Whether it’s “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” “Frosty the Snowman,” or “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” we all have our favorite holiday TV classics. I listed some of my family’s must-see Christmas specials in a previous blog, but neglected to include another important part of watching TV as a family during the holiday season—-the commercials.
Yes, even the ads are festive this time of year. In fact, besides the Super Bowl, this is probably the only time of the year that I actually sit and watch TV ads. The ones I enjoy the most are family-friendly and stick with you long after you’ve turned off the TV.
Okay. Okay. I’ll fess up; the commercials I really love are the ones that make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Guilty!
Call me a sap. (I am.) But there are a couple holiday commercials that always get me going. The first is the Folgers’ classic: “Peter Comes Home for Christmas.” I know you’ve seen this one before. It’s been on for more than a decade and I still smile whenever I see it. The ad features Peter the college co-ed arriving at his parent’s house early Christmas morning. A little girl (I assume it’s his sister or some other relative) runs downstairs to greet him and they quietly make Folgers’s coffee together. The ad ends with the mom coming downstairs and letting out an emotional: “Peter, oh, you’re home.”
Cue the waterworks.
Another tearjerker or smile maker (considering one’s mood) is the Coca-Cola commercial with the polar bears.
The heart-tugging ad features two adorable baby polar bears using their little muscles to get the big Christmas tree up the hill. They try, try again, but just can’t get it. Enter Mama Polar Bear. She adds to the sweet family image by helping the cubs get the tree home. Then, she watches with pride as her little ones celebrate their accomplishment with a bottle of Coke.
Who cares, if polar bears don’t really drink Coke? The ad speaks to the Mama bear in all of us.
What’s your favorite holiday commercial?
Related Articles:
Countdown to Christmas: Santa’s Secret Hiding Places
Holiday Family Bonding Around the TV
Who’s In Your Christmas Card Photo?
The Annual Holiday Family Newsletter-Yea or Nay?
What Kind of Parents Take Their Kids Shopping on Black Friday?
Tales from the Holiday Kids’ Table
Countdown to Christmas: The Letter to Santa
My Daughter’s Very Merry Christmas Eve