Brand
M&S
Brand owner
Marks & Spencer Group
Media agency
Walker Media
Creative agency
RKCR/Y&R
M&S has replaced Coca-Cola as the brand whose advertising embodies the spirit of Christmas.
This year's £10m festive campaign, which launched on TV on 11 November, features a roll-call of celebrities including Stephen Fry, James Nesbitt, actor Philip Glenister and Absolutely Fabulous legends Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley.
Cartoon characters Wallace & Gromit also appear, joining M&S regulars Twiggy, former Hearsay singer Myleene Klass and model Noemie Lenoir.
The ad uses the strapline "Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without..." and pushes products including mince pies, clothing, the retailer's online shopping service and, of course, "that perfect little black dress".
The campaign also takes a humorous look at what makes Christmas perfect, keeping the warm tone associated with M&S advertising - from Glenister's "That girl prancing around in her underwear" to Lumley's "Stuffing... your face sweetie".
The campaign has been a roaring success, with the brand's index and buzz scores rising significantly since the ad aired earlier this month. Two days before the campaign launched, the buzz score for the brand was +35 - a week later it had increased five points to +40.
However, developments earlier in the month cast a shadow over the recession-led trend for using price-comparison ads.
At the beginning of November, M&S launched a series of press ads comparing the prices of its products to those of Waitrose's Essentials range, using the strapline: "Price checked against Waitrose Essentials. Quality checked by M&S."
In the week the ads were published, Waitrose experienced its highest sales growth in a normal trading week since 2006. The buzz scores for Waitrose rose from +19 on 30 October to +24 by 4 November, but dropped to +19 points a week later.
The buzz scores for M&S increased from +31 on 30 October to +32 by 4 November, however M & S bucked the trend experienced by Waitrose and continued climbing to an impressive +37 points a week later.
M&S will hope its ads encourage footfall for its stores and place it in a strong position to give its rivals a run for their money in the run-up to Christmas.
By Sarah Murphy
www.brandindex.co.uk
