±±¾©Èü³µpk10

Although Sainsbury’s seasonal advertising revolved around a ‘Christmas Calamity’, Mog the cat has proved far from calamitous for the retailer.  

Jump to the Adwatch of the Year tables

In Marketing’s poll of the best-liked Christmas retail commercials, Mog has come out on top, beating John Lewis and Aldi into second and third place respectively – although it scores surprisingly poorly in terms of pure recall (an Adwatch score of just 32% compared to John Lewis’ 60%)

Adwatch of the Year charts 2015’s 20 best-recalled TV brands, the ten most memorable individual commercials and the best-liked advertising, outside of the Christmas ad scrum, that Adwatch has featured throughout 2015.   

Christmas is now the ‘British Super Bowl’ with the festive commercial break a battleground which all brands (and retailers in particular) aspire to conquer

But there’s no doubt about it: Christmas is now the ‘British Super Bowl’ with the festive commercial break a battleground which all brands (and retailers in particular) aspire to conquer. This is why Marketing’s 2015 commentary focuses on the season’s televisual offerings from the ten most significant supermarkets and retailers – and Mog has helped Sainsbury’s claw its way to the top in terms of likeability.

All retailers, driven by the importance of the December sales period, need a Christmas campaign that strikes a chord with the public.  And Adwatch’s Christmas Likeability poll (conducted by TNS among a representative sample of 1000 UK consumers) makes interesting reading.  

Despite impressive recall statistics, boosted no doubt by the now-inevitable hype surrounding its launch, John Lewis’ ‘Man on the moon’ ad received a mixed reception from the industry and from the general public as well. Its Adwatch likeability rating was 41%, six per cent below Mog’s 47% and a full 15% lower than the chain scored last year with Monty the penguin.

Aldi’s ‘My Favourite Things’ campaign, with a likeability score of 39%, is running a close third – and is also one of the three best-remembered Christmas campaigns, along with John Lewis and Tesco.  

Although Tesco – the only campaign featuring celebrities and the second best-recalled – was generally regarded as a toe-curler by advertising commentators, it has proved popular among the general public. It achieved fourth place in the Adwatch likeability leagues with 33%, closely followed by M&S and Boots in joint fifth.  

Surprisingly, Lidl’s School of Christmas, despite being widely admired in the industry, comes in ninth with a mere 27%.  Meanwhile, Morrisons trails in tenth place for the second year running – although this year’s staff bakers and butchers scored higher likeability scores than Ant and Dec managed last year.

Ebiquity UK not only sources the commercials that TNS researches for Adwatch throughout the year but also provides the Adwatch of the Year budget figures.The company’s chief executive officer Morag Blazey says the Sainsbury’s and John Lewis winning likeability results make sense.  

Christmas storytelling

She explains: "They both tell stories evoking the spirit of Christmas, rather than the shopping list of Christmas – and that is important. They are proper stories with a beginning, a middle and an end, and they enable people to empathise and feel involved.  Sainsbury’s did well because of people’s familiarity with, and fondness for, the Mog character – and because the Christmas message at the end is particularly strong."

Both John Lewis and Sainsbury’s have strong charity links, John Lewis to Age UK and Sainsbury’s to Save the Children’s child literacy project.  And with the ‘Mog’s Christmas Calamity’ book on sale instore as a seasonal gift, the Sainsbury’s link is particularly cohesive.

The charity link ties in and is a great opportunity to do some good as a brand, while building brand fame

Craig Mawdsley, chief strategy officer at Sainsbury’s agency AMV BBDO, believes that likeability is crucial for Christmas advertising:  "The best-liked commercials get a PR bounce from editorial coverage and from being shared – and likeability is a huge factor in achieving brand warmth.  The charity link ties in and is a great opportunity to do some good as a brand, while building brand fame, and that is a positive facet which customers really appreciate."  

Blazey adds: "Instinct suggests that well-liked advertising works harder because people are more receptive to the message. Such campaigns can certainly change people’s views of organisations, but only time will tell whether they will prove successful in the marketplace."

John Lewis claims that ‘Man on the moon’ has brought increased seasonal footfall and spend. Sainsbury’s, meanwhile, is not revealing how well Mog’s popularity is translating into sales; we will have to wait for January’s trading update to discover the winners and losers in the annual battle of the supermarket aisles.

Yet despite the pressures, the fight for Christmas hearts, minds and wallets is one that marketers and agencies continue to relish.  As Mawdsley admits:  "A simple, open brief to entertain the nation, with an expectant audience who are actively anticipating your work… how often can we say that about advertising nowadays?"

Best-liked Christmas 2015 ads

Best-liked ads of 2015 (not including Christmas ads)

Highest brand recall across 2015

Highest recall in a single week

Methodology

Adwatch was conducted on behalf of Marketing by TNS among a representative sample of 1000 UK consumers, with the ads sourced by Ebiquity.

Adspend data supplied by Ebiquity. TV adspend is from Dec 2014 to Nov 2015. Total adspend includes:  press, TV, radio & online display from Dec 2014 to Nov 2015 and Outdoor, DM & Cinema from Nov 2014 – Oct  2015.