As we near the end of September, it’s time for a very specific time of year...
…Christmas. Surprised? Well, it’s a well-known fact that Christmas adverts appear excessively early. Recently, we’ve been wondering why – do Christmas adverts in November really get us in the holiday spirit, or does it just deter us from spending due to the Christmas Overwhelm? Hopefully we can answer, once and for all, whether Christmas Advertising actually works.
Why so early?
At first glance, the answer is purely economic. The earlier the marketing, the earlier people start making purchases. Consumers in the UK spend roughly £30bn in the run-up to Christmas – the “golden quarter” – so it makes sense why an early (and engaging) Christmas advert would be a priority for big companies.
However, one article from 2021 posits that advertising is earlier because people buy earlier, not the other way around. Due to supply shortages, as well as the ongoing Cost of Living Crisis, people are eager to buy in-demand presents and food before they run out of stock. In 2021, 27% of people reportedly started shopping in October.
Another reason is due to rising competition. Jane Bloomfield of Landor & Fitch says Christmas Adverts “spark conversations”, and companies are always eager to have their product at the forefront of people’s minds. “Brands try to stagger the release of their ads so they can achieve maximum impact”.
Are they earlier?
“The Christmas Creep” is a phenomenon where retailers introduce Christmas products before the traditional start of the “Christmas season”. This also happens to apply to Christmas adverts.
Let’s take John Lewis as an example – last year, their “Snapper” advert aired on the 9th of November, in comparison to their 2018 advert “The Boy & The Piano” which aired on the 15th of November. Adverts prior to 2013 aired as late as December, including arguably their most famous advert, “The Bear and The Hare”.
In 2015, Morrisons marketing director Andy Atkinson was quoted as saying their 11th of November advert in 2014 was “inappropriately timed”, due to it being one of the last ones aired. Marks and Spencer’s have also pointed out that “Christmas” was the most searched word on their website as early as September.
Do they really work?
As previously mentioned, big brands make around £30bn in the run up to Christmas. But does it justify the billions spent by each company each year to produce “spectacles” of advertising?
Overall, it depends on what the company is trying to achieve. Brands like Aldi create in-store footfall greatly due to their Christmas Advert Merchandise (Kevin the Carrot). Brands like Boots, whose averts are centred solely around their products, bring in more and more revenue each year. In terms of promoting the festive spirit, 43% of consumers say they don’t actually mind an early release. It is therefore understandable why brands choose to spend the money and build recognition, whilst also celebrating and promoting the joy of Christmas – even if it is in September!
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