Culture and camaraderie win over fans in Uncommon's JD Sports Christmas spot

In amongst the smoke and mirrors, AI, animations and blinding lights of Christmas 2024 ads, creative director and brand consultant Jo Bird says JD Sports' offering just entered into the race for gold.

At this point, I'm starting to look like a stalker fan-girl of Uncommon Creative Studio but screw it... I think I am.

JD Sports Fashion is probably best known by us Brits as the down-to-earth sports fashion retailer. Nothing super flashy. Not trying to be anything they're not.

Last year, it created a brilliant campaign around its 'bag for life' - the iconic drawstring JD bag we all used to put our PE kit in for school.

This year, it's about family, and what strikes me about its brand storytelling is that it is so localised to a specific audience (something that doesn't get discussed very often in the marketing sphere). The visual representation of a gloomy Britain as we know it: grey skies, modest neighbourhoods, no glitz and glam in sight.

Yet, all of that gives an obvious platform to the true beauty of Christmas: the friendships, relationships, family connections, culture and camaraderie. In a challenging world economy, it's important that brands are conscious about lowering the expectations for what Christmas should be.

You don't need a never-ending banquet of M&S food or John Lewis-priced gifts to enjoy the festive season. You just need a kebab shop and your mates. In other words, it's about family: whatever family means to you.

I think a mass audience could probably appreciate the sentiment of the storytelling, but a particular audience will really feel something here.

The Jamie XX soundtrack, paired with a few celebrity cameos and a cast of 'real' families has IMO created an emotionally opulent - yet utterly relatable - campaign.