Note: These concepts were developed for Loyalkaspar, a NYC agency, for their client, Lifetime, for holiday-themed branded content for their sponsor, Wal-Mart.
Wal-Mart “Know How” Vignette Concepts
By Jeff Boortz
:25/:05 Vignettes: Thanksgiving entertaining-based theme (food, home decorating, etc.)
Upstairs- Downstairs
Lifetime’s Know How: Imagine the perfect Thanksgiving.
In a recreation of a scene that plays out in households across America two weeks before Thanksgiving we see dueling visions of the perfect Thanksgiving gathering, each empowered by Wal-Mart. Her vision, the traditional Thanksgiving, plays out in the living room (seen in cut-away). His vision, the frat-boy football Thanksgiving, plays out in the basement rec room. Each vision is built through product-related tips, which transform the cut-away house into the ultimate Thanksgiving gathering place.
Hers: Idyllic classical music, good friends and family in dresses, suits and ties. A pristine white tablecloth layered with dishes, glasses, silver, and meal adorned with all the seasonal trimmings. A beautiful centerpiece towers towards the ceiling. Clinking crystal goblets filled with deep red wine. Mood lighting. Rich aromas fill and something else fills the air. Are you ready for this? Conversation.
His: Sweatshirts and jeans. Team memorabilia, Beer, chips, dip. A host of burly, loud, and messy Uncles and Brothers worship at the shrine of a large screen HDTV. Football. Football. And more Football. Turkey and stuffing are wolfed down off a plate balanced on one knee.
The spot wraps with the couple facing each other down. What will it be? His Thanksgiving? Her Thanksgiving? Why not both? Everything you need to get ready for the perfect Thanksgiving is at Wal-Mart.
The Thanksgiving Game Plan
Lifetime’s Know How: The Holiday Pre-Game
Spoofing the pre-game profiles of the opposing football teams a sports announcer describes our woman’s preparations for the onslaught of Thanksgiving guests. Like he’s describing an incredible quarterback, the announcer details how our hero hostess deals with the challenges faced by each of her guests.
Hard to please Mother-in-Law is wowed by the magnificent table. (Telestrator circles are drawn over items (the centerpiece, fine table wear, and wine goblets, etc.) as the announcer proclaims our hostesses skill and savvy (tips).
- Sloppy Uncle Marvin fumbles a slice of pumpkin pie, but gets a holiday themed TV tray, just in time to save the couch and rug.
- A blitz of unruly children is stopped in their tracks by a hit movie, or electronic gizmo. An finally, a super uncomfortable husband in his itchy, slightly small suit, is turned into a beaming, smiling happy reveler in front of a new HDTV on which to watch the games.
(Wouldn’t it be great, if we could take this the nth degree, and have the proud Thanksgiving guests dump the punch bowl on the triumphant hostess?)
The holiday entertainment season kicks off with Thanksgiving. Wal-Mart is your one-stop, pre-game shop.
Cornucopia
Lifetime’s Know How: Bountiful Entertaining.
This spot uses the holiday metaphor of the Cornucopia to demonstrate the tremendous number of rich and bountiful Thanksgiving entertainment ideas Wal-Mart has to offer. A young couple receives each new idea with excitement as it transforms their holiday table, décor, and meal into a picture-postcard vision.
The wife is ecstatic. But the husband is somehow unsatisfied, until a giant HDTV to watch the game pops out. Everything is perfect. The couple smiles, and the doorbell rings.
The scene spins around, going behind the cornucopia, which is transformed into the Wal-Mart logo. Everything you need to get ready for the holidays is available at Wal-Mart.
:25/:05 Vignette: Getting Ready for the December holidays-base theme
Deck the Halls
Lifetime’s Know How: Decking the Halls 101
A whimsical instrumental rendition of the holiday classic drives this transformation of homes and the families that live within them into their holiday best.
It may be possible to create tips that can be understood without words. For example: an empty mantel, a disappointed look. Fast cuts of alternate decoration ideas- woman thinking. Settles on a reindeer and candleabra theme- woman smiling.
“Wal-Mart. I Fa, la, la, la, lah, la, la, la, love it.”
This concept could work equally well with another holiday classic underscore, “Walking in a Winter Wonderland”
You Think Santa’s Busy
Lifetime’s Know How: You Think Santa’s Busy
This concept follows an elf as he gives our time-stressed mom helpful hints to enjoying the holidays. It could be a live action shoot in a Wal-Mart store or a slideshow, with the characters offscreen and VO only. The elf offers advice about the following holiday situations.
Holidays are busy (slides of kids in a pageant, visiting relatives, buying a Christmas tree) but you still need to feed your family the other 30 days of December. Shot of kids looking up from empty plates. So when you’re doing your holiday shopping pick up a Take n’ Bake Pizza from Wal-Mart.
Piles gotta match. Pick up some small electronics amd toys at Wal-Mart. (Images of present piles growing unevenly as they stack. Images of Nintendo and iPod Shuffles. Images of piles even) Chorus of Angels rejoice.
Decorating do’s and don’ts. Avoid lopsided trees- ornament wise that is. (pixilated spinning of tree reveals neglected back. Ornaments pop on to fill it up). Thanks to Wal-Mart you can fill the side of the tree your neighbors see too.
And finally. Get something nice for yourself. You deserve it. (Slides of gifts for women.)
“Wal-Mart. Putting the Happy, in Happy Holidays”