Marks and Spencer unveils Christmas campaign

Marks and Spencer has launched a dedicated clothing and home festive campaign for 2018 centred around the “must-have” moments that make Christmas, starring the brand’s ambassadors Holly Willoughby and David Gandy.

The television ad at the heart of the campaign aims to highlight the important role Marks and Spencer plays for families at Christmas, covering everything from decorating the tree to dealing with the washing up on Christmas day, via Christmas parties, Christmas movies and even Christmas present envy.

Set to ‘Give a Little Love’ by Tom Jones, the fun-filled 60-second advert highlights various Marks and Spencer “must-have” products including comfy pants, partywear, PJs, suiting, lingerie, knitwear, as well as gifts, and ends with Willoughby at a bus stop being told by a pantomime dame that he loves her purple coat, which she simply replies “M&S”.

In addition to the 60-second advert, Marks and Spencer is launching three 20-second edits for its customers’ biggest Christmas “must-have” categories – partywear, knitwear and sleepwear, with each advert and additional content launching to coincide with when customers are buying these products based on extensive research and analysis of search and sales data, said the retailer.

The first 20-second edit starts with partywear on November 15 and runs throughout December with knitwear and sleepwear.

Marks and Spencer makes its “must-have” products star of festive campaign

The campaign has been designed to be mobile first with content that plays out across digital platforms, as well as on TV, with the retailer adding that it will be using a variety of channels from shoppable Instagram, programmatic display and Google Shopping in the run-up to Christmas.

Nathan Ansell, director of marketing for clothing and home at Marks and Spencer, said in a statement: “For the busy modern family, Christmas is all about quality time together and having some fun - I know it is for mine. And this year we’ve worked incredibly hard to tap into the key moments of the season that matter most to busy mums and dads - from the office party to the evening where you watch the classic Christmas films all together.

“We’ve built a campaign to show we have the “Must-Have” products to add magic and sparkle to these moments and we’ll be executing it based on detailed research about when customers want and need these products.”

Ansell added: “For the High Street there’s no time of year that’s more crucial than Christmas so whether customers are purchasing on the app, on Instagram or in a city centre store we want them to know M&S is the destination for the Must-Haves that make Christmas.”

This is a different approach from the retailer’s last Christmas campaign - #LoveTheBear, which featured Paddington bear in a tie-up with the Paddington 2 movie and followed the tale of how Paddington bear unknowingly saves Christmas for this friends and neighbours by mistaking a burglar for Santa Claus.

Images: courtesy of Marks and Spencer

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