It’s a bold move for a retailer not to join in with the usual big Christmas ad extravaganza, but Marks & Spencer is striking out on its own this year with five short spots by Mother Design, all putting a “Host with the most” them behind a product-focused strategy.
Fashion, home and beauty have been combined and set to the soundtrack of 90s track Rhythm is a Dancer by German Eurodance band Snap! The first two spots have been playing out over the weekend: one shows a family decorating their tree, while the other gathers a group of friends around a Christmas table. Both have a subtly surreal take on the festive season.
You can’t help wondering what the original idea – featuring White Lotus star Aimee Lou Wood – would have been like. But you also can’t argue with the move to shorter bursts with higher frequency, especially when there’s a consistent creative mood to pull it all together. Social, influencer, OOH, print, are also part of the push.
The summer cyber attack wiped out most of Marks & Spencer’s profits this year, so a trimmed ad budget for the clothing and home range isn’t altogether unexpected – although there are no signs of paring back the food campaign, which stars Dawn French again this year.
MAA creative scale: 6.5
