AdLand is back!

Mulberry - Mulberry Miracle - (2015) 2:07 (UK)

Mulberry - Mulberry Miracle - (2015) 2:07 (UK)

Certain objects and rituals attract a level of consumerist fetishism like no other. Box fresh sneakers. Being the first to unbox the latest Apple gadget. And yes, for many women, there's nothing comparable to the pleasure of receiving an unfathomably expensive handbag.
This ad by UK brand Mulberry parodies the Nativity story in a light-hearted and tongue in cheek manner. Away in a manger - or the 21st century equivalent, surrounded by boxes and in the midst of unpacking - a man presents a Mulberry bag and the scene spins off into a pleasant and watchable piece of silliness. The attention to detail is well done and the casting superb. It's hard not to be enamoured by two 'shepherds' with strong West Country accents - think Sam in The Lord of the Rings: "I made a promise, Mr Frodo. A promise. 'Don't you leave him Samwise Gamgee!'"
Spoilers ahead, so you might to watch the ad first.
Naturally though, any ad with religious imagery is bound to be the subject of discord, and in this case 42 people were angry and offended enough to put in official complaints to the ASA.
However, in a move which surprises me, given how eager the ASA are to bring down the ban hammer on anything that upsets, no breach was found.
In their review, the ASA first noted:


Forty-two complainants challenged whether the ad was offensive to Christians because it replaced the baby Jesus with a handbag. The complainants objected that it undermined central messages of their faith; that the important scene was being used for the purpose of consumerism; and that it was blasphemous.


Funny how one single line can make or break a piece of communication. And maybe that's the real Christmas Miracle, because I can imagine getting 'Guys, it's only a bag' signed off by a company which makes luxury handbags must have been some kind of feat of nature. I can see the conversations and arguments now "But it's so much more than just 'a bag'! It's an expression of identity!"
Good on you, Adam & Eve DDB. Client: Mulberry
Agency: Adam & Eve DDB

Mulberry - Mulberry Miracle - (2015) 2:07 (UK)
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 90%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

Great! You’ve successfully signed up.

Welcome back! You've successfully signed in.

You've successfully subscribed to AdLand.

Success! Check your email for magic link to sign-in.

Success! Your billing info has been updated.

Your billing was not updated.