In Xfinity's Holiday Spot, John C. Reilly Wants You to Savor Every Moment—IRL, Not Online

'Phones down, eyes up!' warns the Ghost of Christmas Very-Recent-Past

Why risk feeling haunted by special moments you miss out on this holiday season?

If you’re scrolling or checking texts, magical stuff could take place right under your nose. But you’d never see it, you digital addict, you.

Offering a quick fix, Oscar-nominee John C. Reilly, as “the Ghost of Christmas Very-Recent-Past,” headlines a spot touting Xfinity’s “Holiday Mode,” which lets users pause WiFi with a tap to foster IRL togetherness among family and friends.

Can he pry Uncle Mike’s orbs from the screen? Probably not. But this Christmas Carol riff from Goodby Silverstein & Partners is well worth peeping:

O Positive’s Jim Jenkins—well-versed in directing celebs for big brands—delivers an amusing 90 seconds of festive fluff. Reilly’s performance, though not as crazed as Martin Short for Verizon, carries the day as he glides through a series of vignettes illustrating stuff worth seeing IRL.

Here, Julie Scelzo, chief creative officer, at Xfinity, takes us inside the campaign, which breaks wide today.

Why this Xmas tale for Xfinity?

We go to great lengths to be together during the holidays, yet when we’re together, we’re distracted by our devices. I, myself, have ended up missing a special moment because of something that popped up on one of my devices. That was the inspiration for “The Ghost of Very-Recent-Past”— how can we encourage people to put the devices down and be present. Sometimes the best moments happen when we set the devices down and disconnect, which I know is counter intuitive coming from a connectivity company. It’s a bold move to say—don’t use our product sometimes.

Why cast JCR?

He’s hilarious, but he’s also really human. He can say, “Hey, put the devices down and look up” with warmth and a sense of humor, and it doesn’t have to feel like a guilt trip.

Who is the target audience, why will they respond to this approach?

It’s anyone who has ever looked around the room during the holidays—at a family dinner, decorating the tree, you name it—and realized everyone is together, but no one is really there. It’s a universal experience—we’ve all been there.

Technology plays a huge role in people’s everyday lives, and we know that better than anyone. But at the same time, we also know everyone needs to hit pause every once in a while. The whole campaign comes back to that one simple reminder: the moments you remember most usually happen when you look up.

OK, but lots of Xmas ads rock Dickens riffs. Why will yours stand out?

We’re all familiar with the tale of the “Ghost of Christmas Past”, but it’s a little unexpected for a connectivity provider to tell people to disconnect, and that’s exactly the point. Our ghost isn’t haunting you with something from years ago—he’s showing you what you missed five minutes ago while you were scrolling. Haven’t we all been there?

Any requisite anecdotes from filming?

A funny observation from the set was the irony that we all needed to see playback a few times because we were distracted by our devices during the shoot. 

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