An emotionally charged campaign by the German retail chain and Serviceplan agency aims to heal societal conflicts. Is it heading for another Cannes Grand Prix?

The four-minute Christmas advertisement by German retail chain Penny evokes anxiety in viewers. It openly shows all the conflicts currently dividing society: disrespect, anger, shouting and insults, racism, arguments about the pandemic and Russia’s war in Ukraine. These unusually negative emotions for a Christmas advertisement appear in full force through the story of a young boy and his elderly neighbor, with their effect emphasized by horror-like cracking glass and walls. Only at the end, near an almost overlooked Christmas tree, does Penny offer a solution to heal these rifts – to talk it out.

Penny’s Christmas campaign titled “The Rift” was again created in collaboration with Serviceplan agency. It was directed by Seb Edwards and produced by the company. It follows the concept of last year’s “The Wish” campaign, in which a mother wished for her son, after lockdowns, the very things parents usually protect their children from, so he could “get his youth back.” This equally unconventional project was a hit with viewers – to date, the main German spot alone has received 17 million views on Penny’s YouTube – and at many competitions, where it won numerous awards including the Film Grand Prix at Cannes Lions.

The current campaign is expected to place well in many competitions. It significantly stands out from other Christmas advertisements. Although many advertisers this season are also trying to unite a divided society – such as Deutsche Telekom and T-Mobile with their “How Are You” project – few have the courage to go so deep.

Viewers appreciate Penny’s courage, with the main German spot reaching almost three million views on Penny’s YouTube channel five days after release. The full-length advertisements are shown in cinemas and run on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. The campaign further appears in digital media, print, outdoor advertising, and the chain’s own channels. They link to dedicated pages at penny.de/lassreden, where the chain offers additional information and ten conversation tips that can help improve relationships. German influencer Jonas Ems has also joined the initiative, drawing attention to the campaign’s themes on his YouTube and TikTok channels.

“This year, we noticed that people are growing apart more than ever before. Different opinions not only divide society but also cause rifts in close relationships. That’s why it was really important for us to help people notice these rifts and ideally help heal them. This requires dialogue instead of confrontation and ignorance, which is exactly what our campaign strives for,” said Marcus Haus, Penny’s marketing manager.

Serviceplan’s Creative Executive Director Christoph Everke added: “The film will give you goosebumps, a sense of unease, and we hope it will help you reflect. I was incredibly impressed by how Seb Edwards and Anorak brought our idea to life, and by Penny’s courage to once again take on a painful but important topic.”