A Christmas advert for a pub in the Northern Ireland town of Enniskillen that cost just £700 and was made on an iPhone, has captured the hearts of social media users and even been described as ‘better’ than John Lewis’ effort.
The film for Charlie’s Bar shows an elderly man heading out to lay flowers on a grave, before heading into town appearing to be lonely, with his attempts to greet various passers by ignored.
Once inside the pub he sits alone drinking a glass of stout, as a young couple’s dog Missy wonders over to him. Following this, the pair invite him to set next to them and a friendship begins.
The video finishes with a quote from WB Yeats: “There are no strangers here, only friends you haven’t yet met.”
This Christmas ad for a pub in Enniskillen is better than anything John Lewis has ever put out pic.twitter.com/GFlkhDgyuj
— Greg Murphy 🤓 (@TheGregMurphy) November 25, 2023
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Commenting on X, formerly known as twitter, Irish journalist Greg Murphy said: “The Christmas ad for a pub in Enniskillen is better than anything John Lewis has ever put out”.
The major retailer, which spends millions on Christmas advertising, itself recognised the touching nature of the video, responding to the TikTok video: “We’re not crying, you are. Merry Christmas”.
One user replied: “Yous could learn a thing about advertising from good auld Charlie’s”.
Speaking to The Times newspaper amateur dramatic enthusiast Martin McManus, 78, who played the old man, said: “The simplicity of the message I really believe. I thought to myself this is right up my street. I suppose to a certain extent I do feel like the man in the film. I have lost an awful lot of family members.”
It comes as this year’s John Lewis advert featuring Snapper the Venus flytrap received mixed responses from viewers, with research by Impression revealing that only slightly more than half of the British public “love” this year’s Christmas adverts.
