'Twas the night before.....

You think you know how the poem goes – and if you grew up anywhere in the United States, you can probably recite at least the first couple of lines.

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse...

The classic poem originally published in 1823 at the Troy Sentinel in upstate New York has been a holiday staple for years, right up there with mistletoe and gingerbread cookies. This year, The Post and Courier's marketing and audience development teams extended the concept to create a fun and effective Black Friday television sales campaign.

The idea was hatched in a brainstorming session, which took a turn for the dramatic by the time it was scripted. The 30-second commercial took about two hours to shoot on location in a private home on Sullivan's Island and two extremely good actresses to play the lead parts, but by the time all was said and done ... well, you decide.

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