What did you want to be when you grew up? Was it a vet, an astronaut, a ballerina? And, the big question, are you doing your dream job right now? Only 4% of British adults have actually made their dream job a reality, according to a survey from Perkbox, a platform for employee experience.

Argos have chosen to celebrate that nostalgic dream in their Christmas spot, ‘The Book of Dreams’, created by The&Partnership and shot by Traktor. The ad heroes the much loved Argos catalogue, putting it centre stage and celebrating the cross-generational tradition of circling your favourite items in the catalogue. For many, Christmas begins when the Argos catalogue, the Book of Dreams, arrives on the doormat.

We watch as a dad’s childhood dreams reawaken when he sees a drum kit circled in the catalogue. He taps the page, only to find himself seated behind the kit, living out his childhood dream. And when his daughter appears on the stairs awoken by the noise, the two embark on an epic drum duet beginning with the Simple Minds’ 80s classic, Don’t You Forget About Me and ending with their very own live gig. Cubby the Curious Bear, predicted to be one of Argos’ most popular toys of the season, joins in the fun as the bear leaps off the stage to crowd surf.

The TV ad follows a social campaign that saw celebrities, influencers and members of the public surprised with their own Book of Dreams from their childhood. A digital archive was also compiled of past editions of the catalogue from over the last 40 years, which saw over 1.8 million visitors in the first 48 hours.

The ad taps into a greater trend around nostalgic marketing as it plays on people’s fond memory of the Christmas catalogue, even as most of us will be screenshotting and bookmarking our Christmas wish list on our smart phones. In the midst of an uncertain political climate this ad hits the right notes with its focus on pure joy.

The millennial generation, those whose children will be the ones scribbling in the Argos catalogue and thus the target for the retailer’s marketing, are the first to have existed in both the digital and traditional media worlds. As such, while they are tech savvy, they still hold a torch for print publications, books and live TV. And for scribbling their own imaginings on the pages of the Book of Dreams.