by Gabrielle Diepenbrock, Account Coordinator

Earlier in November, I applauded the outdoor brand REI as they took a stand against Black Friday with their #OptOutside campaign. REI stayed true to their values by encouraging consumers to spend the weekend outdoors rather than cramped up in lines at their local mall.

Well, it seems like Kit Kat is also taking a (brand) stand this holiday season. But instead of encouraging consumers to spend their time outside, Kit Kat just mocks all the superficial Christmas commercials with their own blank ad.

The ad is a blank white screen, with a narrator talking… He starts by saying “Aw… Welcome to nothing.” He then goes on saying how it’s nice not having to see the all “silly Santa hats,” or “pretend families around the dinner table,” etc.

While the ad is trying to give the T.V. viewer a break from all the Christmas commercial clutter, going along with the brand’s tagline “Have a break. Have a Kit Kat,” it seems a little bah humbug to me. The brand criticizes the superficial aspect of Christmas, but they don’t replace it with anything, other than a blank screen.

Personally, I would rather have the superficial holiday clutter than “nothing.” But maybe others will agree with Kit Kat as they get more and more annoyed with the materialistic nature of the holidays. And it will definitely be interesting to see if any other brand identities join REI and take a stand this Christmas season.

You can see the full ad here: http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/kitkats-christmas-commercial-30-seconds-blankness-ultimate-ad-break-168459.