Christmas advert featuring local businesses goes viral on social media

Produced by 19-year-old videographer Sam Teale, of Cleckheaton-based Sam Teale Productions, and his friend Jack Donohoe, who works in television, #GrandmasGift tells the story of a family kept apart and going through times of suffering, before being reunited at Christmas.

Featuring products from local businesses and a cameo from Leeds DJ Stephanie Hirst, the video is a follow-up to the pair’s 2020 advert that featured heartfelt pleas from business owners to support them at Christmas.

Jack, 23, said: “From the success of that video, we sat down and thought about how we could create something that would be equally as special and resonate with people this year.

“Christmas in 2020 was just awful, people were apart and couldn’t meet up.

Everyone is really yearning to be together this year. We wanted to tell a story of people being apart, then bringing them together at Christmas.”

Sam added: “We wanted to show that distance and tell the story of lockdown without showing face masks, Boris or any of that.

“We’ve done it in a refreshing way that’s not giving people a panic attack about last year.

“When you watch the final video, I think that comes through and it ends on a really positive note.”

Sam, who launched his video production company when he was just 16, has recently won the Young Entrepreneur of the Year award for the North West at the prestigious Great British Entrepreneur Awards.

He has landed deals with major companies including Budweiser, but wanted to showcase the North while giving back to local businesses with his Christmas production – which was filmed in the village of Roberttown.

#GrandmasGift has reached viewers as far as Canada, Australia and the US since its release on Facebook on December 1, with hundreds of people commenting.

One viewer said: “I’m in bits. Beautiful.”

Another added: “Well done guys, amazing. Beats the big players hands down.”