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# Modern Fairytale Holiday Ads
Debenhams' #YouShall is a Social Media-Style Retelling of Cinderella

By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2017-11-10 | Marketing
Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fairytale-holiday
References: [campaignlive](https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/debenhams-retells-cinderella-christmas-campaign/1449780) & [debenhams](http://www.debenhams.com/content/youshall)

For the holiday season this year, [Debenhams](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/debenhams-delivered-campaign) launched a [fairytale holiday campaign](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/whoknewville) that's centered around the idea that "#YouShall find the perfect gift for your fairytale Christmas at Debenhams."

The #YouShall ad is a modern retelling of the [story of Cinderella](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cinderella-capsule), which has been done many times before, but Debenhams put a social media-inspired spin on the classic tale. The Christmas story begins with a couple meeting for a moment on a train, but the woman hurries to get off at her stop and loses her bejewelled heel in the process. Both the man and women begin their own social media campaigns with #FindMyShoe and #FindThatGirl. Eventually, the pair does meet again and as with every good fairy tale, it has a feel-good happy ending.

## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter)

- Score: 2.4/10
- Popularity: 17% | Activity: 47% | Freshness: 8%
- Audience gender: 30% men, 70% women
- Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X
- Top markets: North America, Europe

## Categories

[Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Marketing](https://www.trendhunter.com/marketing) > [Commercials](https://www.trendhunter.com/commercials)

## Key Themes

### Why This Trend Is Growing

- **Social Media-style Holiday Campaigns:** With the success of Debenhams' #YouShall campaign, there is an opportunity for companies to utilize social media-inspired storytelling to promote their holiday products.
- **Modern Fairytale Retellings:** As Debenhams has shown, updating classic tales for a modern audience can be a successful and engaging marketing strategy during the holiday season.
- **Interactive Customer Engagement:** Debenhams' campaign featuring a social media campaign with hashtags creates an opportunity for companies to involve customers in the marketing process in a fun and engaging way.

### Industries Being Reshaped

- **Retail:** Debenhams' holiday campaign demonstrates the potential for retailers to embrace modern fairytales and utilize social media campaigns to promote products in an engaging way.
- **Advertising:** The success of Debenhams' campaign highlights the potential for advertising agencies to incorporate modern storytelling and social media-inspired campaigns for their clients during the holiday season.
- **Entertainment:** The popularity of modern retellings of classic fairytales creates an opportunity for the entertainment industry to produce more adaptations for modern audiences.

## Related on Trend Hunter

- [Christmas Retail Delivery Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/debenhams-delivered-campaign.md)
- [Fashion Brand Christmas Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/chanel-winter-tale.md)
- [Charming Christmas Advertisements](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sainsburys-christmas-ad.md)
- [Iconic Character-Inspired Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/etsys-christmas-ad.md)
- [Whimsical High-Fashion Holiday Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/roger-vivier-holiday-2025.md)
- [Playful Hide-And-Seek Holiday Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/chaumets-holiday-2025.md)
- [Visual Discovery Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pinterest-autumnwinter.md)
- [Shoppable Commercial Series](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/add-to-heart.md)
- [Playful Holiday Jewelry Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/decorating-season.md)