Christmas can come too early – or at least the adverts can
It’s just days since Halloween, but the Christmas advert season is well and truly upon us already.
But not everyone is feeling festive yet. Market researcher Kantar Group has revealed that 67 per cent of shoppers think the adverts are too early.
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On the other hand, 46 per cent love the festive adverts and can’t wait to see them on television.
Lynne Deason, head of creative excellence at Kantar, says that retailers had changed their strategies for their adverts this year:
“Overall there seems to be little in the way of brands focusing on product messaging, or even a higher purpose.”
Instead, the focus is much more on recreating the magic of the cinematic experience.
Asda’s advert, for example, tells the story of a young girl who uses her imagination to make other people’s wishes come true by capturing the magic of the Northern Lights.
Argos’ effort harks back to the days before ecommerce, reimagining the perennial classic catalogue as a “Book of Dreams”.
Deason says: It’s single minded, simple and assuming the supporting paid and earned channels deliver core brand messages as intended, then this should be a strong campaign for the brand.”
Iceland, on the other hand, has gone back to basics by focusing on its partnership with Disney for Frozen 2.
It’s an odd move, Deason said, for a company who want to be seen as so much more than a frozen food retailer.
“Reinforcing long held perceptions around their frozen heritage in such an obvious way, may seem like a slightly backwards step.”
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For Deason, all this Christmas cheer could be just what we need:
“Many of the brands are making a very deliberate effort to lift spirits and distract from the doom and gloom around! This is much needed with us hurtling towards a Christmas election and the prospect of a unending discussion on Brexit.”
Main image credit: Getty