Travel ads resonated most with UK audiences in December
Jon Evans at System1 explains how the marketing industry’s darlings aren’t always the most effective ads in the eyes of the Great British public.
Santa’s Lapland swaps the more typical beaches and palm trees for forests and sleigh rides
Each month, hundreds of new TV ads launch in the UK. We tasked marketing research and effectiveness company System1 with analyzing the latest creative to test which spots real members of the public liked best. In December, explains chief marketing officer Jon Evans, it was a travel ad for Lapland that won the day.
How it works
System1 tests ads on measures that predict long-term brand growth (star rating) and short-term sales growth (spike rating) – each between one and six stars. These measures are validated using the independent Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) database and against real sales data at a category level.
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5. Walkers ‘It Feels Good to Share’
Evans says: “Out in the real world, not all positivity is genuine. Some of it can be forced – putting a brave face on things to fit in while you’re hurting underneath. Walkers’ brave Christmas ad follows a young man who’s feeling low but forces himself to head out to a Christmas party anyway. It’s a choice he regrets until he finds a mate in the kitchen who realizes what’s needed is a bit less fun and a bit more empathy. A clever use of a floating emoji keeps the ad light-hearted and, naturally, there’s a starring role for the crisps.”
4. M&M’s ‘Snowman’
According to Evans: “The animated M&M’s are back with one of their darker outings as they invite a snowman to their Christmas party with watery consequences. We saw an unusual amount of sadness in response to this ad and the snowman’s inevitable fate. But in the end, this didn’t affect the overall reaction to the ad – positive as ever for these well-loved assets and a strong 4-Star rating.”
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3. Sainsbury’s ‘Christmas Deals at Sainsbury’s’
“Ads that showcase specific deals don’t usually score well. In general, there is a 3-Star ceiling for sales activation. While a good brand ad can appeal to everyone, an effective activation ad really only works for those specifically in the market for a product, so much of the audience feels nothing about it. But there are exceptions, like at Christmas when almost everybody is in the market for a festive feast. Sainsbury’s ad showcasing a great value Christmas dinner offer hits the right note in a difficult economic moment and breaks the emotional ceiling on transactional ads.”
2. Loganair ‘Christmas Advert 2022’
“Unlike many other big advertising moments, Christmas ads give smaller brands an opportunity to shine. The shared iconography of the festive season can be effectively deployed no matter what your side – as long as you get your brand in there too. This budget ad for a budget airline – Scotland’s Loganair – makes simple but effective use of a snowfall and a jolly Santa while getting the message firmly across.”
1. Santa’s Lapland ‘For a Christmas Like No Other, Visit Santa’s Lapland’
And finally, Evans concludes: “December’s top-scoring ad combines Christmas with one of the most successful categories of 2022 – travel ads. People were eager to holiday after two years when Covid-19 made that very difficult, so most of our monthly lists have seen a travel spot or two. December is no exception – Santa’s Lapland swaps the more typical beaches and palm trees for forests and sleigh rides but the promise of escape is just as alluring.”