Powerhouse Xmas Spot Tackles Homelessness

With sci-fi trappings, U.K. charity Shelter makes an unforgettable appeal

Clad in pressure suits, a small girl and her dad trek across some strange, distant world.

“Will there be presents at the Space Palace?” she asks.

“Yeah, loads,” he replies. “And chocolate reindeer.”

As they venture further from their rocketship, the mood shifts from childlike whimsy to something darker.

Ultimately, extraterrestrial fantasy gives way to bleak, earthbound reality.

Sadly, the big reveal isn’t alien at all. You don’t have to leave this planet to wind up heartbreakingly far from home.

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U.K. charity Shelter, which serves the homeless, delivers a masterclass in audience manipulation. And I mean that as a compliment.

Subverting expectations and playing on emotions isn’t new. But the sci-fi tappings and playtime banter keep us off-balance just long enough. This approach propels the sobering payoff with extra punch.

Don’t Panic London helped develop the campaign. Nicholas Goffey and Dominic Hawley directed.