{"id":27501,"date":"2022-11-28T12:04:03","date_gmt":"2022-11-28T12:04:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.marketing-beat.co.uk\/?p=27501"},"modified":"2022-11-28T13:45:41","modified_gmt":"2022-11-28T13:45:41","slug":"asda-amazon-aldi-christmas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marketing-beat.co.uk\/2022\/11\/28\/asda-amazon-aldi-christmas\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 12 Christmas ads for 2022: Asda, Amazon and Aldi ‘understood the assignment’"},"content":{"rendered":"


\nIt\u2019s been a competitive Christmas ad season, with brands pulling out all the stops and providing a series of feelgood festive ads as well as some more emotionally charged efforts (we’re looking at you, John Lewis). But are they really effective?<\/p>\n

According to advertising effectiveness company System1, this year’s ads are in fact more effective than ever before, with its analysis revealing that 16 ads scored top marks this year – compared to just two in 2021.<\/p>\n

The data also revealed the most effective Christmas ads for 2022, highlighting that Asda, Amazon and Aldi ‘understood the assignment’ as they took the top three spots for ads with the greatest potential to drive long-term growth.<\/p>\n

Asda’s was the highest-scoring ad this year, with its\u00a0‘Buddy The Elf’ effort spliced Will Ferrell\u2019s character from the classic Christmas movie into its own footage<\/a> to surprising and magical effect. The ad scored a maximum 5.9 stars on System1\u2019s Test Your Ad scale.<\/p>\n

Also scoring top marks were Amazon, Aldi and M&S, which each made their best ever Christmas ad and would have topped the list in almost any other year.<\/p>\n

System1\u2019s\u00a0 one to five star scale predicts commercial effectiveness by measuring people\u2019s emotional response to ads<\/a> and the intensity of that response. Normally, just 1% of ads achieve a five star score; the mark of ads with exceptional potential to create long-term positive associations and grow market share.<\/p>\n

This year, an unprecedented 16 ads scored five stars and above.<\/p>\n

\u201cMarketers had a tricky job this Christmas thanks to the cost-of-living crisis and most of them got their ads bang on target,\u201d said System1’s chief customer officer Jon Evans.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been testing Christmas ads for a decade and we\u2019ve never seen as much five star work. We test Coke\u2019s classic Christmas Trucks ad every year as a benchmark and it usually places in the Top 3. This year it would barely scrape the Top 10.”<\/p>\n

\n

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Sign up here to get the latest Christmas campaigns sent straight to your inbox each morning<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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\u201c2022 is still going to be a tough Christmas for many, and Christmas ads won\u2019t change that,\u201d Evans said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut marketers have taken the right approach here. They\u2019re quietly acknowledging the circumstances families are facing but also trying their best to make ads that make people feel good, not remind them of their problems. It\u2019s a sign they\u2019ve learned from ads during the pandemic which lost all individuality in an attempt to sound caring.<\/p>\n

“As we enter recession it\u2019s really important to maintain a positive presence in people\u2019s minds so they\u2019re more likely to choose your brand when recovery does come. The Christmas ads of 2022 understood that assignment perfectly.\u201d<\/p>\n

1. Asda: Buddy The Elf (5.9 stars)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cChristmas movies are a bigger part of Xmas than ever so it\u2019s a genius move to recruit Buddy The Elf for this ad. There\u2019s huge brand recognition too so the elf isn\u2019t doing all the work! The only question is can ASDA follow this up or is this a brilliant one-off – but for now they\u2019re top of the Christmas tree.\u201d<\/p>\n

2. Amazon: Joy Is Made (5.9 stars)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cSentimental storytelling is one of the most popular Christmas Ad tactics and Amazon get it so right here with a genuinely original story of a Dad\u2019s dedication to make a perfect Christmas for his kid. Director Taika Waititi has form here – he did a 5-Star Christmas ad for Coke in 2020. He\u2019s a master at telling a story without dialogue, which is essential for a major global brand.\u201d<\/p>\n

3. Aldi: #KevinTheCarrot Aldi Christmas Ad 2022 (5.9 stars)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cAldi\u2019s consistency at Christmas is phenomenal. This is the fourth year in a row their Kevin the Carrot ad scored 5-Stars and they got a second 5-Star score with the trailer. It\u2019s another brilliant use of Christmas movies with a Home Alone homage – the other thing Aldi are so good at is rewarding multiple viewings with lots of hidden jokes.\u201d<\/p>\n

4. M&S: Gifts That Give (5.9 stars)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cThe charity Neighbourly feature in two of the top four ads – proving that a bit of purpose at Christmas can work really well. Everyone\u2019s aware how many people are feeling the pinch this year and brands acknowledging that by working with charities are getting a strong response. Great use of Harry Styles on the soundtrack too.”<\/p>\n

5. Lego: Holiday Film 2022 (5.8 stars)
\n<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cLego are a strong performer all year round as they have a brand people love and very consistent values around play and creativity. This is more of an inclusive holiday ad than a typical Christmas one which will help it do well globally.\u201d<\/p>\n

6. The National Lottery: A Christmas Love Story\u2019 (5.7 stars)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201c<\/strong>A beautiful bit of storytelling from the National Lottery which makes the product the hero without distracting from the love story at the ad\u2019s centre. It especially stands out because it\u2019s set at Christmas and has some of the holiday magic but it\u2019s very down to earth and human.\u201d<\/p>\n

7. Disney: The Gift (5.5 stars)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cDisney have quietly built up a Christmas Fluent Device – a repeated creative asset like Aldi\u2019s Kevin The Carrot. They\u2019re telling stories every year about the same little girl and her family so their ad feels warmly familiar even before the heartwarming story about a new baby sibling begins. It\u2019s one of the rare 2022 ads which includes and resolves a bit of negative emotion on the way.\u201d<\/p>\n

8. Lidl: The Story Of Lidl Bear (5.4 stars)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cIf you can\u2019t beat them, join them – Lidl here have a very tongue-in-cheek take on the idea of a \u201cChristmas character\u201d but when you remove the cynical wrapping there\u2019s a very sentimental tale being told. They\u2019ve got the balance just right, and if you can\u2019t have your cake and eat it at Christmas, when can you?\u201d<\/p>\n

9. Barbour: One Of A Kind-Ness (5.3 stars)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cMost clothing brands don\u2019t do commercials well at Christmas, which is a missed opportunity given how popular clothes are as gifts. Barbour is an exception, bringing in Paddington Bear again to emphasise their brand heritage and positioning. It\u2019s their first 5-Star ad after several good performances.\u201d<\/p>\n

10. Tesco: The Christmas Party (5.2 stars)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cHats off to Tesco for being brave enough to tackle this year\u2019s miserable economic situation head on with their tongue-in-cheek political party that promises Christmas joy. It could have gone oh so wrong but pitch-perfect execution and an ad stuffed with funny moments mean it landed a 5-Star score.\u201d<\/p>\n

11. Cadbury: Secret Santa (5.2 stars)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cCadbury have been running their Secret Santa campaign for a few years but this is the clearest explanation yet of what it actually is and does. It\u2019s a lovely idea and one the ad really sells.\u201d<\/p>\n

12. Boots: #JoyForAll (5.2 stars)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cAn example of an ad with a wonderful creative idea – magic specs which let you see Christmas joy in everything – and execution that lives up to it. It really sums up the winning approach this year, taking a positive outlook and trying to spread joy around.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Asda, Amazon and Aldi have taken the top three Christmas ads spots with “exceptional potential to create long-term positive associations”.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":38,"featured_media":27516,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[588,8858,8485,8481,8857],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marketing-beat.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27501"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marketing-beat.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marketing-beat.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marketing-beat.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/38"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marketing-beat.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27501"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.marketing-beat.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27501\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27526,"href":"https:\/\/www.marketing-beat.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27501\/revisions\/27526"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marketing-beat.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27516"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marketing-beat.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27501"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marketing-beat.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27501"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marketing-beat.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27501"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}