AN IRISH pub's Christmas ad has been hailed as being better than those of retailer John Lewis after racking up hundreds of thousands of views online.
The big-budget festive adverts from the high-end department store chain have become a Christmas tradition since their launch in 2007, usually hallmarked by a sentimental Christmas message.
However, Charlie's Bar in Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh is giving the retailer a run for their money this year.
The venue, which is reportedly the oldest family-run bar in Enniskillen, premiered their video on their social media accounts on Friday evening and it has since taken the internet by storm.
'Bawling'
"Done better than John Lewis, having me bawling my eyes out," said one user on TikTok, where it has been viewed more than 400,000 times as of Sunday morning.
The ad has been watched more than 550,000 times on the bar's Facebook page and amassed in excess of 600,000 views on Instagram.
Featuring Birdy's version of the Cherry Ghost song People Help the People, the ad follows an old man as he lays flowers on a grave before heading into town alone.
@charliesbarenniskillen ‘There are no strangers here, only friends you haven’t yet met’ (W. B. Yeats) 💫 Filming & Editing: @aoifeteague1 #christmasad #christmasadvert #christmasadvert2023 #christmasadvert23 #christmasadvertisement #christmas2023 #northernireland #northernirelandtiktok #northernirelandfyp #irishbar #irishpub #christmaspub ♬ People Help the People - Birdy
He says hello to others on the way but is ignored, however, he gets a warm welcome at Charlie's Bar, where he is greeted with a pint of Guinness.
While there, he strikes up a conversation with a young couple after bonding over their pet dog before the three raise a glass by the fire.
The ad concludes with a quote attributed to Irish poet WB Yeats: "There are no strangers here, only friends you haven't yet met."
In a message accompanying the video, the pub revealed that it will be open on Christmas Day and encouraged those who might be spending the holiday alone to pop in for a chat.
"Christmas can be such a joyful time for some and painfully hard for others," added the owners.
'Important message'
Since its release, the ad has gone done a storm on social media, where many said it highlighted the importance of looking out for the elderly at this time of year.
"Me who is absolutely not a crier definitely cried at this," wrote a user on Instagram.
"The elderly are my absolute soft spot. Christmas is a really hard day for many, it's important to check in on those who are alone."
"A lovely video and a beautiful way to highlight [that] not all people have someone to share those special moments with like Christmas," read one of the more than 1,300 comments on Facebook.
"Bawling like a baby. Beautiful ad with an important message," wrote one TikTok user, while others said it had prompted them to sign up to Age UK's Befriending Service.
With combined views of more than 1.5m across its social media channels since Friday, the bar's ad isn't far off the 1.7m views John Lewis' latest Christmas offering has had on its YouTube page.
The ad — the company's first with advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi — premiered on November 9 and features a Venus flytrap named Snapper who wants to be a Christmas tree.
More information on the award-winning Charlie's Bar, which is located on Church Street in Enniskillen, can be found on their website.
