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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Business
Zlata Rodionova

Polish Christmas advert about grandfather learning English melts hearts

A Polish Christmas advert, which has been viewed more than two-and-a-half million times, about a grandfather learning English is melting hearts worldwide.

The advert, released by online auction website Allegro, starts with the elderly man receiving an "English For Beginners" audio set from the website.

He then sets about becoming fluent, by putting stickers on household objects and reciting phrases out loud.

The advert, shows the man reciting English during a series of amusing scenes - including saying "I love you" to a surprised woman sitting on the bus in front of him.

The advert culminates in the real reason the man decided to pick up a new language: meeting his granddaughter for the first time.

As the little girls walks shyly to meet the elderly man, he says: “Hi. I am your grandfather”.

The advert has touched people around the world.

On Twitter, one user wrote: "Real tears were shed watching this."

Another one said on YouTube: "My gosh, that was a beautiful ad, I got tears in my eye."

A spokesperson for Allegro told BuzzFeed: “For years, we’ve strived to make both Allegro - the largest e-commerce platform in the CEE region - as well as our communication to customers bring joy, touch the heart and cause a mile.”

“Such is this ad: about a grandfather who overcomes obstacles to reunite with his loved ones living abroad. Many Polish people share the same experience. Nearly one million Poles have decided to leave the country in search for a job, mainly heading the United Kingdom. Despite the relatively close distance between the countries, family ties tend to weaken. Therefore, Christmas for many is a difficult time in which we yearn for more.

"But the story we are telling is all-purpose and can be easily understood by any other nation or community who can easily link the happy ending of a smile and tears of emotion to their daily human experience."

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