Well, it’s that festive time of year again and across all medias, Christmas is in full swing. We have Christmas songs on the radio, Christmas films on the TV and publications are beginning to appear “with seasonal greetings” attached. It truly is a wonderful time of year; and that’s before the actual celebrations have even begun. But one thing in particular caught my eye, as it does every year – a certain advert.
What’s it all about?
The advert in question is for Irn Bru, a fizzy pop, brewed – or “Bru’d” – in Scotland. It features the boy and the snowman from Raymond Briggs’ animated Christmas film, The Snowman. The advert itself mirrors the scene in which the boy is taken flying across open country to the North Pole, but instead of flying to Lapland, the boy and snowman instead fly all around Scotland, passing over hills, glens, famous cities and famous Scottish landmarks.
The song, Walking in the Air, is featured also but has been given a bit of a twist. Instead of the usual lyrics, the boy, who is drinking a can of Irn Bru, is singing about how the snowman would like some of his drink and how he is refusing to give him any. The final act sees the snowman drop the boy into snow-covered Glasgow while he flies off with his Irn Bru, discarding his carrot nose so he can drink the fizzy beverage.
The advert’s impact
While not compelling me to pick up a can or bottle of the drink in question, the advert does resonate with me. As someone who’s seen and enjoyed the original film, it’s nice to see it brought to life again with a different and interesting take. It’s nice to see the animation cover areas of Scotland as though they were featured in the film itself. This widens the scope of both the film and the country, taking The Snowman across Scotland and Scotland into The Snowman.
Of course, I can’t forget the comedy aspect either. Every time I see this advert I chuckle. The boy taunting the snowman with the Irn Bru can and the snowman getting increasingly upset until he finally snaps and takes it, dropping him in Glasgow with the boy singing “I’m falling through the air, I wonder where I’m going to land.” In real-life circumstances it wouldn’t be funny, but seeing Raymond Briggs’ snowman rob someone of an Irn Bru after being constantly teased with it is just hilarious.
Although an advert for a fizzy drink, the execution of it makes it a piece of festive comedy, and seeing it every festive season makes me treasure it as a Christmas classic: a staple of the holidays. But the places featured in the advert, the Scottish drink being advertised and the conflict the boy and the snowman have over it, give such a wonderfully Scottish feel to it. It makes me ask a question that can only be answered by interpretation: is this advert a Christmas classic or a Scottish classic?
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