We have officially begun the second half of our 12 Ads of Christmas blog series!
In our previous posts, we’ve highlighted ads for cars, credit cards, mattresses, dating sites, sneakers, and razors.
To this point, MediaRadar’s rendition of the classic jingle looks something like this:
“On the twelfth day of Christmas, MediaRadar sent to me,
Twelve Engines Humming,
Eleven Cards a-Swiping,
Ten Sleepers Sleeping,
Nine Sites Romancing,
Eight Shoes a-Sneaking,
Seven Hairs a-Trimming…”
In the original tune, next in line would be “Six Geese a-Laying.”
“On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me,
Twelve Drummers Drumming,
Eleven Pipers Piping,
Ten Lords a-Leaping,
Nine Ladies Dancing,
Eight Maids a-Milking,
Seven Swans a-Swimming,
Six Geese a-Laying…“
The MediaRadar rendition sings not of geese, but of a true holiday gift-giving tradition…
Today, we are sending you Six Kids a-Playing… Toy ads!
The holiday season is the perfect time for parents to overstock the playroom with a variety of fun toys.
So, while the elves are busy working hard, making toys for all the little boys and girls of the world, we decided to dig up the best toy ads from this year.
Here are six ads that are as fun as the toys they’re selling:
Lego – “Shake Up Imagination”
This Lego ad shows multiple children receiving a present… A very shakable, noisy present with a very distinct sound.
After shaking the box a few times, each child almost immediately knows that they are holding a box of Legos. Once they know that, their imaginations are let loose.
Each child explains what they would build if given the opportunity to build anything they wanted.
One child suggest a “tiny, 9000 foot tall, teal-colored carrot village.” Another suggests a “humungous flying boat that goes from New York to the Bahamas.”
One child says his creation would be, “anything he could make that’s dramatic,” only to later suggest a pickle…
Whether a boat, a pickle, a kangaroo, a dinosaur, or anything in between, all of the ideas in the ad have one thing in common – big, big, big. Regardless of shape or color, each child’s creation would surely be gigantic.
As anyone that has seen the movie Big knows, a child’s imagination is boundless.
Hess – “2017 Hess Dump Truck and Loader”
When we talk about classic holiday traditions and toys, it would be a crime not to mention Hess.
A long-standing gift tradition, Hess trucks have become a yearly collectors item for many. And this holiday, “the tradition continues.”
As always, the Hess truck is back, and it’s better than ever.
The 2017 Hess truck is a Dump Truck and Loader. The ad, in its own right a long-standing tradition, is a standard rendition of the yearly Hess truck commercial.
After all, the holidays are about tradition, and sometimes, traditions are best left unchanged.
Hot Wheels – “The Drive Commercial”
This Hot Wheels ad also presents the freedom of imagination.
In the ad, a young boy and his mother hop in a classic Camaro, and race through the streets, in an action movie-style fashion.
Along the way, the mother gives her son advice, saying, “When the unexpected happens, you gotta find a way through it.”
They find themselves staring at what seems to be an impossible leap for the car. They wonder whether they’ll make it, to which the mother says, “there’s only one way to find out.“
They take off, falling short of the jump, when the camera cuts to a bedroom, where the mother and child see their toy-Camaro fall to the floor.
The mother asks, “What are we going to do?”
The son replies, “Try again, with the red one!”
The overlaying message of this ad is that, when kids take on challenges, there’s “no limit to how far they’ll go.”
NERF – “More Darts, More Fun!”
Sometimes, the best perk a toy can offer is relaxation to a mother, if only for a few minutes.
In this NERF ad, a mother sits at a table, reading, as NERF darts fly back and forth overhead.
The catch: she has the timing to a tee.
She knows exactly when her kids will run out of darts, sitting with two new packages by her side. She counts to zero, the darts stop flying, and she relays the next package to her kids.
Every mother deserves the ability to relax for the holidays. While darts are plenty fun, a mother’s relaxation can be the greatest gift of all.
Playskool – “Tickle Me Elmo”
For a little over two decades, the “Tickle Me Elmo” toy has been a mainstay for the industry.
And, well, much like the Hess truck, the laugh is back, and it’s better than ever.
This ad has different children laughing right along with Elmo, in a variety of fashions. There’s the giggle, the cackle, the howl, the snort, the roar, and the wipeout.
Regardless of how you laugh, the most important part is to share in laughter. Gifts come in many forms, so this holiday season, be sure to spread laughter amongst family and friends.
Fisher-Price – “Nurture Their Nature”
As people evolve, so do our toys.
This Fisher-Price ad is for “the free spirits of the world,” because even the most creative and brilliant of minds need to play.
What’s naturally inside them, however, needs to be set loose.
According to Fisher-Price, by playing with the right toys, children can discover what truly makes them happy, letting their true personalities flourish.
Parents can gift children a lot more than play time when giving them toys for the holiday.
Regardless of what kind of toys a child prefers, however, a happy, healthy, laughter-filled holiday is the greatest thing any parent could ever give them.
Tune into our next post to see what precedes parents purchasing toys for their children!
