Sparkle and Sentiment

The 2024 holiday season witnessed UK brands launching some of their most creative and emotionally engaging Christmas campaigns to date. Building on the success of previous years, these campaigns aim to resonate with audiences through emotional storytelling, inclusivity, and innovative concepts. Here is a compilation of the best (according to my best judgment), the most unique campaigns -

John Lewis, ‘The Gifing Hour’

Is it even Christmas without an emotional John Lewis advert? This year, John Lewis continued its tradition of heartwarming Christmas adverts with "The Gifting Hour." The campaign features a woman who discovers a magical way to find the perfect gift for her sister, set against the backdrop of the brand's Oxford Street store. The advert is accompanied by Richard Ashcroft's song "Sonnet," adding a nostalgic touch. According to North, if the music matches the brand's personality, it increases ad effectiveness and purchase intention (North et al., 1999)

Waitrose, ‘Sweet Suspicion: A Waitrose Mystery’

Waitrose introduces a festive whodunit in its 2025 campaign. The two-part narrative centres around the disappearance of the No.1 Waitrose Red Velvet Bauble Dessert during a family gathering. The campaign engages viewers with interactive elements, including a physical evidence board at King's Cross Station and in-store activities, inviting customers to participate in solving the mystery. According to Huotari & Hamari, gamification enhances intrinsic motivation and drives engagement and behavioral loyalty (Huotari & Hamari, 2017).  By gamifying the shopping experience, it made the act of shopping more than transactional, like a play. 

Aldi, ‘Get into the Christmas Spirit with Kevin the Carrot’

Aldi's repeated use of Kevin the Carrot over nine years underscores brand continuity—a critical concept in building a strong brand. Keller (2003) argues that consistent brand messaging and visual elements, such as a recognisable character, help to reinforce brand equity and contribute to brand recognition. Kevin's return year after year strengthens the brand’s holiday identity and ensures consumer recall, making Aldi a go-to choice during the festive season.

LEGO Group, ‘Cataclaws Is Coming To Town’

The campaign’s use of Cataclaws, a character born from children's imagination, is a powerful form of narrative advertising. As Escalas (2004) outlines, storytelling in branding enables narrative transportation, where consumers become emotionally immersed in the story, increasing brand attachment and persuasion. The magical world of Cataclaws taps into childhood wonder, aligning LEGO with imagination and joy.

These campaigns embodied the festive spirit while emphasising emotional connection, storytelling, and brand consistency. 

References:

1. Escalas, J.E., 2004. Narrative Processing: Building Consumer Connections to Brands. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 14(1-2), pp.168–180.

2. Huotari, K. and Hamari, J., 2017. A definition of gamification: A brief literature review of gamification definitions. In: Proceedings of the 2017 50th Hawaii international conference on system sciences (HICSS). Waikoloa, HI, USA, 4-7 January 2017. IEEE, pp. 3025-3034.

3. John Lewis & Partners (2024) 'The Gifting Hour | John Lewis & Partners | Christmas Ad 2024'. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55ghIHTaRzM (Accessed: 6 January 2025)

4. Keller, K.L., 2003. Strategic Brand Management: Building, Measuring, and Managing Brand Equity. 2nd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

5. LEGO (2024) Cataclaws – LEGO Holiday Campaign 2024. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=[INSERT_VIDEO_ID] (Accessed: 6 January 2025)

6. North, A. C., Hargreaves, D. J., & McKendrick, J. (1999). "The influence of in-store music on wine selections." Journal of Applied Psychology, 84(2), 271–276.

7. Waitrose & Partners (2024) 'Waitrose Christmas Advert 2024'. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81Iv6IwANRU (Accessed: 6 January 2025).