Watch this year’s Co-op Christmas advert here

The annual Christmas TV advert bonanza is well underway, and the Co-op is the latest retailer to premiere its festive TV spot for 2020. You can watch the advert above. The retailers advert this year focuses on community spirit, featuring two young brothers who raise community spirits, after a pandemic filled year. Real-life brothers busking The uplifting advert celebrates the notion that anyone can do their bit to help their local community and spread some much needed festive cheer. The advert features two real-life brothers from Huddersfield, Austin, aged 12, and Rocco, aged six. The pair go to their local Co-op and perform an impressive rendition of Oasis’ community anthem Round Are Way. Starting tentatively at first, but gaining confidence throughout the performance, more and more people from the local community gather to watch, dance, and applaud. By the end, one passer-by stops and offers to make a donation, to which the boys politely decline. The faces of the community having fun is thanks enough. Ali Jones, Customer Director at Co-op, said: “It’s been a tough year and our Christmas ad aims to raise a smile and, maybe even bring a tear to the eye. I love its simple and easy portrayal of how special moments can happen when family, community and goodwill come together. Qualities the Co-op represents and stands for every day.” Second TV advert this winter The advert is aiming to highlight the retailers pledge of doubling the amount of money it gives back to the community as part of a refreshed Co-op Membership programme. The TV spot is the second of the convenience retailer’s Winter 2020 campaign. Both adverts have a central theme of the importance of community and the difference that everyone can make by pulling together. The first advert aired in mid-November and highlighted the retailers refreshed Membership programme. For every pound a member spends on own brand products, 2p goes to community initiatives and local causes, whilst another 2p goes back to the member’s own wallet, alongside weekly personalised offers and member only in-store deals. The advert was based on a poem written in conjunction with up-and-coming spoken word artist Sarah Adedeji. The poem had been specifically written to “encapsulate how everything has felt doubly difficult this year, but also deliver a message of hope that by working together we will emerge twice as strong”. Matt Atkinson, Chief Membership and Customer Officer at Co-op, said: “I’m so proud of this advert and campaign. It’s amazing what can happen when small acts of cooperation and support all add up to make a significant impact to the communities we all live in and rely on. “The poem cleverly describes how this year has been doubly hard for nearly everyone and we have responded as an organisation with our members' support, to double our donations to the many thousands of local community causes we work with across the UK.” Retailers make stand against racism Co-op, Aldi, Asda, Iceland, Lidl, M&S, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, and Waitrose & Partners set their festive rivalries apart last week to unite against racism. Sainsbury’s received online backlash after one of its adverts this year told the story of how a father and daughter’s excitement for Christmas got them talking about Dad’s gravy and his ‘famous’ gravy song. It featured a black family, which some people reacted to by posting offensive and racist comments on social media. The retailers and Channel 4 displayed their message of unity across two ad breaks on 27 November carrying the hashtag #StandAgainstRacism. A version of this article originally appeared on our sister title, The Scotsman

Watch this year’s Co-op Christmas advert here - and what the story is about

Real-life brothers busking