Red Cross Shows Sometimes Santa Can’t Deliver

Christmas ads typically emphasize good cheer, warm colors, and coming together for the holiday. They make you smile, laugh, and even yawn at the recycled plots. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) did away with that this year. They instead slapped you awake with “The One Gift Santa Can’t Deliver”.

Running until December 31 in the U.S., Canada, and select European and South American markets, the ICRC’s PSA is raising awareness about the work the nonprofit organization does reuniting missing people with their families across globe. In the ad, made by the agency adam&eveDDB (holiday virtuosos known for their work with retailer John Lewis), a gaunt, wearied St. Nick wanders through a war zone in search of a girl separated from her family. In a harrowing 1 minute and 40 seconds, the ad doesn’t bombard you with the fuzzy affection of the familiar holiday fare, but instead with empathy, duty, and the idea that, for many on this planet, “the most magical time of the year” is a myth.

Few brands can take this approach and pull it off (this shouldn’t be expected from, say, Lincoln’s Wish-List campaign). But in a time of year where so many ads hit the same chords of holiday sentimentality and try to sell you something, this ad pulls a 180, reminds you of more important things, and, ultimately, sticks with you.