Santa Might Not Do Poor Countries, But Unicef Will

Unicef’s latest advertisement opens with a jolly St. Nick at his desk checking out the toys before he has to deliver them. After approving a conventional gift of a doll, he picks up the next present with much anticipation. However, he is left deflated when he discovers that it is merely medicine, completely out of sync with the “fun” type of product usually associated with Christmas. He conveys his feelings of bemusement and disappointment, before stating that he “doesn’t do poor countries” and will refuse to give someone the gift of “a picture of the gift you never got”. It is odd that this video’s merry festive jingle plays through until the end, as it would have been a lot more effective if the music stopped as soon as Santa changed his attitude to that of an elitist gift-giver. It is still an effective advertisement as it stands, and one that brings home the harsh realities that less fortunate people will face this Christmas.