Willoughby-Gandy combo shows M&S focus on wide appeal with Christmas ad

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Nov 12, 2018

Marks & Spencer has tapped two of Britain’s most liked celebrities for a festive campaign that puts the focus on the special moments around Christmas time.

Its newest ambassador Holly Willoughby, who proved to be a powerful sales driver for the company after her first edit sold out in record time, fronts the department store’s festive campaign alongside a cameo of male supermodel David Gandy.

The campaign is constructed around the moments that make Christmas a special holiday, from decorating the tree to dealing with the washing up on Christmas day, via Christmas parties, Christmas movies and even Christmas gift envy.

M&S is also using big data and technology to release three 20-second edits for its biggest Christmas categories, partywear, knitwear and sleepwear, when customer searches for these terms are expected to peak. The activation will start with partywear on 15 November, and continue with knitwear and sleepwear throughout December.

Taking the digital element a step further, the campaign will have content that plays out across platforms, including shoppable Instagram ads and Google Shopping listings. And a number of alternative endings to the ad will be released throughout the seasons to keep customers engaged.

“This year we’ve worked incredibly hard to tap into the key moments of the season that matter most to busy mums and dads - from the office party to the evening where you watch the classic Christmas films all together. We’ve built a campaign to show we have the “Must-Have” products to add magic and sparkle to these moments and we’ll be executing it based on detailed research about when customers want and need these products,” Nathan Ansell, director of marketing for Clothing & Home at Marks & Spencer, commented.

The ad will air for the first time on 13 November during Good Morning Britain.