Boots UK: Christmas advert 2021

Boots UK unveils its Christmas campaign for 2021, ‘Bags of Joy’, with a magical and uplifting festive film that unwraps the joy of spending time with loved ones at Christmas.

Starring BAFTA-nominated actress Jenna Coleman as the character ‘Joy’ and directed by Academy Award winner Tom Hooper, the ‘Bags of Joy’ film tells the story of Joy and her magical bag which wields the power to make her Christmas truly magical and delivers the perfect gifts to her friends and family at every opportunity.

With the pandemic spoiling family plans for many last years, Boots wanted to tap into the true spirit of a family Christmas, with a campaign that celebrates togetherness and nostalgia. The magical bag of joy represents the 1000s of gifts available at Boots, including beauty, fragrance, homeware, electrical beauty, and stocking fillers, with something for everyone this year.

The film starts in Joy’s bedroom as she gets ready for a festive night out. After reaching into the bag, which has been gifted by her Nan with the note ‘This is what Christmas feels like’, she realizes its never-ending magical properties as it begins to produce gifts like a Fenty Skin set and a Dyson hairdryer. Astonished, she tips the bag out onto the bed and leaps delightedly into a huge pile of Boots products, more than could ever fit in one bag.

Some gifts are surprising, some touching, but they’re always wonderfully fitting to the situation – such as a camera to capture a special moment during a night out with friends, extra baubles (and bubbles!) to help decorate the family Christmas tree, a cozy hat, and scarf set during a snowy spin on a Waltzer and even false eyelashes to ‘glam up’ a snowman.

Pete Markey, Chief Marketing Officer at Boots UK, said: “After the challenges of the past 18 months, we felt it was more important than ever for Boots to bring joy to the nation by telling an uplifting, positive story at Christmas. The story of Joy and her Nan embodies the spirit of a family Christmas and represents what many families will be doing this year, making heart-warming memories worth cherishing after a year apart in 2020.”

Jenna Coleman commented: “I love Christmas and I’ve always loved Christmas films. Working on ‘bags of Joy’ with Tom, and the beautiful imagination he brought, creating this magical little film felt really special. Celebrating family, togetherness and the simple joy of giving mixed with a healthy dose of festive magic and charm felt so poignant this year. I hope people enjoy watching it as much as we did making it.”