This Red Cross Christmas Commercial is Flaming Hot

Talk about a unique take on holiday commercials! This new ad from the American Red Cross starts by giving you all the warm, fuzzy feelings as a young girl hopes for snow over the holidays. She gets her wish, walking out into a real-life snow globe (kind of like this Amazon Christmas commercial) but soon finds out not everything is as merry as it seems.

This is one of the most memorable, effective, and scary Christmas commercials I’ve ever seen. It plays on all of our fears (or is it just me!?) of accidentally burning something down. Visually, everything changes as the daughter realizes the snowflake in her hand is not a snowflake at all. At the same time, the cheery music (which, according to this site, is a song called “I Will” composed by Ari Hest and Sloan Anderson) slowly blends into a sinister, dark sound as we see the neighbor’s house in flames. Consequently, Ari Hest is the artist behind the music in a fantastic Publix commercial from a few holidays back. It’s a must-listen, check it out here.

The Location. The location of this ad is Arizona. The license plate on the car is from Arizona and you can see the dry, desert landscape when the mom and daughter are outside.

What are your thoughts of the commercial? Chime in below and be safe this holiday season!

Thanks for dropping in…

-Out of the Wilderness

Nature Photos from the Coast – Holiday 2022

I spent time on the coast of north Florida over the Thanksgiving holiday and there were some foggy days! It was kinda crazy that the fog lasted all day, not burning off as the sun rose. This little beach an hour south of Tallahassee is a slice of Heaven (which makes sense because it’s across the road from a forest park area called Tate’s Hell!). Here are a few photos of the wildlife and such, all from the last few days. There was also a random coffee mug on the beach so I took advantage of that prop. Hope you like!

Thanks for dropping in…

-Out of the Wilderness

The Coke Christmas Commercial – Goodwill, Ghosts, and Gatherings

Coca-Cola has created a nostalgic niche in the United States. Just the other day I was in a thrift store that even had an entire shelf dedicated to Coke, and only Coke. When’s the last time you saw that for Pepsi, right? So then is it any surprise that Coke has a warm, family-oriented commercial this season? Check it out below then scroll down for more info!

The Past. Coke had a theatrical ad a couple of years ago that I loved. It was during the height of the pandemic so we saw a lone man braving his way around the world to deliver a letter to Santa. I wrote up a little blog about the ad here.

Ready, Set, Ghost. Speaking of “the past,” this 2022 ad from Coke doesn’t sit well with me. It’s not that I don’t like it. Certainly family is important to me, it’s the entire reason I moved from Tennessee to Florida about a year ago. But the commercial doesn’t show much warmth between the guy cooking and the older woman, who evidently wrote the recipe. Her “interaction” with him is more stern than it is loving. I use the word interaction loosely because, as we see at the end of the ad, the woman is dead. Her spirit lives on through the things, and people, she left behind. That’s a nice sentiment. I wish the ad captured the sweetness of their relationship instead of presenting her as a hard-nosed and strict mother.

Do you like Coke’s contribution to the Christmas commercials this year? Comment below and thanks for dropping in!

-Out of the Wilderness

Unexpected college football game

Part of my Thanksgiving holiday celebration included going to a college football game. It wasn’t part of the original plan but it turned out to be quite fun! The game itself was entertaining but a lot of things happened that were fun, not even including the actual game… like the band, the excitement of the crowd, seeing old friends, and watching the players on the sideline when the cameras weren’t on them. Here is a video I recorded at the start of the game…

We certainly had a good ol’ time and slept well once we got home at 130am.

Thanks for dropping in…

-Out of the Wilderness

Top Christmas Commercials

Now…. NOW it’s perfectly fine to share Christmas commercials. Thanksgiving has come and gone so it’s time to air those Christmas ads, sell Christmas decor in the stores, turn on Brenda Lee and Nat King Cole! I can’t wait for the lights, the holiday commercials, the holi—– wait, what’s that!? You’ve already seen Christmas stuff in stores? Holiday ads have been on TV for months!? What in the yellow snow is going on!?

I guess Christmas cheer has extended earlier up the calendar and to be honest, I’m fine with it! Even Christmas commercials seem to be filling up our screens closer to Halloween than Thanksgiving. With that in mind, here are a few favorites from 2021 and 2022. From the commercials below, do you have one you like more than the others? You can also click on each one for a more detailed description of the commercial, including the music, the actors, and more!

Home Depot. It’s a documentary-style commercial featuring the elusive St. Nick.

Publix in the Attic. Always with the heart-wrenching ads, Publix introduces a snowman that brings neighbors together.

Amazon Snow Globe. Amazon hasn’t usually gone with ads that will melt your heart, but with this one they’re right up there with the best of them.

Kohl’s and Not Dolly Parton. This is a sweet ad called “Dance With All Your Heart.” The importance of family, togetherness, and great music.

Merry Christmas!

-Out of the Wilderness