"Two Magical Words"

7 November 2024

40s

Enjoy the silence.

As Depeche Mode once sang: "Words like violence/Break the silence." In this commercial from agency Droga5 Dublin and director Tim McNaughton, the damage is done when a father says "Smyths Toys" in front of his daughter. Oh, you poor son of a gun.

The girl's at the front door in the blink of an eye, ready for a trip to said superstore. It gets worse for the loose-lipped dad when his words echo for miles on end, with every child alerted to a monumental slip of a tongue. It even reaches a girl on a plane, who you know is ready to nick a parachute.

This is the kind of idea that lives or dies in the execution, and director Tim McNaughton has plenty of fun with the concept. We love how a bloke pushes his granddaughter on a swing, only for her to disappear in the exact same shot. That is the power of toys (and the reason why the brand have also released a kid-friendly cut).

As a Christmas bonus—not the monetary kind, sorry—keep your eyes peeled for the spectacular Spider-Men gag nestled in a horde of expectant children.

UK

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