3 November: Morrisons calls on the help of singing oven gloves for food-focused Christmas ad
Morrisons is putting food at the centre of its Christmas campaign this year, alongside an array of singing oven glove puppets.
The supermarket is building on its ‘More Reasons to Shop at Morrisons’ jingle -which it brought back earlier this year after a 17-year hiatus – with a festive twist, while putting the focus on those doing the cooking this Christmas.
The 60-second film from agency Leo Burnett is soundtracked by Starship’s 80s anthem ‘Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now’ – sung by the mishmash of gloves and other kitchen utensils.
As well as the hero TV ad, the campaign will run across radio, press, digital display, social media and OOH. It launches on 6 November during the Coronation Street ad break on ITV.
Rachel Eyre, chief customer and marketing officer at Morrisons, says: “We’ve once again placed marketing effectiveness front and centre across the whole planning and development process of this campaign with the aim being to get really emotionally engaging work that’s highly impactful.”
3 November: Vodafone catches Santa on camera in Christmas 2023 campaign
Vodafone and Ogilvy UK have focused upon ‘the power of connection’ for its Christmas campaign this year, with an ad featuring a girl and her family trying to catch Santa on camera.
Citing research that almost half of people (46%) in the UK want to see Christmas campaigns that “remind them of better times”, the ad takes an uplifting and humorous approach to celebrating the festive season. The narrative-led ad features a girl named Lily, who uses Vodafone’s tech in order to get ahead of the elusive Santa and capture the Christmas character on camera – and succeeding, to the shock of her parents.
Maria Koutsoudakis, head of brand at Vodafone UK, says: “In today’s cultural climate we have listened to the customer and understood their desire to have something optimistic and light hearted during this festive season.”
Justin Cox, MD at Team Vodafone for Ogilvy UK, says: “At this magical time of year creating special moments for friends and families is the most important role a brand can play. Vodafone and Ogilvy UK are very proud of this latest #FeeltheConnection campaign. Wherever you are, whoever you are with, feeling connected at Christmas is the ultimate gift.”
The 30 second ad, directed by Vince Squibb, is set to debut tonight during Stand Up to Cancer on Channel 4 and will run until 24 December 2023. It is also available to watch across TV, VOD, cinema, and Vodafone UK’s YouTube channel, following its debut on 3 November 2023 with a 30-second ad running on a number of spots, including ITV’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!
2 November: Baileys lassos Hannah Waddingham for Christmas ad
It wouldn’t be Christmas advert season without Baileys getting in on the act, and the brand has duly obliged with its latest campaign launching today (2 Nov) with Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham.
The Irish cream liqueur brand has long been associated with the festive season – Baileys claims to sell two bottles every second in December – and ‘Symphony of Indulgence’ plays true to form.
Waddingham, who is having a very busy festive season with this her second advert alongside her M&S appearance which was released on Wednesday (1 Nov), can be seen playing the role of conductor of the Gold Vocal Collective choir when she suggests they stop to enjoy a Baileys Christmas ‘Choc-tail’.
Charlotte Gibbon, marketing category director for gins, Pimms and Baileys at Diageo, spoke of her “excitement” in kicking off the Christmas period with this campaign with Waddingham. “This is truly the most indulgent time of year with so many treating occasions, so we invite treat lovers all over the world to join in the festive cheer and drizzle some deliciousness as they celebrate the season with friends and family.”
The ad was created by creative agency Forsman and Bodenfors and goes live across broadcast channels today.
1 November: Asda pops the Bublé in Xmas ad teaser
Asda is teasing the full release of its Christmas ad campaign for 2023 with a trailer to be shown on ITV’s Good Morning Britain today.
The teaser, which sees a trio of Asda employees following an “unusual gurgling sound” through a festively decorated warehouse to discover its source, shows off the celebrity guest the supermarket retailer has signed up to be the face of its Christmas campaign – singer Michael Bublé.
The full campaign is not set to go live until 4 November. On that date a 90-second “showstopping” Christmas ad will go live, accompanied by social and other executions of the ad using the campaign hashtag #AsdaXmasBublé.
David Hills, Asda’s chief customer officer, who took on the role in September, says: “At Asda, we absolutely love Christmas and this year we’re once again on a mission to bring that warm, festive feeling to households across the UK. Today, we’re putting the speculation to rest and confirming that the legend that is Michael Bublé is partnering with us this Christmas to put on a showstopping performance.”
The ad is a departure from Asda’s Christmas ad from last year, which saw archive footage of Will Ferrell’s character Buddy from the movie Elf superimposed into Asda stores. Instead, the teaser plays up the glittery, celebratory side of Christmas, in anticipation of the full campaign launch on the weekend.
1 November: Argos make toy mascots the stars of its Christmas campaign
Argos has put its wide range of goods at the centre of its Christmas campaign – as well as its toy mascots Connie and Trevor.
The retailer is building on its ‘There’s More To Argos’ brand platform with an ad that showcases everything it has to offer, from electronics to homeware to toys. All soundtracked by Chic’s famous party song ‘Le Freak’.
The 40-second ad sees Connie (a DesignaFriend doll) performing an elaborate dance routine across a long table as Trevor (a green Chad Valley dinosaur toy) films her. It turns out that Connie’s efforts were all in vain, however, as Trevor (voiced by This Country’s Charlie Cooper) was actually filming a selfie the entire time.
The toy duo were introduced as Argos’s brand mascots in the summer as a spin on the ‘toys come to life’ genre. They are Argos’s second brand characters after the retailer retired its alien mascots in 2014.
“There was no better way to show off what you can find at Argos this Christmas than bringing back our loveable and family-friendly characters Connie and Trevor,” says Argos head of campaigns Laura Boothby.
“In a festive-themed adventure, the dynamic duo spotlight just a few of the incredible products our customers can buy this Christmas and bring them to life in a witty and playful way – igniting the Christmas joy our customers can find at Argos.”
The ad was created by creative agency The&Partnership and was produced by Stink Films. It will debut tonight on ITV1 at 7.45pm during Emmerdale.
31 October: Pukka partners with LadBaby for Christmas pie
Pukka is launching its first limited edition pie this Christmas – and is teaming up with festive number one favourites LadBaby to raise money for the Trussell Trust.
Isaac Fisher, managing director at Pukka, says the pie maker’s customers have been asking for a festive pie for “quite some time now”.
The Christmas dinner pie, which includes festive flavours like sage and onion stuffing and chipolata sausages, was developed alongside LadBaby, also known as Mark and Rox Hoyle, the Christmas parody song duo known for their love of sausage rolls.
Each pie sold will raise money for the Trussell Trust, a charity which is working to end hunger and poverty in the UK, and who LadBaby have raised money for in the past. Pukka will donate 10p from every pie sold to the Trussell Trust.
“As well as having lots of fun with this launch, it’s important to us that we also give back – particularly at a time of year that can be difficult for many – which is why we are proud to be raising money for the Trussell Trust, supporting the fantastic work they do towards tackling hunger and poverty in the UK,” says Fisher.
The launch is supported with a PR, social media and influencer campaign to drive visibility for the NPD, along with in-store and online shopper marketing support.
30 October: Peroni Nastro Azzurro launches first global festive campaign
Peroni has launched a global winter campaign for the first time in the beer brand’s history.
‘Live Every Moment, All Year Around’ features a film, created with agency Unbound and directed by Tom Green. It is set on a snowy Torino street and features locals working together to clear the pathway leading to a local bar.
The Asahi-owned brand is positioning itself as a beer to be drunk across the festive season, with the campaign to be extended into 2024. It is being shown in cinemas and will feature on OOH activations and London bus wraps.
“We saw an opportunity to put our premium lager at the forefront of the festive season, bringing people together through an emotive narration,” says Camilla Scognamiglio, global marketing manager at Peroni Nastro Azzurro.
“By highlighting Peroni Nastro Azzurro to cinema goers during the winter months, we are ensuring the brand is front of mind for those looking to experience premium beer either in their local post viewing or at home for social occasions,” adds Jonathan Norman, global brands director at Asahi UK.
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