Retailers Present Diverse Christmas Advert Campaigns, Balancing Emotional Themes with Humorous Approaches

The annual Christmas advertising campaigns are commencing as the festive season begins. John Lewis recently launched its holiday advertisement to UK households. Unveiled on Thursday, the advertisement portrays a fantastical exploration of a woman’s past as she seeks an ideal Christmas present for her sister. Accompanied by Richard Ashcroft’s 1990s song “Sonnet,” the commercial is described by analysts as a “real tear-jerker,” indicating a desire by the retailer to “return to its roots.” Retail expert Catherine Shuttleworth noted that “Most of this year’s festive adverts have fun at their heart – gnomes taking over Asda, a mystery whodunit at Waitrose, the welcome return of Kevin the Carrot at Aldi.” However, she observed that John Lewis adopted a “more traditional” tone, particularly following its polarizing advertisement from the previous year. The 2023 commercial from the brand depicted a giant Venus flytrap, which confused some viewers who questioned its relevance to Christmas. The current John Lewis advertisement features its protagonist, Sally, engaged in urgent last-minute shopping for her sister. She tumbles through a clothing rack into a surreal realm, where she relives various stages of her life, spanning from childhood to adolescence and adulthood. The advertisement intentionally excludes recognizable celebrities, a decision Charlotte Lock, customer director at John Lewis, confirmed to the BBC. She stated, “We get contacted every year by A-listers who want to be in our ad.” Lock further explained, “We always have the conversation, but what we didn’t want was that celebrity to overtake the story.” Despite it being only mid-November, the John Lewis advertisement is among the final Christmas commercials to be launched. Retailers consistently face the challenge of gauging the national mood, particularly since these advertisements are conceptualized months ahead. Ms Lock indicated that the company believed the public desired “a bit of emotion and sentimentality” following “a tough year, with global conflict and an economic crisis.” She elaborated, “The cost of living is still on people’s minds, and people are concerned about the cost of Christmas.” She concluded, “It feels like there’s a nation that’s quite exhausted and actually has been waiting to celebrate, and Christmas is a great outlet for that.” In contrast, numerous other brands have adopted a more lighthearted strategy. Ms Shuttleworth commented, “Humour and fun are a good way to raise spirits after what has been a difficult year in the world,” adding, “So you can see why retailers have taken that route.” Aldi has reintroduced Kevin the Carrot for his ninth consecutive year. Accompanied by his wife Katie, he embarks on a new mission to retrieve the “spirit of Christmas” from malevolent humbugs. Concurrently, Asda’s holiday advertisement showcases a group of garden gnomes emerging from the snow to rescue Christmas. Marks and Spencer similarly chose established themes. Its food advertisement features the reappearance of Dawn French both as a festive fairy and as herself. The initial installment of the six-part advertising series depicts a fatigued French heading home, lamenting her extensive to-do list. Subsequently, the fairy materializes, offering assistance by transforming French’s residence into a venue prepared for a Christmas party, complete with abundant festive food. Morrisons has also brought back its singing oven gloves, with the supermarket’s campaign highlighting individuals hosting Christmas meals. The advertisement uses “Give a Little Love” from the film Bugsy Malone as its soundtrack, performed by a choir composed of Morrisons staff. Argos has likewise opted to feature the same characters as the previous year: the cartoon pair Connie the doll and Trevor the dinosaur. Lynne Deason, head of creative excellence at Kantar, stated that employing familiar concepts and characters is a judicious choice. She remarked, “Consistency pays in advertising.” Deason further explained, “Sticking with the same creative approach often makes it easier for people to know which brand is being advertised. “It can build a sense of nostalgia too, adding to the entertainment factor.” In contrast to John Lewis’s avoidance of celebrities, several other advertisements feature well-known personalities. Waitrose supermarkets presents a two-part whodunit that concludes with a cliffhanger, featuring Matthew Macfadyen from “Succession” as a detective investigating the theft of a family’s red velvet cake. Separately, Greggs has engaged Nigella Lawson to appear in its inaugural Christmas advertisement. The television chef proclaims it is her “favourite time of year” before consuming festive baked goods. Social media reactions were mixed; one X user commented that the advertisement had united “Nigella and Greggs, two of the greatest loves of my life.” However, another questioned if they were in a “weird parallel universe,” appending: “Is this a really early April Fool?” Other retailers have opted for well-known animated figures. Sainsbury’s promptly released its advertisement, showcasing the popular Roald Dahl character, the Big Friendly Giant (BFG). The BFG is depicted requesting the supermarket to make his Christmas “a big more phizz-whizzing.” Concurrently, Lidl, similar to John Lewis, has chosen a traditional narrative intended to evoke emotion. It portrays a girl who opts to send a gift to a lonely boy, referencing the retailer’s toy bank initiative. The message of goodwill is clear, with a voiceover urging viewers to “think big” while also posing the question: “Is it not more Christmassy to give?” Tesco’s advertisement presents a man named Gary who endeavors to celebrate Christmas amidst grieving his grandmother. The somber commercial shows Gary upholding a shared tradition, constructing a gingerbread house as a tribute to her memory. Amazon has also selected kindness as its theme, narrating the story of a theatre caretaker whose concealed singing ability is uncovered by his coworkers. They motivate the janitor to perform on stage, where he sings “What the World Needs Now Is Love.” Collectively, advertisers are projected to spend a record £10.5bn during this festive period, as reported by the Advertising Association and World Advertising Research Centre. John Lewis, for its part, does not reveal the expenditure on its Christmas advertisement, though Ms Lock acknowledged its “incredibly important commercially” nature. The commercial success of these investments is difficult to ascertain, but experts suggest their significance extends beyond merely attracting customers. Prof Helen Wheatley, a historian of television, informed BBC News that “Adverts have become part of the ritual surrounding Christmas.” She elaborated, “The tradition continues, partly because it’s an absolutely prime time for retailers to be speaking to potential consumers,” and “And partly because it’s entrenched and it’s something they’ve always done.” Prof Wheatley highlighted that while these are commonly perceived as “Christmas TV adverts,” they have also evolved into significant online events, with widespread sharing across social media platforms. However, she noted that certain aspects remain constant, with retailers aiming to evoke feelings of warmth and familiarity. She further stated, “It’s a moment where the nation comes together.” Wheatley concluded, “We know people get quite excited about the festive adverts. It’s a marker in people’s years and has become part of that Christmas countdown.” Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding its approach to external linking is available.