Great Christmas campaigns are expected, every year, from the main British retailers. From “the benchmark” that John Lewis represents to House of Frasier‘s “alternative” approach, this first week of November will let us see what Christmas 2016 brings.
The teasers and the first ads has just been lunched this weekend. But before reviewing them, here are some things I’ve read and liked:
- “A product ad with a chart-topping song is no longer enough to drive a commercially successful Christmas.” (says Frankie Oliver, strategic comms consultant)
- “We still had a great response for Man on the Moon, but there were a few murmurings about it being a bit sad and did it touch people in slightly the wrong way? So we’ve been really thinking about that.” (says Rachel Swift, head of brand marketing at John Lewis)
- “People at Christmas want to be engaged in stories.” (says Craig Inglis, customer director and marketing chief at John Lewis)
The teasers: #KevinTheCarrot vs #BounceBounce
Orange is the new 'Man On The Moon' #KevinTheCarrot
— Kevin The Carrot (@kevinthecarrot) November 4, 2016
Kevin The Carrot arrived on Twitter over the weekend with a wink to “Man On The Moon”, so many users believed it was a John Lewis’ campaign teaser – until someone realized the font was more Aldi than John Lewis. The fact that Aldi did a spoof of Man On the Moon in 2015 could also give us a hint. The bets are open!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzsMiCBzciY
EDIT. The bets are closed: it is now confirmed that #KevinTheCarrot is the cute protagonist of Morrison’s Christmas 2016 campaign.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCZrWFrRgbQ
The Twitter account for Bounce is also rumored to be part of John Lewis’ campaign. The account was created in September and, so far, has posted just one tweet featuring the hashtag #BounceBounce. We’ll have to wait a few more days to find out!
EDIT. It’s been confirmed that #BusterTheBoxer is the protagonist of John Lewis’ 2016 Christmas campaign, created by Adam&EveDDB. To facilitate consumer engagement with the campaign, the retailer has also set up Snapchat lenses and Twitter stickers that allow users to include Buster and his bouncing friends into their social media content.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sr6lr_VRsEo
Head over to Snapchat today to transform into #BusterTheBoxer pic.twitter.com/EyG1c40fBd
— John Lewis & Partners (@JohnLewisRetail) November 10, 2016
Bring Buster and his friends into your world by using our Twitter stickers! Click the 😀 when uploading a pic #BusterTheBoxer pic.twitter.com/OArOYZz3hB
— John Lewis & Partners (@JohnLewisRetail) November 10, 2016
The early birds: House of Fraser and Morrison
After “Your Christmas, Your Rules”, in 2016 “Christmas is Coming to Get You”. I personally really like House of Fraser’s approach to the Christmas spirit. Their ads are certainly product-centered, but their contemporary aesthetics, stylish production and the energy they exude are helping the retailer build a very recognizable presence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pru7cKgSEEg
With Morrison Makes It, the retailer aims to highlight the role food plays in the festive season and how it helps facilitate the special moments around Christmas. The piece is consistent with last year’s campaign, for which they dumped their traditional celebrity tie-up in favor of a back-to-basics approach featuring its own staff.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=40&v=J-hqWBvYvxY
While we wait…
While we wait for more 2016 campaigns, here are the best ads of Christmas 2015.