Santa is flying around on Christmas Eve delivering presents but realizes his reindeer are hungry as he has no carrots for them. He spots a McDonald's and decides to go inside to get food for the reindeer. Santa orders some carrots from McDonald's and brings them back to the reindeer on the roof. The reindeer are happy to eat the carrots and Santa is able to continue his Christmas deliveries.

1. McDonald’s UK Christmas
2018 TV Advert

2. 0:00 – 1:00
We are introduced to an establishing shot indicating to the audience where we are, in
relation to movement we track slightly upwards revealing Santa and reindeer to the
viewers. The following shot shows Santa coming out of a chimney in a mid-shot – this is
done with a medium aperture making him the primary focal point for the audience, not
long after this we see a mid-chest-shot of the reindeer – although this is done via CGI it
allows the younger viewers to see the magical aspect to the video. As Santa gets on his
sleigh we see a mid-chest-shot which is then followed by a wide-shot as he gets into
the air, this is typically what Santa does, allowing the audience to build up suspense for
what’s going to happen next based upon the narrative of the reindeer not receiving any
food. We also see a shot from underneath the sleigh as it lifts off, showing the action
side of what’s happening to the audience – we then get a shot looking up at the
reindeer flying from underneath, this acts as a low-angle making the reindeer seem
somewhat powerful, which they are in relation to this video.
As the video continues we see a wide shot of a bridge in which Santa fly’s over, however
the pedestrians don’t notice – this could act as a metaphor for how adults in general
have almost lost a sense of hope and magic unlike the children. The next scene begins
with a wide-shot establishing to the audience that we have reached a different location
as well as indicating that something new is about to happen here. The following scene
shows us what’s taking place inside of the house, we see a close up with a wide
aperture to show Santa’s hand picking up a mince pie – this is a well-known thing that
he does which further intensifies him being Santa Claus. The Reindeers are outside to
which Santa tells them that there are no carrots for them, setting up the main narrative
for the advert.
In the following scene we see Santa and the Reindeers travel to their next location, this
is again done as an establishing shot. As the advert continues we see more establishing
shots of a block of flats – the idea is that Santa is travelling to deliver presents whilst
getting mince pies and the Reindeers aren’t getting any food.

3. 1:00 – 1:30
As the advert continues, we see Santa looking down at a McDonalds –
this is done as a high angle shot / establishing shot. This is effective as it
allows the audience to come to the conclusion that the advert is
pertained to McDonalds, as well as leaving the audience questioning as
to what Santa is potentially going to get from there. This shot then
switches to a regular establishing shot in which Santa is walking into the
McDonalds – this type of angle puts the viewer into the perspective of
Santa Claus. When he was in the block of flats we saw his perspective of
the McDonalds looking down – and now he’s on the ground, we see the
McDonalds from his point of view which is straight ahead.
Once he has made his order, he makes his way back to the Reindeer on
top of the roof. We get a mid-chest-shot of him, this then tracks
downwards in the perspective of the Reindeer looking into the sack to
see carrots. This shot in particular is effective as again, the film makers
are putting the audience in the perspective of both Santa and the
Reindeer. Allowing the audience to feel as if they are there with Santa
and his deer.
After this we get an over the shoulder shot of Santa looking up at one of
his Reindeer, this shot shows vulnerability as Santa is slightly lower than
the deer. The following shot is a two-shot which shows Santa and one of
the deer’s eating from his hand – this shot has a large aperture and
therefore brings both Santa and the deer out from the background,
which is particularly important as CGI has been used. At the end of the
advert we get our last establishing shot of the top of the block of flats in
which Santa and his deer are on, in the background we see more flats
which give the advert and intensified city aesthetic to it .