Christmas to date - The Good, The Not So Good and The Bublé

Written by Bethany Vernon, B2B Junior Content Executive

Being the centre of attention is at the top of every brand’s Christmas list this year, but how do they ensure that they are there for the right reasons? This year, we have found that it is crucial for brands to be keeping their fingers on the pulse of the nation, being sensitive to cultural agenda whilst overall delivering the Christmas joy audiences know and love. All eyes are on this Christmas period and brands should be conscious not to become a victim of campaign miscommunication. 

The 1st of November sees the beginning of early brand Christmas campaign launches and whilst UK housing and homelessness charity Shelter have been endlessly praised for their powerful depiction of Christmas, retailer Marks and Spencer’s have been hit by controversy. Early seasonal releases also included Asda, who teased us with a glimpse of their Christmas campaign featuring a certain Christmas icon… 

Here’s a look at the first Christmas campaigns of 2023- The Good, the not so good and the Bublé: 

Marks and Spencer’s

The M&S “Love Thismas, no Thatmas” is first up in the list of brands ahead of the game this Christmas, and is an accurate representation of how a campaign does not always land in the intended way. 

With celebrity features such as Hannah Waddingham, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Zawe Ashton and Tan France, the ad targets the brand’s expansive audience range, controversially encouraging them to disregard Christmas traditions and do it THEIR way. According to M&S, the campaign’s aim acknowledged that this year had been a struggle for most audiences, battling with the inflation of well… everything, and therefore, audiences should simply take the pressure off themselves. 

However, it seems that M&S have not quite projected their planned message, with social media critics stating that it does just the opposite. The ad was branded “too glitzy” in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, and many hated how it brought negative connotations to such a cheerful time of year. Furthermore, the brand later released an apology statement following a campaign post they had shared, depicting Christmas paper hats burning in a fire. All traces of the post were removed after their use of red, green and white hats were likened to the Palestinian flag, audiences branded it to be in bad taste and disrespectful considering the current climate. 

Audiences then took to social media to berate M&S’s Christmas campaign’s efforts against the release of Lidl’s Christmas ad, that was comparatively described as “keeping the tradition”. Many interactions with Lidl’s campaign posts were not only used as an opportunity to applaud their wholesome use of a lovable raccoon, who goes to extreme lengths to make a young boy’s Christmas, but insult M&S in the process. Comments such as “this is how it’s done” and “take notes” show that our audiences already know what they want and are expecting from a Christmas campaign. Unfortunately, this time around, the audience have made it clear that M&S didn't meet their brief.  

Asda

Utilizing the popular Michael Bublé ‘only defrosts at Christmas time’ gag, Asda have released a snippet of their Christmas campaign “Pop the Bublé”. The Singer is discovered behind a door signposted “MB Do Not Open til 1.11.23. The campaign not only wittily resonates with audience banter but takes full advantage of Bublé’s inevitable association with the festive period. We are looking forward to seeing the finished product! 

Who doesn’t love a bit of Bublé at Christmas? 

Shelter

The front runner for us so far this Christmas, however, has to be Shelter’s “Good As Gold” campaign, challenging the common perceptions of Christmas from a child’s standpoint. The campaign showcases the powerful message that the magic of Christmas is not universal and tells the story of over 131,000 families in England. Despite being on her best behaviour, the ad shows a young girl, Maddy, waking up Christmas morning in temporary accommodation, with no decorations, and her family’s belongings bagged up around the room. In hopes to inspire audiences to donate this Christmas, the campaign ad concludes with the poignant line “but I was so good”. Celebrated for being “so impactful” and a “brilliant message”, this is certainly a successful effort to convey the reality of Christmas for so many children this year.

So, what are our main takeaways from 2023 Christmas campaigns so far, and what can we expect to see from those still to come? 

1) We are living in a heightened political environment where brands should be aware that they are under the watchful eye of audiences more than ever… 

2) Showcasing the often-overlooked representations of Christmas sends a powerful and effective message 

3) Novelty still works! Audiences know what they want... and Michael Bublé will forever be a Christmas star!