.K. “The proper start of Christmas is when the Quality Street tub appears. It’s as magical as the first snowflake,” JWT London creative director David Masterman told Adweek.
So for “The First Sign of Christmas,” the agency combined these ideas, turning Quality Street into an actual location, where (this is where it gets weird) it rains colorful candy wrappers. Empty wrappers. And people frolic happily in the street as if this is a good thing, attempting to catch the wrappers as they fall. To bring the idea to life, Nestlé had to actually alter its factory production line for a few hours, churning out 45,000 empty cellophane wrappers, with around 300,000 then added in post-production. The 60-second online spot will be cut down for a broadcast version, supported by a “Quality Street-inspired Christmas wonderland” installation in London’s Covent Garden and a promotion in select movie theaters on December 3 featuring real wrappers sprinkled onto audiences while the ad airs. Oh boy. And if sixty seconds isn’t enough empty wrapper action for you, check out the “Behind the Scenes” video below.