Unwrap the festive magic with Boots' epic journey to the North Pole

To rekindle the joy of giving, the Pharm has created an integrated campaign with Boots underscoring its commitment to offering the perfect present for everyone this holiday season

By creative salon

03 November 2023

Boots has launched its festive campaign for 2023, titled 'Thank You, Santa.' The heartwarming ad revolves around a touching Christmas film that aims to remind viewers that Boots has the perfect present for everyone during the holiday season.

The ad follows the journey of a young girl and her mother as they make their way to the North Pole. Their mission is to express their appreciation to Santa by presenting him with a carefully selected gift. Armed with a Boots shopping bag filled with various gifts, the duo embarks on a remarkable journey, travelling from the local high street to the snow-covered landscapes of the North Pole. Along the way, the generosity of strangers aids them, and in return, the girl gifts special items from Boots to express their gratitude. From a Dyson Airwrap for the pilot to a Benefit Volumizing Mascara for the train conductor, the ultimate gift for Santa turns out to be a pair of Boots Travel Flight Socks, perfect for his upcoming worldwide journey.

Boots emphasises that there's a gift for everyone and every budget in its extensive collection, with nearly half of the seasonal gift range priced at £10 or less. The retailer also promises incredible deals throughout the season, including the popular Star Gift program, the biggest-ever Black Friday event, and an abundance of Price Advantage offers.

Pete Markey, chief marketing officer at Boots, expressed the company's holiday spirit, stating, "At Boots, we want to help customers give joy this Christmas and celebrate those who deserve appreciation—family, friends, colleagues, or local community heroes. With our extensive range of great value gifts and amazing offers, Boots has something to make everyone feel valued this Christmas."

The heartwarming advert, directed by award-winning director Sam Brown and set to the soundtrack 'I’m Gonna Get There Somehow' by Val Doonican, is set to premiere on ITV Friday 3 November. The fully integrated campaign will run for seven weeks across various platforms, including TV, radio, cinema, OOH, print, social media, digital channels, in-store, and online. Additionally, the advert will feature during the Heart Breakfast Radio Show and on Disney+, with Boots becoming an official launch partner for the channel throughout November.

To ensure the success of the film, Boots utilised System One, a platform measuring emotional responses to advertisements. The results were highly favorable, placing the campaign within the top five per cent of all adverts tested.

The Boots Christmas campaign was developed in collaboration with its advertising agency at The Pharm, the WPP partnership team dedicated to WBA. Sarah Bamford, Creative Partner at The Pharm, explained, "This year, our Boots Christmas campaign is about rediscovering the joy in giving. In our film, we look at gifting through the eyes of an innocent child, and we discover that giving is not about finding the most perfect or most expensive present, it’s about the heart that lies behind each gifting moment."

Christmas has already commenced in Boots stores and online, featuring the highly anticipated Boots Gift Guide. This year, Boots introduces a shoppable version, allowing customers to take a picture of a desired gift and, via a QR code from the Gift Guide, directly link to the relevant page on boots.com, streamlining the Christmas shopping experience.

Boots is also proud to announce The Hygiene Bank as its Christmas charity partner. The commitment includes a donation of 100,000 essential hygiene products to the charity, benefiting over 20,000 people with a basic care package this Christmas. Throughout November and December, Boots will double its 'You Donate – We Donate' pledge, potentially resulting in an additional 20,000 products for The Hygiene Bank.

Furthermore, Boots introduces a new media partnership with "We are 8," a sustainable media platform that rewards customers for watching videos supporting social and environmental causes. Throughout December, this partnership will focus on driving awareness of The Hygiene Bank, with four per cent of the total media spend donated to the charity, along with a one per cent carbon offset donation.