The campaign for Manor, titled "The Drawing," centers on the emotional and imaginative experience of Christmas from a child's perspective, highlighting the challenge of fulfilling a unique and unexpected wish. The brand proposition underscores Manor as a versatile, reliable retail destination capable of meeting diverse and complicated customer needs, especially during the holiday season. By portraying Santa and his helpers navigating a complex gift request and ultimately turning to Manor as the ultimate gift source, the campaign positions the brand as the go-to place for finding thoughtful, suitable presents for every individual, reinforcing its promise of comprehensive product selection and customer-centric service.
The market strategy leverages a narrative that resonates with families, particularly parents who face the common challenge of decoding and fulfilling their children’s specific desires. The use of a children's storyline serves both to engage younger viewers emotionally and to connect with parents’ empathy and responsibility during Christmas. The creative angle of depicting Santa and his elves as conventional shoppers who rely on Manor cleverly bridges fantasy with tangible shopping reality, enhancing brand trust and relevance. The campaign taps into the insight that holiday shopping is often stressful and uncertain, proposing Manor as a dependable solution through its extensive product range and multichannel accessibility, including both physical stores and online options. This approach not only targets the primary gift-buying demographic but also emphasizes convenience and choice, key drivers in the retail sector during the holiday period. The campaign’s strong local focus on the Swiss market, combined with a universal Christmas theme, fosters both brand affinity and practical appeal.
FORMAT#5 EXEMPLARY STORY — Tells a story where the product plays a vital role in the plot or resolution.
This campaign follows a clear narrative arc: a child draws an unusual Christmas wish, baffling both parents and even Santa's workshop. The story’s resolution comes when Mrs. Santa discovers Manor—the retailer—as the answer, positioning the store as the hero that fulfills wishes no one else can. The product (Manor’s wide assortment) is not just present but decisively solves the central dilemma, making its role pivotal to the story’s outcome.
ADVERTISING FORMATS EXPLAINED: https://www.clapboard.com/blog/branding-and-advertising/brand-strategy/12-advertising-creative-formats
1. Galeries Lafayette – Positioned as an upscale department store, Galeries Lafayette combines luxury and contemporary fashion with an emphasis on high-end brands and exclusive customer experiences, targeting affluent consumers seeking premium quality and trendsetting styles.
2. Carrefour – As a leading retail giant, Carrefour focuses on wide product variety, competitive pricing, and convenience, delivering a strong value proposition to everyday shoppers across France with extensive grocery and general merchandise offerings.
3. Fnac – Fnac differentiates itself primarily through specialization in electronics, cultural goods, and entertainment, targeting tech-savvy and culture-oriented consumers by combining retail with event-driven customer engagement and expert advice.
4. Leclerc – Leclerc stands out as a hypermarket leader emphasizing low prices, broad assortment, and local product sourcing, appealing to cost-conscious middle-class families while promoting sustainability and regional engagement.
5. Printemps – This luxury department store leverages a heritage of elegance and exclusivity with a curated selection of designer brands, prioritizing personalized service and sophisticated shopping environments to attract discerning customers.
Q: What is The Drawing about?
A: The Drawing is a professional campaign launched in 2017 for Manor, Switzerland’s leading department store, created by the acclaimed French agency BETC. Set in France and released during the Christmas season, this film tells the story of a young boy whose mysterious Christmas wish confounds both his parents and Santa Claus. The narrative follows Santa and his elves as they embark on a covert shopping mission at Manor, ultimately discovering the perfect gift. The campaign positions Manor as the ultimate destination for extraordinary holiday gifts, using a heartwarming storyline to showcase the retailer’s extensive product range and reinforce its role as a multi-specialist capable of fulfilling every customer’s needs.
Q: What creative device does The Drawing use?
A: The Drawing employs the Exemplary Story format, classified as FORMAT#5 in Clapboard’s 12-format taxonomy. This approach centers on a clear narrative arc where the product—in this case, Manor’s vast assortment—plays a vital role in resolving the story’s central dilemma. The film follows a young boy’s unique wish, which stumps both his family and Santa, until Manor emerges as the solution. By making the retailer’s offering integral to the plot’s resolution, the campaign ensures that Manor is not just present but pivotal within the narrative, exemplifying the power of product-driven storytelling.
Q: What is the campaign proposition for The Drawing?
A: The campaign proposition for The Drawing positions Manor as a versatile and reliable retail destination capable of meeting even the most complex and unexpected holiday wishes. Targeting families and especially parents navigating the challenges of Christmas shopping, the campaign underscores Manor’s comprehensive product selection and customer-centric service. By depicting Santa and his helpers relying on Manor to fulfill a child’s extraordinary wish, the brand asserts itself as the go-to source for thoughtful and suitable gifts. This strategic positioning resonates in the retail market by emphasizing convenience, choice, and the ability to satisfy diverse customer needs during the critical holiday season.
Q: How does The Drawing rank in Clapboard's archive?
A: The Drawing holds a Clapboard Campaign Score of 79/100 in Clapboard’s global ad archive. This score reflects the campaign’s creative ambition, execution quality, and cultural relevance, recognizing its effective blend of emotional storytelling and strategic brand positioning within the holiday retail landscape.
Q: Who are the competitors in Manor's category?
A: In Manor’s retail category, key competitors include Galeries Lafayette, which is known for its upscale department store positioning and focus on luxury and contemporary fashion for affluent consumers; Carrefour, a retail giant delivering broad product variety and competitive pricing to everyday shoppers; Fnac, which specializes in electronics and cultural goods, appealing to tech-savvy and culture-oriented audiences; Leclerc, a hypermarket leader emphasizing low prices and local sourcing for cost-conscious families; and Printemps, a luxury department store renowned for its curated designer selection and personalized service targeting discerning shoppers.