Ad Matters 08.11.24

Merry Christmas! There, I’ve said it. And no, it’s not too early. We are right in the thick of Christmas advertising season and, I’ve got to be honest with you, it’s one of my favourite times of the year! We issued our Christmas ad spend figures yesterday, in partnership with WARC, in a new story packed with insights from Kantar and the IPA too which you can see here. It’s the start of a busy few weeks as businesses of all kinds compete for people’s attention and custom during the run-up to Christmas.

We’re tracking all the ads here at AA Towers, chatting through trends that we’re seeing and picking our new faves. A front-runner is the very clever creative approach that Waitrose and the Saatchi & Saatchi team have taken to their ad this year – a star-studded festive mystery running in two parts, with the opportunity for you to try and solve the whodunnit yourself. Meanwhile, if you want an example of the craft and skill that goes into a big budget brand look no further than Sainsbury’s offering by the NCA team which features the familiar Roald Dahl character, the BFG. Another that has caught our eye is this year’s Amazon ad, with a theatre caretaker taking centre stage to sing ‘What the world needs now is love’.

Ah, too many ads to write about and more still to come, so please forgive me if next week’s Ad Matters continues with a festive feel!

Our must-reads:

• Brands are poised for a record spend on Christmas advertising this season. (Financial Times)
• How can we help young people navigate the world of advertising? Media Smart’s director Rachel Barber-Mack reflects on 10 years in the role and why media literacy matters more than ever. (Campaign)
• It’s been a big week for politics across the pond – here’s how agencies have reacted to the US Election result. (The Drum)
• ISBA has launched its quarterly Origin Media Landscape Survey, with the aim of providing a new data source for its members. (The Media Leader)
• Our AIG network talks about advertising’s critical role in the future of European competitiveness (AIG).
• Leith reflects on the fundamentals of funny, sharing five golden rules of healthy humour in advertising. (Creative Brief).

Our pick of the ads:

• Waitrose’s star-studded murder mystery “Sweet Suspicion” by Saatchi & Saatchi is our ad in the A.
• Boots recruits Bridgerton’s Adjoa Andoh to help with its “Christmas Makeover” by VML.
• Kevin the carrot returns to bring “Christmas spirit” and banish the humbugs in a spot for Aldi by McCann.
• Shelter and creative partner Don’t Panic launch a fantasy-driven campaign “World of Our Own” that underlines the realities of homelessness at Christmas time.
• For a full winter wonderland round-up, head here.

Dates for your diary:

• How will AI change advertising and regulation? Join this ASA webinar at 10am on 14 November.
• Join marketers, agencies, and digital innovators on 19 November for the IAB Debrief, as they showcase how digital platforms can drive positive change. Book your ticket here.
• Our All In How-To Sessions are back! Learn about implementing the updated actions from our inclusion action plan – RSVP to each event here.
• Early bird booking for the Media Business Course is now open! Book your place to learn about the art of media planning here.

And finally, our friends at Credos are running a short survey to establish awareness levels about the self-regulatory system in our industry. How well do you know the rules and which organisations set them? Please take a few minutes to fill it in here.