The Great Christmas Ad Review
Over the last few weeks, the big six supermarkets launched their Christmas ad campaigns. Kinase reviews the different approaches and gives our festive thumbs up (or down) on who’s produced a Christmas cracker.
Against a backdrop of reduced consumer spending power and low consumer confidence, Christmas remains a ray of hope. Recent surveys show that more than a third (36%) of people feel that this year's Christmas is more important to them than ever before.
In this context, brands have had to position this year’s ads very carefully. Working to find a sweet spot between purpose driven marketing and sales growth, the tension between storytelling, branding and product placement comes through in each of the six ads we have analysed.
We have ranked the big six supermarkets’ Christmas campaigns based on four key video components for best creative practice and overall digital effectiveness… We are a digital marketing agency after all!
1: Asda - Overall score 17/20
Storytelling - 5/5
This year Asda has thought outside the box by linking their brand to arguably, one of the most watched seasonal films - ever. Purchasing the rights to the holiday film Elf, the retailer took an experimental route with their storytelling by superimposing the film's main character Buddy into the Asda world.
As viewers follow Buddy through a trail at his local Asda, there’s a clear feel-good narrative established which is key to maintaining overall audience engagement.
Not lacking in entertainment value, ‘Have your elf a merry little Christmas’ is a refreshing take on the usual format of Christmas adverts.
Product - 5/5
With an Asda store setting the backdrop for this year’s advert, the retailer have given themselves ample opportunity to showcase their range of Christmas offerings.
The advert effortlessly incorporates product placement throughout the narrative as viewers are given a front row seat to Buddys antics. Dropping their seasonal USPs in more subtle ways, viewers see Buddy eyeing up the freshly baked mince pies and chat away to the delivery team as they load up the day’s store to door orders – to name just a few.
Brand presence - 5/5
Generally, the use of Buddy the Elf is a great match for Asda’s brand image and, much like Aldi, it draws on strong brand to character association. This is also helped by Buddy’s green, and rather iconic uniform, slotting seamlessly into the Asda world.
Overarching brand presence is crystal clear with the campaign set in an Asda store. Logo, brand colours (green like Elf), products, and the incorporation of staff, appear naturally throughout.
Call to action - 2/5
With no direct call to action in Asda’s advert this year, the long-term benefits of this campaign however, is set to return tenfold. As Brits sit back to watch Elf this Christmas, they will automatically associate key movie moments with Asda’s brand.
Although they’ve created a smart brand awareness campaign that will stick for years to come, there’s still no call to action (the skit just comes to a halt with Buddy leaving the store) which means Asda receive a lower score - sorry Bud.
2: Lidl - Overall score 16.5/20
Storytelling - 4.5/5
Much like their competitors, Lidl have gone the mascot route this year with the introduction of Lidl Bear. Up for the challenge against much loved Kevin the Carrot and Farmer Christmas, Claire Farrant, Lidl GB Marketing Director says: "What stands Lidl Bear apart from other Christmas characters is its hilarious, deadpan expression. By displaying no emotion it manages to create humour and deliver our message about what's actually important this Christmas.”
This new route for Lidl gives ample opportunity for an entertaining narrative as viewers follow poker-faced Lidl Bear as it finds fame in the most unusual of circumstances.
Through a narrator and on-screen captions, interest levels are maintained, and is why this advert is also great for digital placement. It’s also important to note that viewers are given clear insight into what the advert is about with the opening lines, “We never intended to create a Christmas character… It just happened.”
Effective in entertainment value and receiving an overwhelmingly positive reception from the general public, we won’t be surprised if Lidl Bear makes a comeback next Christmas
Product - 4/5
Apart from customers urging Lidl to sell Lidl Bear in store, the use of product promotion throughout Lidl’s Christmas advert is extremely well done.
As we follow Lidl Bear on his journey to fame, we go through various ‘sets’ that nod to the retailers offerings this season. From a Lidl store where Lidl Bear is first discovered to a photoshoot with Christmas themed props, there’s no shortage of Lidl’s festive products from Christmas turkey to pigs in blankets and bottles of champagne to name a few.
Brand presence - 5/5
For digital effectiveness, it’s important that video creative gives viewers consistent brand representation.
Through the use of voice over narration which mentions Lidl Bear regularly, the jumper that Lidl Bear wears has a large brand logo on it, so there is no mistaking that this is a Lidl Christmas advert.
Call to action - 3/5
Taking the same route as Aldi, this year Lidl have partnered with Neighbourly to give back to those in the community through the festive season. Focusing their efforts quite heavily at the top of the funnel to drive engaging brand awareness, this year’s advert fails to provide a compelling call to action.
Although they’re partnering with Neighbourly, viewers are only informed with a small logo at the end of the campaign. Since the release of this advert, Lidl have been inundated with requests to purchase their own Lidl Bears this holiday season. The grocery retailer has announced that no Lidl Bears will be sold as they are asking for toy donations instead, part of their Neighbourly partnership.
By not acknowledging this mission in their call to action, there’s a missed opportunity to drive customers in store to donate.
3: Tesco – Overall 16/20
Storytelling - 3/5
With a mock political pledge to bring joy in the form of banished bedtimes and a regular bin day, Tesco have created a highly topical Christmas advert which plays off the turmoil of UK politics this year. Opening with a narrator announcing that there has been a joy shortage to the soundtrack of 'The Final Countdown’ by Europe, viewers are introduced to Tesco’s Christmas Party.
The use of attempted humour, and a narrator, is key at hooking the audience and forms a clear narrative throughout the entirety of the advert. The line between humour and a failed comedy skit is very thin, however.
Product - 4/5
Tesco have pledged “More pigs in more blankets for more people!" and used storytelling levers such as carollers singing about mince pies for £1.12 and declaring 3 for 2 on party food to get additional product mentions.
With most key competitors skipping product mentions this year, Tesco's ongoing use of product promotion gives the retailer more chance to dominate the middle of the funnel with more specified messaging.
Brand presence - 5/5
There is no mistaking that this is a Tesco Christmas advert with the narrator dropping the brand name within the first 5-seconds.
Staking their claim throughout the advert, viewers are transported to the world of Tesco with brand colours, logos and products all getting regular screen time.
Despite being heavy on brand presence, the narrative ensures that each brand element has a considered place and no viewer is left questioning the overall intention.
Call to action - 4/5
“Reinforce the direction by making the call-to-action audible and visible for more effectiveness,” advises Surina Bhabuta, Kinase Paid Video Director.
With the overall campaign direction focused on the benefits of shopping at Tesco and the ongoing perks, there’s no surprise that the retailer regularly delivers CTAs throughout the 1-minute video.
4: Aldi – Overall 14/20
Storytelling - 4/5
If the overall aim of Aldi’s Christmas campaign is to engage viewers, then they've hit the nail on the head with a rather familiar take on the classic Christmas movie, Home Alone. Returning for another year, we see Kevin the Carrot (with his coincidentally perfect name) navigate the Christmas season solo in a Home Alone parody.
With a clear nostalgic narrative, Aldi have kept their storytelling light-hearted. The use of a narrator and subtitles are key levers for creative best practice and form part of the formula for highly engaging and effective ad campaigns – both online and in traditional media.
Brand presence - 5/5
“Brand personifications or mascots are an original way to tell a brand story and have been shown to drive ad recall and consideration,” notes Surina Bhabuta, Kinase Paid Video Director.
Returning for a sixth year, Kevin the Carrot has become a recognised character for the festive season and signifies the return of Christmas to Aldi stores. The benefits of Kevin’s return is that it builds on Aldi’s unique and recognisable brand personality and aids in narrating their story more effectively.
Was there blatant plugging of Aldi as a retailer throughout this year’s advert? No.
Does that matter? No it doesn’t.
Over the last six years, Aldi have played the long game so there’s no real need to blatantly push the brand on viewers because Kevin is an embodiment of the Aldi Christmas.
Product - 3/5
Apart from the obvious, (Aldi’s mascot being a literal carrot), how the retailer has optimised their advert to promote product is subtle compared to key competitors.
To be expected from a grocery retailer, we see a standard Christmas banquet laid out but it doesn’t land any product messages beyond that fact. Following the same format as years prior, Aldi have put more attention on their partnership with Neighbourly than product promotion which we’ll look deeper into later on.
Beyond this advert, the triumphant return of Kevin the Carrot in stores has led to long queues and an online frenzy as 70,000 people fought for the latest Carrot merch.
This quashes the idea that heavy product promotion is the key to short-term sales in competitive months and proves that wider brand awareness can drive up loyalty among customers in the long run.
Call to action - 2/5
With the cost of living crisis in full swing, we’ve seen most grocery retailers take the feel-good route for their adverts this year. Campaign efforts focus heavily at the top of the funnel to drive significant brand awareness and tend to end with a charitable call to action as the final kicker.
For yet another year, Aldi have joined Neighbourly to donate surplus food from stores across the UK to families during the festive months. The call to action isn’t as strong as it could be, with the underlying tone of ‘Shop with us and help people in need’ unclear to those new to Aldi or Neighbourly.
With this in mind, Aldi could have pushed a stronger call to action to give viewers more specific direction and add further incentive (other than buying Carrot merch) to shop at Aldi this Christmas.
5: Morrisons – Overall 13/20
Storytelling - 3/5
After a positive reception last year, Farmer Christmas has returned to continue the celebration of fantastic, festive food. Taking a different route to their competitors, Morrisons invite viewers to go behind the scenes of their festive workshop where busy elves are preparing the Morrisons bounty.
The storyline establishes Morrisons as a community orientated, friendly retailer by incorporating staff members as the “real life elves” who help make the season possible. Featuring the likes of Kirsty the fishmonger and Geoff the baker, the retailer emphasises a human element to their storytelling, a great tactic to make the audience feel a connection to the brand.
With Farmer Christmas narrating the advert, he breaks the fourth-wall and engages with viewers directly as they tour the workshop.
Product 4/5
Rachel Eyre, Morrisons Chief Customer and Marketing Officer, said: "We’ve brought Farmer Christmas back this year to show the food and great prices that, thanks to Morrisons foodmakers and farmers, will be available throughout the festive period, all stamped with his seal of approval.”
Although the retailer showcases various products throughout the advert, there’s intention behind each offering as viewers watch ‘elves’ make much-loved dishes like puff pastry mince pies and ‘smoked Scottish salmon with orange and cranberries’.
Brand presence - 4/5
Morrisons leverage their mascot through brand mentions from his perspective and incorporated their brand elements through the intentional use of logos on wooden food crates and aprons and the Morrisons green included on the ‘elf’ uniforms.
Call to action - 2/5
The advert ends with Farmer Christmas giving Morrisons his seal of approval and the viewer is left to decide if they want to see it for themselves.
6: Sainsbury’s – Overall 12.5/20
Storytelling - 3.5/5
The Christmas pudding debate is back, and Sainsbury’s are rising to the challenge to redeem the traditional dessert.
Set in a faraway land, the narrative of this advert is generally entertaining as we follow a young cook on his mission to reinvent the unpopular Christmas pudding for the land's countess, played by Allison Hammond.
The story treads a familiar path, falling a little flat. It is designed to emphasise the retailer's overarching brand positioning, using the relatable pudding debate to plug their Taste the Difference range. Although a key USP for the retailer, this isn’t established early on in the ad and becomes evident in the last 30-seconds.
By communicating their seasonal USP later in the advert, Sainsbury’s has had to establish an entertaining storyline in order to maintain engagement. Not easy to do, this is where their use of celebrity is key and a tactical lever as viewers see a familiar face in an unfamiliar setting - the use of Stephen Fry as a narrator doesn’t hurt.
Product - 3.5/5
The retailer has gone full throttle on product promotion this season via their pudding narrative. Laura Boothby, head of campaigns at Sainsbury’s, said: “Food plays a central role in any celebration, and we wanted to bring to life the imagination and innovation that goes into creating our Taste the Difference Christmas range.”
Forming a well-rounded marketing campaign, Sainsbury’s has taken their product focus further afield with the opening of the Pud You Dare Café in Holborn. The first of its kind, this clever activation allows customers to enjoy several Christmas pudding options, including the new caramel biscuit pudding that had Hammond deliver the winning line, "That's a bit of me!".
Brand presence - 2.5/5
Unlike Asda with its store backdrop or Aldi with its recognisable brand mascot, Sainsbury’s has missed the mark on establishing their brand presence throughout this year's advert.
From a digital effectiveness perspective, the simple integration of Sainsbury’s logo into the storyline or brand colours featured on a product could have been effective in increasing overall ad recall. This isn’t to say that brand presence must be overwhelming although the incorporation of small elements can add up to strong brand recall.
Call to action - 3/5
Sainsbury’s overarching call to action is to encourage viewers to ‘Taste the Difference’. This call to action is delivered at the end of the advert by narrator, Stephen Fry, and on-screen notes throughout the campaign about products being subject to availability - both great creative tactics to drive urgency.
In conclusion
The decision to take a more considered approach has been central for the big six this year. Reading the room, each retailer has created brand awareness campaigns using emotional storytelling in attempt to engage viewers.
Simply put, gone are the days of promos being the focus and lets give a round of applause to creative solutions.
My final thoughts? With the bar set pretty damn high, lets see how Asda one up themselves next Christmas because the return of Buddy just won’t hit the same - sorry to say!
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