The festive season can be difficult for those who have lost a loved one. This Christmas advert tells the story of Gio, a teenager who lost his father a few years ago and is unexpectedly introduced to his brand-new stepfather. He has a hard time getting used to him, which causes tension in the family. An unexpected move by the stepfather brings the family together for Christmas dinner.

This year's Christmas campaign from PLUS supermarkets is all about getting to know each other. Because when we look out for each other, new worlds and possibilities open up that enhance our time together and foster connections. Especially at Christmas.

We prefer to celebrate Christmas with the people we love. Around a table full of good food. That's why people spend more money on their Christmas shopping, but every euro can only be spent once. Especially at a time when prices are rising and more and more people are feeling the pinch, where do they spend their euros?

There is a competitive push for share of stomach and increased sales during the Christmas season. The challenge was to develop a TV spot that would touch people emotionally, increase brand preference, retain existing customers and attract new ones.

The campaign should be authentic and real and reflect PLUS' belief in the unifying power of sharing a meal. This message is even more important during the holiday season and should be central to the commercial storyline.

Despite increased media pressure from competitors, PLUS managed to win a place in people's hearts and minds. This has resulted in good scores for brand, preference, intent and market share.

High reach was achieved in a short period of time. Recognition of the TVC is high and with 63% well above target (target and benchmark: 57%). Holidays at PLUS revolve around 'eating well means eating together'. Awareness of this proposition increased over the Christmas period (+10%).

Memo2 research shows that the PLUS ad led to a significant increase in brand preference and visit intent. Preference is up two percentage points on last year (+29%). Intention to visit the store increased (+2%).

PLUS achieved year-on-year sales growth, with an all-time sales record in week 51 and an increased market share (+16%).

PLUS believes in the unifying power of sharing a meal together, but at the same time it knows that this is not something that comes naturally to everyone. For example because more and more children in the Netherlands are growing up in broken families, and many blended families struggle with the introduction of a new partner into the mix.