The "Bigger than Christmas" campaign by Myer, launched in Australia in November 2020, positions the brand as a unifying and optimistic force during a challenging year. The campaign’s core proposition centers on the idea of collective celebration and reconnection, inviting consumers to make the holiday season more meaningful by embracing a single, amplified day of togetherness and joy. This reflects a promise to not only offer a retail experience but also to facilitate emotional fulfillment after a period of widespread loss and disruption.
Strategically, the campaign taps into the cultural and emotional context shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic, recognizing a shared sense of missed moments and social isolation throughout the year. By framing Christmas as a pivotal moment to recover those lost experiences, Myer aligns its offering with deeper societal needs for connection and celebration beyond traditional retail messaging. The creative narrative foregrounds empathy and hope, engaging audiences through storytelling that resonates with lived experiences rather than mere product promotion. With a narrative film format, the campaign seeks to foster emotional engagement that strengthens brand affinity. The media execution, supported by a focused digital presence, targets Australian consumers during the peak holiday shopping period, leveraging relevance and timeliness to maximize impact. Ultimately, the campaign’s insight-driven approach blends emotional resonance with a retail call to action, aiming to stimulate both consumer sentiment and sales in a highly competitive seasonal market.
FORMAT#3 SYMBOLIZE THE PROBLEM — Uses symbols or analogies to represent the problem instead of showing it literally.
This campaign, “Bigger than Christmas,” uses the context of a year (2020) marked by significant communal loss and missed celebrations due to the pandemic. Rather than directly listing each problem (missed moments), the creative reframes and symbolizes all the lost events and occasions by suggesting they should be combined and “packed into one day”—making the year’s culmination “bigger than Christmas.” The campaign deploys this symbolic analogy to both encapsulate the collective loss and position Myer as the brand that enables an extraordinary, all-encompassing celebration, using narrative and metaphor rather than problem-solution literalism.
ADVERTISING FORMATS EXPLAINED: https://www.clapboard.com/blog/branding-and-advertising/brand-strategy/12-advertising-creative-formats
1. David Jones – Positioned as a premium department store, David Jones focuses on luxury brands, high-quality customer service, and an elevated shopping experience. It targets affluent consumers seeking exclusive fashion, beauty, and homewares, emphasizing heritage and sophistication in the Australian retail market.
2. Kmart Australia – Known for its value-driven, budget-friendly pricing, Kmart appeals to cost-conscious families and everyday shoppers. Its strategic angle centers on affordable, trendy merchandise with broad appeal, supported by efficient supply chain management and strong national presence.
3. Target Australia – Offers a blend of affordability and style, catering to middle-income consumers seeking fashionable yet accessible apparel and home products. Target positions itself as a convenient, family-focused retailer with a focus on contemporary design and frequent promotions.
4. Big W – Emphasizes a wide product range across apparel, electronics, and home essentials at competitive prices. Big W targets practical shoppers looking for one-stop convenience combined with regular discounts and loyalty incentives.
5. My Deal – An online-focused retailer leveraging competitive pricing and convenience, My Deal differentiates through its extensive product variety and rapid delivery services. It targets digital-savvy consumers prioritizing ease of purchase and value over the traditional in-store experience.
Q: What is Bigger than Christmas | MYER about?
A: Bigger than Christmas | MYER is a 2020 campaign created by BBDO for Myer, launched in the Australian retail market. The campaign centers on the idea of making up for a year of missed milestones and celebrations by inviting Australians to combine all those lost moments into one extraordinary day, making the holiday season even more meaningful. Through a narrative film, the campaign positions Myer as the facilitator of this amplified celebration, aiming to reconnect communities and restore a sense of joy and togetherness after a challenging year shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Q: What creative device does Bigger than Christmas | MYER use?
A: Bigger than Christmas | MYER employs FORMAT#3 SYMBOLIZE THE PROBLEM, as classified by Clapboard's 12-format taxonomy. Instead of literally depicting the missed events and hardships of 2020, the campaign uses the symbolic analogy of packing all lost celebrations into a single, larger-than-life day. This creative approach reframes the collective experience of loss and isolation, allowing Myer to address emotional realities through metaphor and narrative, rather than direct problem-solution storytelling. The result is a campaign that resonates on an emotional level while remaining visually and conceptually engaging.
Q: What is the campaign proposition for Bigger than Christmas | MYER?
A: The campaign proposition for Bigger than Christmas | MYER is to position the brand as a unifying and optimistic force, addressing the emotional needs of Australians after a year marked by social isolation and missed experiences. By encouraging consumers to make the holiday season more meaningful through a collective, amplified celebration, Myer seeks to facilitate both emotional fulfillment and a renewed sense of togetherness. This strategic positioning aligns the brand with deeper societal needs for connection and hope, moving beyond traditional retail messaging to foster genuine engagement during the peak holiday shopping period.
Q: How does Bigger than Christmas | MYER rank in Clapboard's archive?
A: In Clapboard's global ad archive, Bigger than Christmas | MYER holds a Clapboard Campaign Score of 69/100. This score reflects the campaign's creative ambition, the quality of its execution, and its cultural relevance within the context of the 2020 holiday retail landscape.
Q: Who are the competitors in Myer's category?
A: In the Australian retail sector, Myer competes with David Jones, which is positioned as a premium department store focused on luxury brands and an elevated shopping experience for affluent consumers. Kmart Australia targets value-driven, budget-conscious families with affordable, trendy merchandise, while Target Australia blends affordability and style for middle-income, family-focused shoppers. Big W emphasizes convenience and a wide product range at competitive prices for practical buyers, and My Deal stands out as an online retailer prioritizing variety, rapid delivery, and ease of purchase for digital-savvy consumers.
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