As usual, many Christmas advertisements on television evoke sentimentality, nostalgia, and happiness.
As the cost of living rises, however, several shops have chosen a more subdued approach to their marketing campaigns this year.
John Lewis stated that its campaign, which featured a foster family, was less about purchasing items and more about displaying generosity.
However, some retail experts cautioned that scenes of lavish feasts in other advertisements were out of touch with the reality of rising costs for families.
John Lewis is the latest major business to broadcast its holiday message to British households. The cost-of-living crisis was “front and center” while determining the tone of the advertisement.
“I don’t believe we are advising consumers not to purchase anything. We wouldn’t be in business otherwise “Claire Pointon, director of the customer service at John Lewis, stated.
“But this advertisement is not about “buying things.” This advertisement explains how an individual can be helpful to a person who may be in need. I believe that is a really important Christmas message.”
Many individuals on social media have expressed genuine emotion in response to the commercial.
Others, however, argued that it was not “Christmassy” enough or that the company had not conducted a sufficient study on foster care and adoption.
In their Christmas advertisements this year, many retailers have also referenced the cost-of-living crisis.
Tesco and Lidl have both emphasized pricing and affordability in their marketing messages, at a time when many families are experiencing increased food costs.
The Christmas party advertisement for Tesco promises a cheap and enjoyable holiday season. It states, “The only thing we will reduce is our prices.”
The face of Lidl’s advertising campaign is a girl’s teddy bear that becomes surprisingly famous. Throughout the holiday season, the company maintained its well-known slogan: “Big on quality, Lidl on price.”
According to market research specialists, firms were cautious not to appear out of touch with their customers.
Nick Carroll, associate director of retail research at Mintel, remarked, “This year has a decidedly more subdued tone, which is appropriate given the current climate.”
“Consumers are feeling the burden of growing living costs, and businesses want to communicate with and represent this demographic”
The Beginner, a John Lewis advertisement, depicts a middle-aged man learning how to skateboard while experiencing a succession of mishaps and failures.
Ellie, a young adolescent gripping her skateboard as she waits to enter her new foster family, is introduced in the closing scene. As we see that the man was attempting to learn skateboarding to connect with Ellie, the motivation for his efforts becomes evident.
Mike Geier’s cover of Blink 182’s “All The Small Things” is included in the commercial, which is 90 seconds long and set to the song “All The Small Things”
However, it lacks any of the special effects you may have seen in previous Christmas films, as well as any recognizable celebrities.
That was a “very calculated decision,” Ms. Pointon explained.
“The tone has been essential to how we present the story,” she explained.
Scaling back
In a year in which many individuals are cutting back, retail and marketing professionals concur that businesses will have had to work hard to strike the proper tone.
Sophie Lewis, chief strategy officer of creative business M&C Saatchi, stated, “Of course, they’re thinking about earning money, but first and foremost they must be thinking about how to truly benefit people.”
“We must be conscious of not promoting or pressuring individuals to believe that they must consume large quantities to enjoy themselves,” she said.
The pace of increase in the cost of living is the quickest it has been in forty years, partly due to rising food and energy prices. This places stress on household budgets.
However, not all supermarkets displayed such moderation in their holiday advertising campaigns this year.
Marks and Spencer’s Christmas advertisement, featuring the voices of comic icons Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders, was the first to air.
The advertisement, which shows an animated fairy, transitions to a table laden with an abundance of holiday food, but prices are not indicated.
Similarly, Sainsbury’s advertisement, which features Alison Hammond as a countess in a Bridgerton-inspired setting, concludes with an expansive holiday meal.
Such lavish and expensive-looking settings have been criticized for being in contrast with the relatively modest gifts that many families can afford this year.
According to retail expert Catherine Shuttleworth, the sight of tables heaped with gourmet cuisine was “a bit excessive.”
“Not everyone can afford such luxuries, and if we’re going to be exposed to such images for weeks and weeks leading up to Christmas, you can imagine how difficult it would be,” she remarked.
Ms. Shuttleworth remarked that the advertising environment was challenging.
“Retailers must strike a balance between recognizing that consumers are experiencing financially difficult circumstances and recognizing that people still want a fantastic Christmas, especially following the past several years during the pandemic,” she explained.
“People do not necessarily desire a reflection of the current difficult economic climate,” she remarked. Christmas is also about having a good time.
She said that many of these advertisements will have been planned and created months in advance, and if they had been planned in the current context, they may have been even more subdued.
