It's one week into 2022 and the first Christmas ad is here...

Every festive season, critics of adland deliberate over the age-old debate: when is "too soon" to launch a Christmas ad?

While Very made jaws drop in October, when it decided 85 days before Christmas was the appropriate time, Liverpool-based Christmas savings company Park will, this year, make Very feel positively late to the Christmas party, airing its Christmas 2022 ad 352 days ahead of the big day.

While Park usually runs its annual TV campaign from November, a spokesperson says it is taking a new approach "to avoid the Christmas noise in the lead-up to and over Christmas". 

It made the decision to move its start date in consultation with TBWA\MCR and media agency LoveSugarScience. 

Aware this is a divisive move, Park's self-aware "Sorry not sorry" campaign is filled with apologies. 

It is fronted by Manchester actor Johanna Hinton, who admits to viewers: "Right now, the last thing you want to talk about is Christmas 2022, but we must and we are truly sorry. Yes, we know it's early but Park Christmas savings can help you get organised and stay on track."

Gary Fawcett, executive creative director at TBWA\MCR, said: “Sometimes saying sorry is the right thing for a brand to do. But we don’t think any company that helps all kinds of people plan for a brilliant Christmas should have to apologise. As the campaign is launched so soon after Christmas 2021, ‘Sorry. Not sorry’ seemed like the perfect message.”