plot

Johanna Christner

Editor in the section “Germany and the World”.

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Since December 6th, Aldi has moved many to tears with its “Holy Night Shift”. The spot focuses on the conflict between a young person and his single father who has little free time as a tram driver. "Ben, this year I definitely have the morning shift at Christmas," stammered the father, and the cell phone was already vibrating. He gives his son a quick kiss on the blond forehead before he rushes to work. In addition, the youngsters have problems at school, he doesn't want to talk about them with his father: “There is no fucking Christmas for us because we are not a fucking family!” In fact, at the end of the day, the father even has to extend his Christmas shift, Christmas Eve doesn't come to anything. But then the turning point: the son knocks on the wagon, the father lets him in, and together they eat Christmas goose,Red cabbage and potato dumplings from lunch boxes. A little party, anyway.

Penny's video “The Desire” revolves around a conversation between son and mother at the dining table.

Both cannot sleep and sit together.

The mother wishes for Christmas that her son doesn’t just hang around at home, but sneaks out secretly and therefore has to worry about him.

That he celebrates parties, experiences his first lovesickness - and can be a completely normal teenager.

The conversation, mostly a monologue from the mother, ends with the two of them hugging.

Protagonists

Aldi has not only received praise for previous commercials. Last year, the discounter advertised its mascot Kai Karotte, who not only wears a scarf in the winter season, but also wears a woman and a crowd of children. Advocates of the “traditional family” and enemies of the “gender gaga” enjoyed the animated vegetables in winter 2020. However, the fact that the depicted father-mother-child constellation no longer corresponds to the reality of life for many caused displeasure. The “Holy Night Shift” has apparently taken this criticism to heart. The film shows the conflict between a single father and his son.

The Penny commercial also reaches a large target group with a worried mother and a son banished from the corona pandemic to the youth room.

Many parents with growing children will be able to empathize with the characters.

However, one does not learn anything about the mother's job and workload.

Perhaps even more people can empathize with the conflict in this way.

music

The "Holy Night Shift" relies on Lauren Daigle's song "You Say".

The song may be less well known, but the Christian pop singer received a Grammy for it.

One drawback: Sometimes the volume and vocal force of the singer push the action of the commercial into the background.

And leave you puzzled as to whether it is not Adele who is singing right now.

The music can be decisive for the length of time the audience stays.

Penny's "Desire" solves it skillfully by sneaking a slowed cover version of the Bon Jovi classic "It's My Life" into the spot, accompanied by a choir and a voice that almost whispers the chorus.

Because the song is well known, it may evoke memories, i.e. extra emotions.

statement

The most important thing about Christmas is probably the core message of the Aldi commercial: that we are with our loved ones, no matter where.

The video addresses the reality of life for people in systemically relevant professions.

"We do not know what is bothering you and what burden you are carrying on your shoulders," said a comment below the YouTube video.

“Be nice, be friendly, treat them respectfully, and not just at Christmas time.” Touché!

“The Desire” campaigns for young people who had to back off in the corona pandemic in order to save human lives.

"I just wish that you get your youth back," the mother says to her son and dreams of a return to normal.

It remains to be seen who stole the son's youth: a bat in Wuhan, the coronavirus, or perhaps an allegedly failed government?

There is plenty of room for interpretation - almost dangerously much.

Conclusion

Aldi’s “Holy Night Shift” distracts from the plot at crucial points through the volume of the underlying song. The spot also resembles trailers that reveal too much about the film, but still leaves questions unanswered, such as the whereabouts of the mother. Are the parents living in divorce? Has she left the family? Or is she dead? That remains a secret. It is also possible that not everyone can identify with the Aldi protagonists. The high workload of a single father in a systemically important profession should, however, be of interest. Because many have to work while others celebrate. Not everyone can afford a peaceful Christmas.

With the "Wish" spot, Penny can address a larger target group due to the lack of details about the living conditions of his protagonists.

As a result, the supermarket chain also gives food to those who block themselves against corona measures: For example, the video is highly praised by people from the lateral thinker scene.

Sometimes Penny is assigned more political leadership competencies than the German federal government.

For the sake of the now almost 14 million clicks, this is accepted.