Positive feelings towards Christmas ads are the highest since measurement began following a strong showing last year, according to new data from Kantar. Fifty nine per cent of people say they ‘love’ Christmas TV ads, up from 51% in 2023. While 48% of consumers last year were ‘really looking forward to seeing Christmas ads on TV’, this figure has now lifted to 56%.
Lynne Deason, head of creative excellence at Kantar, explains: “Advertisers really raised the bar last year, and the festive fervour we’re seeing now reflects that. People were looking for a dose of humour, and while the cracker jokes didn’t always land, broadly speaking the ads did – 32% of people now say Christmas ads have made them laugh – a big leap from 25% last year.”
TV is still king of the Christmas ad channels as, across all age groups, people are most looking forward to seeing Christmas ads on the box. And when people reach for the remote, one in four say it’s John Lewis’ ad that they are most excited to see.
Deason adds: “Emotive storytelling is really powerful, and it has helped John Lewis’ ads make their mark in the cultural calendar each year. But our survey shows that building on the same creative ideas, and also freshening them up, is an often-overlooked feature of the ads that are most hotly anticipated by the public. Brands reusing ads or developing creative content within an existing campaign often have a head start over those working on completely new ideas. People are more likely to notice and pay attention to these ads and remember which brand they are for. After John Lewis, people were most excited about Coca-Cola’s nostalgia and feel-good factor, and the entertaining Kevin the Carrot helped Aldi claim third place.”
‘Christmas spirit’ was the factor chosen by most people as having an impact on how positively they felt about an ad, at 53%. But Deason suggests: “Good creative shouldn’t disappear with the last of the eggnog. We saw record numbers of people this year saying they wish advertising throughout the year was as good as at Christmas, and there are plenty of characteristics that people enjoy about festive ads that marketers can draw on all year round – such as humour, memorable music or engaging stories.”
Despite high levels of excitement, two thirds of people still feel Christmas ads ‘appear too early’. However, research also shows that brands should still work to build momentum sooner rather than later.
Deason continues: “It’s smart for brands to set themselves up for success early and we’re seeing more of it this year, but they need to avoid annoying customers. Very’s recent ad is themed around buying toys as birthday gifts, so it starts to foster the association between the brand and gift-giving early on – before its Christmas ad launches – without screaming Christmas or forcing it on people. And as the golden quarter gets underway against a challenging financial backdrop, businesses need to hit the ground running to capitalise on the excitement they created last year – and avoid disappointing their eager audiences. The stakes are high.”
