Ad Matters 15.11.2024

Ah, John Lewis. You picked my favourite song (Sonnet) by my favourite artist (Richard Ashcroft) for this year’s Christmas ad.

So in honour of that decision, here’s a sonnet to Christmas Advertising (yup, with a little help from AI).

Why do brands spend sums so grand,

On festive ads across the land?

Ten billion pounds, a hefty fee,

To capture hearts and minds, you see.

A carrot named Kevin, a festive friend,

Generates profit, world without end.

A marketing marvel, a seasonal sight,

A beacon of hope, shining so bright.

The festive season, a battleground,

Where brands vie for glory, sound by sound.

With emotive tales and visuals bold,

They vie for attention, stories untold.

So let us savour, these ads so fine,

A testament to creative design.

A celebration of talent, a festive art,

A reminder of joy, from the very start.

Okay, okay, for the literati amongst our Ad Matters community, it’s not quite a sonnet, but AI’s still learning right? And ‘tis the season of goodwill. Promise next week’s edition will be less festive, unless Santa has got more advertising surprises up his sleeve.

Our must-reads:

• It’s that time of the year again! We’ve been chatting all things Christmas advertising, with the launch of John Lewis’ newest Christmas ad sparking festive discussions up and down the country. (BBC)
• With UK advertising exports second in the world at £18bn, UKAEG Chair Julian Douglas reflects on his first year in the role which has included six major trade missions. (Politics Home)
• Young people don’t read news? Research from Newsworks suggests otherwise. (The Media Leader)
• What adland can teach industries about AI bravery. (Campaign)
• Our Credos Director, Dan Wilks’ podcast on why health clients should shake things up with humour with Leith is now out! (Leith)

Our pick of the ads:

• Our Ad in the A is John Lewis’ ‘The gifting hour’ by Saatchi & Saatchi.
• Disney and adam&eveDDB embark on a Christmas campaign with ‘The boy and the octopus’ directed by Taika Waititi.
• Tesco has launched ‘Helping feed your Christmas spirit’ with the help of BBH London.
• Sony Interactive Entertainment is promoting its PlayStation brand with ‘PS5 – play has no limits’ by adam&eveDDB.
• It’s ‘Snowing sims’ this Christmas for O2 and VCCP, as the campaign raises awareness of data poverty.

Dates for your diary:

• 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 and pitching here.

And finally, big thanks to a couple of members for invites to launches this week… Leo Burnett’s latest Pop Pulse findings, the Crisis Hangover – a fascinating read with some clear insights – and new research from Newsworks about Youth – challenging the notion that young people don’t engage with the news.

I’ll leave with you the words of Caitlin Moran who spoke at the Leo Burnett event. ‘Creative people are the dark matter of the universe, we’re what holds it all together’