The best 2014 Christmas Campaigns: Tesco vs Sainsbury's
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Fashion
First up is UK largest retailer, Tesco, who created its Christmas advert 'Lights on' around a festive light show, developed in response to one customers' tweet about her local Tesco's in Wigan lacking a green festive hat last Christmas, which reflect this year's trend for social media connected campaigns. The 60 second advert, made by ad agency Wieden + Kennedy, shows ordinary Tesco customers decorating their homes for the festive season. Similar to M&S's Christmas campaign, but with a more realistic twist, Tesco's campaign focuses on normal families around the country preparing for Christmas, whilst their staff do the best they can to help them along the way.
Tesco's aims to help customers in "every little way" it can this Christmas
The advert builds up to the moment when families across the country turn on their Christmas lights, simultaneously with Tesco stores and ends with the festive light show. After Claire Hannah tweeted her disappointment concerning her local Tesco's lack of green hat last year, the company responded by creating a winter wonderland in Wigan and inviting Hannah, along with 800 local residents to turn on the Christmas lights. Nearly one million LED lights covered a huge 78 meter long and 7.2 meter high screen in front of the store were switched on and the crowd's reaction was filmed for and used in Tesco's Christmas advert.
The advert, part of Tesco's Christmas campaign 'Every Little Helps Make Christmas,' was first aired on November 9, during the season finale of ITV's Downtown Abbey. The holiday campaign aims to focus on helping the nation in “lots of little fun and useful ways.” Jill Easterbrook, Chief Customer Officer at Tesco explained the reasoning behind their advert: “Christmas is a wonderfully special time of year and we want to help customers in whatever way we can. Claire’s experience is just one example of how we’re doing every little thing we can to help make Christmas in fun and helpful ways. We’re with our customers every step of the way through the festive season!”
Ray Shaughnessy, Creative Director at Wieden + Kennedy London added: “This year's campaign is an important step change for Tesco in that they are doing all sorts of unexpected things to help people have a brilliant Christmas. It won't just be about them making sure you get the best turkey on the table, it will be about making sure that people feel Christmassy too. Getting the team behind the London 2012 Olympic light show to light up Wigan is a great example of this.”
Next up, there is Sainsbury's and its controversial Christmas advert 'Christmas is for Sharing,' made in partnership with the Official Royal British Legion (RBL). Perhaps the most striking Christmas advert to be launched this year, the retailers' ad is inspired by the story of the 1914 Christmas truce between during World War I. The full advert, running 3 minutes and 40 seconds, was directed by Ringan Ledwidge and depicts both British and German soldiers laying down their arms on Christmas day to come together on neutral territory to share greetings, cigarettes, treats and a game of football.
Sainsbury's aims to remind customers the importance of sharing this Christmas
The ad's storyline focuses on a young British soldier, who is brave enough to venture from his trench into No Man's Land and greet his rivals on Christmas and start up a game of football. He connects with a young German solider and before the truce ends he gives his jacket to him, which holds a hidden gift in the form of a chocolate bar in its pocket. The advert first aired on November 12, during ITV's Coronation Street and is the latest step in Sainsbury's ongoing partnership with the RBL and runs in addition to the retailer's traditional Christmas advert campaign.
As part of the campaign Sainsbury's is also selling the same chocolate bar seen in its advert for one pound, with all profits going to the RLB. Charles Byrne, Director of Fundraising for The Royal British Legion, commented: “We're very proud of our 20 year partnership with Sainsbury's and this campaign is particularly important. 100 years on from the 1914 Christmas truce, the campaign remembers the fallen, while helping to raise vital funds to support the future of living.” Mark Given, Head of Brand Communications at Sainsbury's added: “Christmas is a special time of year when people pause to reflect on what's important.”
“More than any other time of year, people come together to share simple moments and kindnesses. This year, we wanted to reflect that theme of sharing in our Christmas campaign through the lens of one of the most extraordinary moments of sharing in modern history...We know many of our customers feel as passionately about the incredible work of the Legion as we do. We hope our campaign will raise awareness and funds for the charity and inspire our customers to share a memorable Christmas with family and friends.”
Although both retailers share similar messages of Christmas being a time for families to come together and share what they have, as well as reaching out and helping those in need, but which one has truly managed to tap into its customers inner sentiments this holiday season?
Last year saw Tesco come out as the largest spender for Christmas campaigns among its peers, spending approximately 25 million pounds, according to unofficial data from Nielsen. However the investment failed to pay off, with the UK biggest retailer issuing a profit warning a few weeks after sales slumped during its “disappointing” Christmas. Although Tesco's is likely to have spend less on its holiday campaigning this year, the retailer is also struggling to regain customer confidence after being struck by a financial scandal earlier this year, during which its first half profit guidance was overstated by 250 million pounds.
But which ad truly connects to consumers expectations of Christmas?
Online, some consumers seem pleased with Tesco's Christmas advert this year, with one viewer commenting on YouTube: “Brilliant! Classy, festive feel good factor” and another adding: “Love it! The lights, Yes! Put them on!” However, others appear to remain on the fence and have yet to be won over by Tesco's. “With Tesco's current profit figures, can they REALLY afford the electricity bill for that little lot?,” wrote another user, with one adding: “Shouldn't you be sorting your accounts out instead of wasting money on stupid adverts?"
Then, there is Sainsbury's ad, which seems to have sparked numerous reactions among its viewers, as some question their sense of taste for using a war as means to advertise their products. “Revolting appropriation of tragedy for material gain. Hang your heads in shame, Sainsbury's,” commented one viewer on YouTube. However, despite the negative feedback from some members of the public, the majority of viewers online seem to be very moved by the advert. “I've seen this video a few times now, thanks to the internet the world over can see this commercial from the UK. It's the most powerful commercial I've seen, truly movie style production,” commented one viewer.
“I had watched this a few times, and after watching the story behind it and the making of, and then watching this once again, I cried. This is so powerful, congrats on an outstanding commercial," added another. "This is actually lovely! It's so promising to see something reminding people what Christmas is really about!," said a third. Since launching online on November 12, Sainsbury's advert on YouTube has over 12 million views, in comparison to Tesco's advert, which has gained just over 700,000 views since November 9, making it clear that Sainsbury's WWI commemorative ad has won the hearts of its consumers over, and most likely their wallets as well.