System1’s early testing of this year’s Christmas food and drink launches has crowned Biscoff’s festive biscuits the top innovation, with the results revealing that seasonal twists on much-loved classics are a winning formula with consumers.
System1 tested 11 seasonal food and drink launches with 550 nationally representative UK consumers using its Test Your Innovation tool, which predicts the commercial potential of new products based on emotional response, consumers’ willingness to buy or sell shares in an idea, and the speed of their decisions.
Biscoff topped the rankings with an exceptional 5.8-Star Rating, narrowly beating Viennetta’s Chocolate Yule Log and M&S’s Get Your Skis On Colin, which both scored 5.7 Stars.
Four of the top five launches this season have achieved a 5-Star Rating or above – a particularly impressive result given that just 5% of new ideas reach this benchmark. A 5-Star innovation has approximately three times the sales potential of a 1-Star idea.
The top five festive innovations for 2026 are:
- Biscoff Festive Biscuits – 5.8 Stars: The much-loved caramelised biscuits get a Christmas makeover, with original and chocolate-coated varieties available in festive shapes including reindeer, snowmen and Santas.
- Viennetta Chocolate Yule Log – 5.7 Stars: A festive take on the classic frozen dessert, combining chocolate and white chocolate ice cream with crisp chocolate layers in a Christmas Yule Log format.
- M&S Get Your Skis On Colin – 5.7 Stars: The iconic Colin the Caterpillar cake hits the slopes, complete with chocolate ski goggles, a bobble hat and snowy sprinkles.
- Mr Kipling Festive Range – 5.4 Stars: A collection of seasonal treats including Chocolate & Gingerbread and White Chocolate & Hazelnut tarts, alongside festive cake bites.
- Tropicana Festive Juice Range – 4.8 Stars: Familiar fruit juice favourites receive a Christmas makeover with festive packaging and new sharing formats for seasonal gatherings.
The results also highlight the power of Fluent Innovation, whereby brands building on products, flavours and experiences consumers already know and love, rather than reinventing the wheel.
M&S’s Get Your Skis On Colin generated the strongest happiness response of any innovation tested, with 67% of consumers feeling happy about the idea. It was also the most familiar concept among the top five, demonstrating the emotional power of an established favourite given a playful seasonal makeover.
Viennetta’s Chocolate Yule Log, meanwhile, recorded the highest proportion of consumers willing to ‘buy shares’ in the idea, at 76%, suggesting particularly strong potential for widespread consumer acceptance.
Tristan Findlay, head of innovation at System1, commented: “This is Fluent Innovation at work. Nobody’s reinventing the wheel – brands are giving the classics people already love a seasonal twist, which makes them an easy choice. Loved brands, loved flavours and a bit of Christmas spirit go a long way, and for brands looking to stand out on shelf this season, these are the launches to watch.”
