Watch: Argos Christmas advert highlights Fast Track delivery credentials

The retailer, which delivers online orders to customers’ homes within four hours through its Fast Track service, has put the proposition centre stage in its 60-second ad.

It will air for the first time tonight during ITV’s Emmerdale and Channel 4’s Gogglebox.

And, in what Argos described as “a Christmas advertising first”, three children will have the chance to feature in the advert for a whole day.

From Tuesday November 7, parents can submit a picture of their child using the hashtag #ReadyForTakeOff.

Three winners will be selected and will appear in the advert for a day each between Friday November 10 and Sunday November 12.

All those who submit images will be able to see their child’s face in a personalised social media version of the advert.

Argos marketing director Gary Kibble told Retail Week: “We talk to customers a lot and really got under the skin of what it is about Argos that makes the difference to customers, particularly at Christmas.

“It is the same things year round, but it’s amplified at Christmas. The first one is the unique and unrivalled delivery proposition. It’s not just about delivery, you can choose to pick up in hundreds of Sainsbury’s or Argos locations.

“The second component is that customers value Argos for the breadth and depth of range – we are trying to communicate to customers that we still have all the best and biggest brands, like Apple, Zanussi, Bose, Nespresso.

“And the third part is the human interaction that other pureplay players can’t really give. That personal touch means a lot to people at Christmas.

“That’s what the ad is trying to do, communicate those three things in that priority order.”