Germany shopping chain OTTO is running “Together It’s Christmas”, an advertising campaign centred on the classic Christmas song “Feliz Navidad”. Set in the middle of the Bolivian mountains, the Together It’s Christmas commercial (Gemeinsam wird’s Weihnachten) shows a bus journey going awry after a landslide. With no help in sight, the passengers come to realise that they will not be celebrating the beginning of their Christmas holidays with their loved ones, but with strangers. Inspired by the young girl who starts singing ‘Feliz Navidad’, a classic Christmas song throughout the Spanish speaking world, the passengers come together to embrace the festive spirit in union. The “Together It’s Christmas” campaign is featured on a microsite: otto.de/gemeinsam

“With our Christmas campaign, we want to show that the essence of Christmas is coming together, sharing, and caring for one another. We want to remember these values, that are more important than ever today, and get us in the mood for the forthcoming Christmas season”, said Marc Opelt, OTTO-divisional marketing director and online-retail spokesman,

The newly interpreted Christmas song ‘Feliz Navidad’, which has been specially created for the campaign by MOKOH Music, can be downloaded for free otto.de/gemeinsam

Online Response

OTTO’s YouTube video attracted a range of comments, including from people concerned that a German television commercial featured a Hispanic cultural setting and that Christmas meanings and cultural traditions were being downplayed. The one “white” character is portrayed as an insensitive gringo. OTTO responded with the following note on their YouTube page:

“Our Christmas film tells a story about unity and the thought of coming together. The underlying values behind it should not be ruined by people who clearly have contradictory intentions and have no interest in living a harmonious life together with everyone. With great disappointment we read the kind of comments that were posted by a number of users. The film deliberately depicts a story about Christmas from different kinds of perspectives. For example from the point of view of a child, who won’t make it home on time for Christmas Eve. Or from the point of view of a bus driver, who would have rather taken the day off. Or of a tourist, who does not have the necessary language skills to communicate with the locals. Eventually, all these different individuals manage to make the most of each other and the situation, whilst being stuck in the Bolivian hills and together they celebrate Christmas. Beyond disagreements, beyond cultural differences, political dispute and religious orientation. A beautiful thought – especially in times like these – as we love diversity and cherish every human being. And this is the kind of appreciation we wish to anticipate here in the discussions on YouTube.”

Otto Feliz Navidad Credits

The Otto Feliz Navidad campaign was developed at Heimat Berlin by chief creative officer Guido Heffels, managing director Maik Richter, creative director Teresa Jung, senior creative Lisa Yvonne Heimgartner, creative Lima Shengelia, account director Vivien Ott, account manager Lena Lehmann and agency producer Meike Kornrumpf.

Filming was shot by director Daniel Mulloy via RSA Films and BigFish Film with director of photography Mátyás Erdély HSC, executive producer Kai-Lu Hsiung (RSA), executive producers Frank Siegl and Dagmar Garber (Bigfish), producers Ulrich Kreis and Ben Porter.

Editors were Julian Eguiguren and Jacob Ipsen.

Colourist was Oisin O’Driscoll at The Mill.

Post production was done at Candy Mountain (Bigfish).

Set photographer was Francisco Odriozola.

Sound design was by Jon Clarke at Factory London and Studio Funk Berlin.

Music, “Feliz Navidad” (1979 by José Feliciano) was newly interpreted by MOKOH Music Berlin