Christmas adverts: decoding the trusted formula used to pull on consumers’ heart strings

This Christmas, major brands in the UK are spending more than £10 billion on advertising. And to justify the big spend, they are using sophisticated emotional marketing strategies to capture attention and boost sales.

One approach to understanding how these adverts work is by using a framework designed by the social psychologist William McGuire.

He identified six steps that help a brand influence the behaviour of the consumer. It starts with presenting the message, followed by the audience paying attention and then understanding it. The viewer then needs to agree with the message, remember it, and then finally respond or behave in the appropriate way – by consuming.

So the first step is when the advert is broadcast or posted on social media. In the weeks (and months) before Christmas, some brands have managed to turn this into a festive event in itself. The festive period is also useful in those steps, as long-standing traditions and familiar narratives help the consumer positively absorb the advert’s message.

Clever use of nostalgia, music and celebrity can help make some adverts impactful and memorable. With the hope that the whole Christmassy combination will end with a purchase.

John Lewis, of course, has become a master of these techniques in recent years. The department store’s annual Christmas offering is almost guaranteed to provide viewers (shoppers) with a welcome dose of nostalgia, using a relatable storyline and evocative music.

This year Coca-Cola has unashamedly taken the nostalgic route too. With a little help from a very modern technical gift, generative AI, Coke decided to re-imagine one of its most famous adverts.

The soft drinks giant worked with three tech companies to bring the “holidays are coming” idea to a new audience, with branded trucks passing through a town as residents react with joy.

So far, reviews are mixed. Some have enjoyed the new take, but others think the “magic” has been lost due to computer software being unable to really capture genuine emotion.

Research also shows that some brands try to establish certain qualities that make them seem human-like and easier for consumers to engage with, creating a long-lasting emotional hook.

One example of this is the supermarket Asda, which has taken the emotional nostalgia of the garden gnome and turned the animated characters into the stars of its Christmas campaign – which are also available to buy.

Buying a Christmas advert gnome would represent the ultimate final step of a successful campaign. And according to Asda, the advert has led to a 5,000% rise in gnome-related searches on its website.

Diverse approaches

Other ways to compete for Christmas attention includes M&S using the celebrity appeal of the comedian Dawn French, who is back as the voice of the store’s festive fairy – and also appearing as herself in a six-part series of adverts.

Sainsbury’s meanwhile is toying with the emotional connection of a children’s literary classic by bringing Roald Dahl’s BFG (Big Friendly Giant) to life, filmed in scenes with a Sainsbury’s employee called Sophie.

Away from the food aisles, fashion brands tend to focus on empowerment during the Christmas season. A good example is TK Maxx’s ad featuring fashionista farm animals to a Gwen Stefani soundtrack and a simple narrative hinting at the empowering qualities of clothing.

Christmas controversy

And what’s Christmas (advertising) without a bit of controversy? This year the pharmacy chain Boots has gone with an advert that stars a black Mrs Claus doing the prep for a snoozing white Santa, which includes describing a present approvingly as “very them” instead of “very him” or “very her”.

It has generated plenty of discussion about gender and race, and plenty of media coverage for Boots.

Sadvertising

Lots of these adverts aimed at our emotional side are designed to make us smile. However, there is a long history of publicity playing with the heartstrings of the consumer. The term “sadvertising” refers to advertising that makes us sad, and is used all over the world by ad agencies crafting poignant stories.

Read more: Black Friday: why our brains love a bargain

A good (sad) Christmas example is another John Lewis Christmas commercial from 2011 called The Long Wait, featuring a young boy’s tortuous countdown to December 25. The boss of the agency that created it said the idea came from an attempt to articulate the brand’s “unique relationship with their customers”.

Christmas is a chance for many brands to reinvigorate that relationship. And they often do this through big-budget campaigns designed to manipulate consumer emotions – by tapping into nostalgia, humour and even a little bit of social observation. All of those ingredients will hopefully create memorable experiences that resonate with consumers – and persuade them to spend.

Carl W. Jones does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.