Creative effectiveness platform System1 has revealed the early front runners in this year’s Christmas ad race based on its measurement of viewers’ emotional responses and big characters are taking the lead so far.
Currently leading the way is Aldi’s latest Kevin the Carrot spot narrowly followed by M&S Food. Both adverts have registered the maximum score on the platform’s Star Rating scale (5.9).
Notably, both films feature the return of familiar characters from seasonal ads past, with Kevin the Carrot exploring Willy Conker’s Christmas Factory and M&S Food’s Fairy meeting a pair of animated mittens.
“Santa’s never been this central to Christmas ads, and audiences can’t get enough of Saint Nick this year,” System1 chief customer officer, Jon Evans said.
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“It’s not just coincidence – it’s a sign that people are hungry for festive tradition and generosity, the things Santa symbolises best.
“That makes it even more impressive that Kevin the Carrot and the M&S Fairy can go toe-to-toe with the big red guy in branding terms – a sign of the power of investing in a strong fluent device character. Both those ads stress sharing and generosity too.
He added: “We’ve seen more purpose-led and down-to-earth ads in recent years as consumers deal with crisis after crisis, but this year it’s back to basics as brands put the Merry back in Christmas.”
Other top performers included Sainsbury’s’ “This Christmas, one little girl asks one BIG question” (5.7), Vodafone’s “Feel the Connection” (5.6), Coca-Cola’s “The World Needs More Santas (5.3) and Boots’s “Give Joy” (5.3).
