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The Christmas advertising season is now in full swing in the UK, with John Lewis releasing its festive offering on Thursday. The ad features one woman’s journey through her memories, set to Richard Ashcroft’s 1990s track Sonnet. The lack of celebrities is a deliberate decision by the retailer, according to its customer director, Charlotte Lock. The message preferred by consumers this year is “a bit of emotion and sentimentality”, particularly after “a tough year, with global conflict and an economic crisis”, Ms Lock said. Meanwhile, Aldi brings back popular character Kevin the Carrot, while Morrisons’ video features singing oven gloves.
Retailers spend collectively around £10.5bn ($14bn) on Christmas advertisements, according to the Advertising Association and World Advertising Research Centre. But it’s also about more than just getting consumers through the doors, according to Professor Helen Wheatley, an expert in TV history. “Adverts have become part of the ritual surrounding Christmas… partly because it’s an absolutely prime time for retailers to be speaking to potential consumers. And partly because it’s entrenched and it’s something they’ve always done,” she said. Wheatley also noted that some things don’t change, with retailers keen to conjure up a sense of cosiness and familiarity.
While John Lewis chose to shun celebrities in its Christmas commercial, the supermarket chain Waitrose features Succession’s Matthew Macfadyen, while Greggs uses TV chef Nigella Lawson to show off its festive lineup. Marks and Spencer has Dawn French as a festive fairy, with the actress also appearing as herself in the commercials. Meanwhile, Sainsbury’s enlisted a beloved character, the Big Friendly Giant, while Lidl shows the joy of sharing.
This year’s adverts have taken a lighthearted approach in many cases. Retail expert Catherine Shuttleworth suggested that humor was being used to “raise spirits after what has been a difficult year in the world”. She notes that John Lewis has instead chosen to pursue a more traditional approach. The department store’s 202
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