Our thinking

The most wonderful time of the year for ads?

4 November, 2022

The clocks have gone back. The days are getting shorter. And yes, Christmas is on its way. While there are still more than seven weeks to go, early November usually marks the start of the big-budget Christmas tv ad extravaganza. Indeed, for many of us, the arrival of the Coca-Cola truck is the first sign that the festive season has truly arrived. But this year is likely to be different as brands and retailers try to navigate the difficult issue of how to market and sell their products while the world is burning, a war is raging, and people are struggling to put food on the table amidst the cost-of-living crisis.  

Against this backdrop it is understandable that there is some anxiety in ad land. With 47% of shoppers worried about Christmas this year, only 18% strongly agreeing that they are looking forward to Christmas ads (down 5% from last year), and 50% planning to spend less, advertisers cannot risk appearing tone deaf to austerity. Brands cannot ignore the world we are living in and will have to work hard to strike the right balance between celebration and excess. Overtly consumerist messaging is unlikely to land well.   

Some of the big hitters have reacted to the current crises by redirecting marketing spend to more important and impactful things, and for this we applaud them. John Lewis will undoubtedly release its highly anticipated Christmas campaign over the coming weeks, but this year the retailer has chosen to spend some of its marketing budget on free meals for staff struggling with the cost-of-living crisis. We would encourage businesses to follow in John Lewis’s footsteps, think about how their budgets are spent and finding savings which can be used to alleviate pressures where possible. But this doesn’t haven’t to mean no marketing at all.   

We understand the predicament businesses and brands are in. However, we would argue that if you believe your product brings real value to people’s lives and is fairly priced then you have the right to tell people about it. Of course, this needs to be done in a sensitive way that acknowledges the world as it is, but this is exactly what you pay your ad agencies to navigate. Put yourself out there and let the people decide. 

By Lydia Thorold