ASDA
Consumers say: Asda won the highest marks (6.2/10) in our exclusive consumer survey, with a staggering 30% saying that the supermarket’s 2011 Xmas ad campaign made them more likely to pay a visit to their local branch of Asda. Despite this, only 2,250 had viewed the ad on YouTube – compared with the 800,000 who’d viewed Waitrose’s – and finding comments, positive or otherwise, about the campaign on social media sites was easier said than done.
Ad land says: “Have Asda been at granny’s Advocaat already?” asks Simon Robinson, integrated creative director at Kitcatt Nohr Digitas. “I would have thought that if there was ever a time to talk about Asda’s core value of, well, value, then Christmas as we stand on the brink of a terrifying recession might just be it.”
The Grocer says: It looks like an M&S ad and sounds like an M&S ad – but it’s Asda shouting about the culinary credentials of its Extra Special range. On the one hand, hiring upmarket Leiths Cookery School sounds like a great idea – it certainly seems to have convinced potential customers to give Asda a try – but do Asda’s core of value conscious customers really care who created their mince pies? Likely to be a hit for some and a miss for others.
MORRISONS
Consumers say: “Just love this advert … Well done Morrisons on beautiful advertising – it makes Christmas feel special.” Although there’s also the odd detractor –“Are they using Freddie Flintoff just for the sake of it? He’s not really someone I associate with Christmas” – the ad came second in our survey with 6.1/10 and, more importantly, 28% said it made them more likely to shop there this Xmas.
Ad land says: “Although I’m not against a random Sir Bruce Forsyth catchphrase gag, if there is an idea in the Morrisons ad, it’s very well hidden,” says Wunderman creative director Martin Gent. “It feels more like a justification to Morrisons’ executive board – we’ve built shops, they are open at Christmas and people will come to them.” Robinson adds: “Freddie Flintoff doesn’t seem entirely confident talking about food, but there are enough winsome models and gurning children to help him through the script.”
The Grocer says: Sure, the advert has attracted more than its fair share of mockers online, thanks to Freddie’s “people will come – people will definitely come” line (cue juvenile sniggers), but the rather surreal pairing of national treasures Flintoff and Forsyth appears to have secured a Brucie bonus for Morrisons.
M&S
Consumers say: “I feel physically sick – M&S must be desperate … A bloody disgrace, I cringe every time I see it! M&S have always had good ads especially at Xmas but this advert is an absolute embarrassment. Whoever came up with this in their marketing team should be fired, they’ve sold out.” The ad scored 5.9/10, but damningly, a whopping 20% said it actually made them less likely to shop at M&S.
Ad land says: “The comments on YouTube speak volumes – it’s not the class act that we’ve come to expect from M&S,” says one ad exec. Robinson is equally damning. “It must be terrifying,” he says. “One minute you’re Britain’s favourite brand and every decision you and your agency make is the right one. Then all of a sudden you’re not and they’re not.”
The Grocer says: Jaw-dropping for all the wrong reasons. The retailer’s mini-musical starring X-Factor finalists marks a new low for a company with a strong track record of star-studded Christmas ads. As Guardian critic Charlie Brooker eloquently opined: “If it [M&S] really wanted to run with someone who’d been in the papers a lot, it would have had more success having its campaign fronted by the bloodied corpse of Muammar Gaddafi.”
”SAINSBURY’S
Consumers say: “I took part in the Sainsbury’s survey regarding this advert and I am sorry to say I find the end product very disappointing. Where are all the big TV personalities as recommended? Where is the fab singalong music that we all recognise and love?” The ad actually scored 6/10 in our survey – and 21% said it made them more likely to pay a visit, but 14% said they were less likely to shop at Sainsbury’s. In short, a hung jury.
Ad land says: “It’s Christmas so we have to have a pantomime and who’s Cinders? Why Jamie Oliver of course. Except that he’s all happy and glowing and he’s got ‘all the ingredients for a showstopping Christmas’… But oh no he hasn’t,” says Robinson. An ad industry colleague adds: “It’s trying hard to be a big Xmas extravaganza but it’s based on no insight or emotional connection. Anyone else find the song creepy?”
Grocer says: In Oliver’s swansong for the retailer, he cheerily lays on a smorgasbord of goodies for various panto characters to a George Formby number. There’s plenty of glitter but there’s an over reliance on borrowed celebrity equity and it doesn’t leave Oliver’s followers begging for more. Especially because they’ll all know that he’s now split with Sainsbury’s.
WAITROSE
Consumers say: “This advert is just so amazing, Delia just sounds so nice and cheerful, she would be such a good home economics teacher in a secondary school … Well Done Waitrose!!!! Wonderful school of magic… When can we buy the bouche?” Our survey respondents gave the ad a very solid 6/10, with 26% saying it made them want to shop at Waitrose this Christmas, while it was a turn-off for just 12% of viewers.
Ad land says: “In this ad Heston and Delia find themselves in a festive version of Hogwarts and that’s a good thing because the campaign is all about the magic of Christmas,” says Robinson. Another ad creative adds: “Classy infomercial with two of Britain’s best loved chefs. It is what it is with not much to love or hate about it, but it is nicely shot.”
The Grocer says: Starring the brand ambassadorial odd couple Heston Blumenthal and Delia Smith, the ad also features a ‘Blip’ that allows viewers to download a recipe for Smith’s Christmas cake. With more than 800,000 YouTube views and counting, Waitrose’s ‘school of Christmas magic’ ranks alongside parent company John Lewis’ tearjerker as one of the best Christmas ads of 2011.
TESCO
Consumers say: “God, Julie Walters’ voice is annoying and so is the ad … There are two good things about it: Fairytale of New York and the Golden Retriever playing in the snow.” The ad was the least popular in our survey, scoring 5.8/10. It was also the least successful in inspiring more shoppers through its doors, with 17% saying the ad made them more likely to try Tesco and 13% being so irritated by it that they were less likely to darken its doorstep.
Ad land says: “Tesco has attempted to keep an idea in the ad but then it sort of loses it somewhere near the fruit and veg aisle,” says Wunderman’s Gent. Another advertising insider adds: “A bit of alliteration does little to give a generic series of Christmas scenes any charm or engagement.”
The Grocer says: Tesco’s ad features ordinary members of the public preparing for Christmas with the voiceover outlining the retailer’s plan to keep Manchester in mince pies, Tenby in tea, Fife in fizz, etc. The alliteration starts to grate somewhat after a while – Birmingham in Brussel sprouts, Torquay in turkey? Enough. We get it. As for Torquay in turkey, more like Tesco in turkey – as far as this rating of its Xmas ad goes anyway.
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