{"id":4616,"date":"2015-12-07T22:35:17","date_gmt":"2015-12-07T17:05:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/calamur.org\/gargi\/?p=4616"},"modified":"2015-12-07T22:35:17","modified_gmt":"2015-12-07T17:05:17","slug":"christmas-ad-old-man","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/calamur.org\/gargi\/2015\/12\/07\/christmas-ad-old-man\/","title":{"rendered":"Christmas Ad – Old man …"},"content":{"rendered":"

At times when i see Christmas<\/a> Ads, i feel like Scrooge.<\/p>\n

Most of them, especially the firang ones, tend to be full of cheer, laughter, great looking people, great looking food and extended families who love being together, in joyous harmony\u00a0– and after a point a surfeit of them can drive me\u00a0towards acute nausea, caused by excessive\u00a0sweetness. (it has begun happening with diwali ads too).<\/p>\n

But, this rather morbid humour ad, from Germany, has turned the formula\u00a0on its’ head. And the impact is emotional. I found myself tearing up.<\/p>\n

The story is simple, and possibly closer to reality than most ‘festivities’ ads are. Old man, widower. Empty nest. Children\u00a0have moved away, leading their own lives, and he is going to celebrate X’mas alone. yet again.From the treatment it is evident that this is normal behavior by his children, and he is terribly lonely and yearns for their presence.<\/p>\n

The children get a message that he has died, and they return home for the funeral …<\/p>\n