Christmas Joy for M&S and Coca-Cola Ads 

This year for the first time, RED C has taken a deep dive into some of the UK’s most famous Christmas ads using our RED Star product to uncover which ones truly captured the nations hearts. The results? A tie for first place between two holiday heavyweights: Marks & Spencer and Coca Cola.  

The M&S ad shone brightly thanks to Dawn French’s strong recognition and widespread appeal. Meanwhile, Coca-Cola’s ad delivered a nostalgic punch with its iconic red truck and timeless holiday jingle, sparking recognition and festive cheer. However, not everyone was onboard with Coca-Cola’s creative twist with some viewers raising eyebrows over the use of AI in reimagining such a cherished classic.   

Sainsburys’ and Aldi’s ads also delivered standout performances in this year’s Christmas ad line-up, scoring well above industry norms. Sainsburys BFG performed well on fame and distinction, with viewers eager to talk about it and easily recognised it as a Sainsburys ad. Aldi, meanwhile, continue to reap the benefits of its well-loved Kevin the Carrot campaign. It was very distinctive and talked about, although some signs of wear out are beginning to emerge.  

Barbour’s festive offering featuring Shaun the Sheep also performed above norms. It is funny which led to a strong fame score but the connection to the Barbour brand wasn’t as memorable for viewers.   

Whilst John Lewis’ ad told a compelling story, some found it confusing and hard to follow. As a result, it fell short on emotional response leaving people less keen to want to watch it again.   

JD Sports faced an even steeper challenge. Viewers found they could not follow the storyline, leading to low scores across all key metrics, resulting in an overall RED Star score significantly below norms.  

Curious to know more?  Download the full report here