Gillian Anderson is back for Marks & Spencer, this time as a slightly saucy student of compliments, reading quietly in the National Art Library at the V&A. She’s surrounded by stylish and attractive young women who are all lusting over a fur coat from the retailer’s new collection.
M&S fashion continues to do well among the fashion set as well as the price conscious, and the fact that 68% of this new collection is priced at under £50 is a pretty big sell (although the featured jacket is £70), matched by the energy of Mother London’s campaign. Directed by rubberband through Smuggler and set to the 2007 track, “Let me think about it” by Ida Corr vs Fedde Le Grand.
Sharry Cramond, marketing director, fashion, home & beauty at Marks & Spencer, said: “After celebrating a summer of ‘Love That’, we’re excited to keep building that momentum into autumn, the single biggest style moment of the year. It is the season all about the pieces that catch your eye, spark a compliment and inspire you to share the look with someone else. Fashion has always been a powerful way to connect, and our ‘Love That’ platform celebrates those moments of admiration, recommendation and inspiration that happen every day.”
Hollie Walker, executive creative director at Mother London, said: “There’s a very specific kind of joy in being complimented on a fresh look. It’s a tiny victory but one that can be repeated over and over again. We wanted to capture that feeling and bring ‘Love That’ to life as M&S’ celebration of the clothes we can’t help but covet.”
The “Love That” line has been adopted wholesale at M&S, and it’s all over the 2026 advent calendar which is already being promoted online. After a difficult start to the relationship – the 2023 Christmas campaign featured some burning paper hats that an online army decided was an insult to the Palestinian flag – client and agency have found a distinctive style that appears to be working.
MAA creative scale: 7.5
