November 14, 2014
Tesco lights it up for Christmas
Tesco has had its fair share of troubles recently. Wounds, such as the accounting scandal that has led to the suspension of numerous high-level executives, appear to be entirely self-inflicted. It’s hard to feel sympathy for the people who put the company in the unenviable position it’s in. That said, there are thousands of other innocent employees who have been hurt along the way, and they deserve something to feel good about this holiday season. Here’s a feel-good Tesco Christmas story for them.
The British chain recently debuted its new Christmas commercial called "Lights On" and it’s brilliant. The spot brings together the joy in sharing the spirit of Christmas while getting across the message that Tesco is there to help families get ready for the holiday. While YouTube viewership has not reached the level of John Lewis’ "Monty’s Christmas" commercial (14 million+), Tesco’s spot has attracted more than 416,000 views since it was uploaded last Sunday.
![[Image: Tesco Lights On]](data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCAxIDEiIHdpZHRoPSIxIiBoZWlnaHQ9IjEiIGRhdGEtdT0iJTJGcHVibGljJTJGaW1hZ2VzJTJGZGlzY3Vzc2lvbnMlMkYxNzkwOSUyRnRlc2NvLWFkLXN0aWxsLmpwZyIgZGF0YS13PSIxIiBkYXRhLWg9IjEiIGRhdGEtYmlwPSIiPjwvc3ZnPg==)
As with John Lewis spot, Tesco’s commercial is not an end unto itself. The spot is tied to an outdoor light show (you have to see the video) at the chain’s store in Wigan, England. According to reports, Tesco decided to put on the light show after it was criticized on Twitter by a customer, Claire Hannah, for not properly decorating the store for Christmas in 2013. Management was sure not to make that mistake again.
![[Image: The Wigan Light Show]](data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCAxIDEiIHdpZHRoPSIxIiBoZWlnaHQ9IjEiIGRhdGEtdT0iJTJGcHVibGljJTJGaW1hZ2VzJTJGZGlzY3Vzc2lvbnMlMkYxNzkwOSUyRnRlc2NvLWxpZ2h0LXNob3ctc3RpbGwuanBnIiBkYXRhLXc9IjEiIGRhdGEtaD0iMSIgZGF0YS1iaXA9IiI+PC9zdmc+)
Sharry Cramond, proposition and brand director at Tesco, told the Manchester Evening News, "We always want to put a smile on our customers’ faces, so when we spotted Claire’s tweet expressing her disappointment that the Wigan store wasn’t wearing a green hat we wanted to make it up to her, and the rest of Wigan."
- Lights On – Tesco/YouTube
- The Wigan Light Show – Tesco/YouTube
- Watch: Tesco’s Christmas advert lights up town as Wigan store is picked to be star of the show – Manchester Evening News
- Tweet about festive hat gave store a star role in TV ad – Wigan Today
- Tesco Puts On an Insane Christmas Light Show, Proves Commitment to Holiday Spirit – Adweek
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Recent Discussions
Discussion Questions
What is your review of Tesco’s “Lights On” commercial? What is your reaction to Tesco’s response to the tweet from Claire Hannah?
Poll
Cheers for Tesco. A lot of U.S. retailers should have the courage to promote the Christmas holiday as well as our European cousins do each year. To respond to just one person is a fantastic move. I am sure many people had the thought but it took Claire’s one tweet to move one of the largest retailers in the world to react. A bit much but I like it a lot.
First, Tesco should never have left the Christmas hat off the Wigan store. Having done that and earned a public rebuke from a customer, they rectified the problem with a full-on holiday light show. Their holiday commercial tries to capture the holiday spirit, but falls short of the John Lewis spot.
Enjoyed the commercial but agree with Max. It doesn’t reach the same level as the John Lewis commercial. Thought the accompanying light show video was fantastic. Hopefully it will help the morale of the Tesco team.
If watching these two videos doesn’t put a smile on your face, you likely have a heart of stone. 🙂 Makes you feel good about the magic of Christmas. Good on Tesco to capture that magic and rekindle some goodwill for its brand.
Agree with the other comments—does not reach the level of the John Lewis advert, but it is good to see that Tesco is trying to reconnect with the customer, and more so that they are having fun doing it.
What I loved about this spot is that it made me feel like Christmas is back! The celebration not the commercialization.
My two cents says, “Cheers to you, Tesco!”
Job well done! Certainly shows responsiveness to social media and makes the point that Tesco was listening!
It leave you with a good feeling about the company and responding to the tweet this way was brilliant!
Fantastic! Wonderful over-the-top, exuberant response. Way to “go big” Tesco!
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Cheers for Tesco. A lot of U.S. retailers should have the courage to promote the Christmas holiday as well as our European cousins do each year. To respond to just one person is a fantastic move. I am sure many people had the thought but it took Claire’s one tweet to move one of the largest retailers in the world to react. A bit much but I like it a lot.
First, Tesco should never have left the Christmas hat off the Wigan store. Having done that and earned a public rebuke from a customer, they rectified the problem with a full-on holiday light show. Their holiday commercial tries to capture the holiday spirit, but falls short of the John Lewis spot.
Enjoyed the commercial but agree with Max. It doesn’t reach the same level as the John Lewis commercial. Thought the accompanying light show video was fantastic. Hopefully it will help the morale of the Tesco team.
If watching these two videos doesn’t put a smile on your face, you likely have a heart of stone. 🙂 Makes you feel good about the magic of Christmas. Good on Tesco to capture that magic and rekindle some goodwill for its brand.
Agree with the other comments—does not reach the level of the John Lewis advert, but it is good to see that Tesco is trying to reconnect with the customer, and more so that they are having fun doing it.
What I loved about this spot is that it made me feel like Christmas is back! The celebration not the commercialization.
My two cents says, “Cheers to you, Tesco!”
Job well done! Certainly shows responsiveness to social media and makes the point that Tesco was listening!
It leave you with a good feeling about the company and responding to the tweet this way was brilliant!
Fantastic! Wonderful over-the-top, exuberant response. Way to “go big” Tesco!