Another year has almost passed but although we are barely at the beginning of the festive season, a barrage of Christmas adverts has begun.
Moz the Monster is the star of the John Lewis Christmas advert this year, which is about the bond between this noisy creature and his new friend Joe. Keenly anticipated every year, the ad was released on the morning of the 10th November.
But unfortunately many viewers felt the fluffy monster failed to show the “Christmas spirit” and would instead just make our children scared about “monsters under the bed”! This has left many wondering what the director Michel Gondry was trying to achieve, and the critics have decided they prefer the competition, in the form of the Marks and Spencer Christmas ad with Paddington Bear in it, the one from House of Fraser, and even the ad from John Lewis partner organisation Waitrose.
There are some loyal fans who love the ad though. One admirer wrote: “I feel like anybody who doesn’t like the #MozTheMonster advert probably has never been scared of monsters living under their bed. I didn’t get it at first but now it makes sense and I love it.” And on Twitter one user commented: “I think it shows the magic and imagination of children.”
Just as with last year’s Christmas ad character Buster the Dog, merchandising is going well, which means sales of Moz might even raise more for the chosen charity Barnado’s than last year. The collection on offer includes a Moz plush toy; a Nosy Crow Moz the Monster Christmas book; pyjamas; and a copy of the night light that Moz gives to Joe for Christmas. But as the ad cost John Lewis £7 million to make, they will need some monster sales figures to cover the costs.
