Boots shuns celebrities this Christmas in favour of campaign that highlights everyday empathy

Boots says the retailer wants to “own joy” when consumers think of its Christmas campaign this year, according to CMO Pete Markey, who has just been named Marketer of the Year at the Marketing Week Awards.

The ‘Thank you, Santa’ TV ad, created by agency The Pharm, features the story of a mother and daughter on a mission set to a soundtrack by Val Doonican. Spurred by the daughter asking who gives Santa gifts, the two embark on a journey to the North Pole, rewarding the people who help them along the way with gifts from Boots.

Markey tells Marketing Week: “This year, more than ever, we know people want to have a great Christmas, but they also want to recognise and celebrate the people that have been with them through this last year. And they themselves want to be appreciated and valued. So that insight really drove the whole campaign.”