A Christmas advert from France is dominating social media feeds around the world, driven by a powerful story and a song that traces back to South Africa.
Johannesburg, South Africa (15 December 2025) – There’s a French Christmas advert doing the rounds at the moment that’s leaving people misty-eyed, goosebumped and hitting replay. Millions of views later, it’s being shared across the world for one simple reason… it tells a story about belonging.
And woven through that story is a melody that started its life right here in South Africa.
Just nine days ago, French supermarket chain Intermarché released its 2025 Christmas campaign and it has already taken on a life of its own.
The beautifully crafted advert follows the journey of an “unloved” wolf, an outsider in the forest, who is forced to adapt in order to be accepted by the other animals. It’s gentle, emotional storytelling, brought to life through traditional animation and real actors, with no AI involved. More than 100 artists worked on the project, which took over a year to complete, and it shows in every frame.
The campaign’s emotional pull is amplified by its soundtrack: Le Mal Aimé, performed by iconic French singer Claude François. For French audiences, the song is instantly recognisable. For South Africans, it carries an extra layer of meaning. Le Mal Aimé is the French adaptation of Daydreamer, written in 1973 by South African songwriter Terry Dempsey and published by Angela Music in South Africa. Daydreamer was first recorded by David Cassidy and went straight to number one in the UK, becoming one of the biggest hits of its time. While in London, Claude François saw Cassidy perform the song on Top of the Pops. He took it back to France, where lyricist Eddy Marnay wrote French words that transformed it into Le Mal Aimé, “The Unloved One”. It became an instant hit and has since become one of the most recognisable and culturally significant songs in France.
Now, decades later, that same melody is reaching a new generation through an advert that has broken advertising records worldwide. The video is estimated to have racked up more than 600 million views through shares alone, is rapidly approaching the billion-view mark and is already being spoken about as the number one Christmas song of 2025. On Shazam’s Viral Charts, Le Mal Aimé is currently sitting at number 16, climbing fast as people search for the song behind the emotion.
We spoke to Paul Dempsey, Terry’s son and co-founder of the RocoMamas Franchise Company, about seeing his father’s work centre-stage in one of the most-watched Christmas campaigns on the planet.
The use of the song wasn’t a last-minute surprise.
“We have been negotiating since March through our French representative, Jean Davoust,” Paul explained. The agreement was finalised in late November 2025, and the family were thrilled with the outcome.
As for why the advert has resonated so widely, Paul believes the answer lies in its honesty.
“It speaks to being accepted, togetherness, family, warmth and friendship,” he said. “Real artistry was used. No AI was utilised for this project. Over 100 artists were involved in making the animation and it was many months in the making. Claude François’s French iconic rendition Le Mal Aimé, adapted from my dad Terry’s hit Daydreamer, which was nominated for an Ivor Novello Award, beautifully accompanies the spirit of the animation.”
Watching the response roll in from around the world has been deeply emotional for the Dempsey family.
“Absolutely thrilling,” Paul said. “It’s a wonderful recognition of my dad Terry’s talent as a songwriter who had many worldwide hits.”
As the festive season approaches, Paul had one final message from his family.
“My family and I would like to wish all of our fellow South Africans a wonderful festive season.”
There’s something powerful about seeing a South African song, written more than half a century ago, helping to tell a modern story about belonging, acceptance and connection… and doing so on a global stage.
It’s a beautiful full-circle moment. One that we can all celebrate this festive season.
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