Charlie's Bar, Fermanagh, 'blown away' by Christmas ad response

Move over M&S and John Lewis - there's a new Christmas advert from Northern Ireland which is packing an emotional punch.

Charlie's Bar in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, posted a video on Saturday and it has already racked up millions of views on social media.

It tells the story of isolation and companionship - beginning with a man who cuts a solitary figure at a graveside, then wanders alone through the streets, only to be befriended by a couple and their dog in the pub.

The pub manager who came up with the idea for the now-viral video said the response had been overwhelming.

"We wanted people to feel something when they watch this video," Una Burns said.

"The idea came really from what we have seen over the years in the bar."

Many people have been commenting on or sharing the video across social media platforms including X, formerly known as Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.

It has even generated comment from retail giant John Lewis itself - and it is seen by many as the doyen of Christmas advertising.

John Lewis posted on TikTok: "We're not crying, you are".

The two-minute video - which cost £700 to make - shows a bereaved man - played by Fermanagh local Martin McManus, in a quiet moment of reflection while laying flowers in memory of a loved one.

In one scene, he walks through Enniskillen, seemingly ignored by passers-by, before entering Charlie's Bar.

There, Missy the dog seeks him out and joins him, before Missy's owners, a young couple, ask if they, too, can join the man for a drink.

The video draws to a close with words from the poet, WB Yeats: "There are no strangers here, only friends you haven't yet met".

People help the people by Birdy provides the soundtrack throughout the footage.

Ms Burns said the bar has posted some videos online before - usually they are "quite light-hearted" - but then a friend suggested they do a Christmas advert.

"The day he texted that, it was the only thing I could think about, I couldn't focus on anything else," she said.

"It was very important for me that this message was more serious.

"We wanted people to feel something when they watch this video and get across the idea that, unfortunately, Christmas isn't as positive and joyful for some as it is for others, and we probably see that more than others at this time of year".

Ms Burns said she never expected the advert to strike a chord in the way that it has.

"It has completely blown me away," she said.

"There were so many headlines yesterday saying we'd blown John Lewis out of the water.

"For us to be even in the same headline as John Lewis is completely overwhelming".

Meagan Daley, who along with her partner Alex Middlemass, play the younger couple, said there is a poignancy to the video's themes.

"The whole message is really important , and it is told in a lovely way. But we never imagined it would take off in the way it has," she said.

She and Alex are pub regulars, and Missy, an Irish terrier, is their much-loved pet.

"She really is the star. She just needed a few treats during filming but she is an amazing dog," Meagan said.

Colin Neill, the chief executive of Hospitality Ulster, which represents pubs in Northern Ireland said the bar had perfectly captured an important aspect of pub culture.

The video's underlying message, he said, highlights the "central role of the local pub in our society, and how even in our contemporary world and an age dominated by social media, pubs are still a sanctuary for many".

He added: "For some of the most vulnerable in our community, pubs are an antidote to loneliness and provide a safe space for people to come together, open up, and share life with others over a pint".

Mr Neill said it's impossible to watch "without a tear in your eye".