From Cheers to Controversy: How 2024's Christmas Ads Stole the Spotlight
As the festive season approaches, there's one thing that people look forward to almost as much as the holidays themselves: the arrival of the Christmas ads. Over the years, these advertisements have become a beloved tradition in the UK, with retailers and brands pulling out all the stops to create memorable, heartwarming, and sometimes downright hilarious commercials that capture the spirit of the season. These campaigns blend creativity, sentimentality, and commercial ingenuity, becoming a beloved part of the holidays.
This year, the ads sparked divisive reactions, with brands garnering both praise and criticism in equal measure. The campaigns with the most social mentions stood out, not just for their creativity, but for the polarized discussions they provoked. Did 2024’s ads meet expectations? Let’s explore the social media impact of the standout campaigns.
Boots occupied 58% share of mentions. This was primarily driven by negative comments, with a negative sentiment of
78%
1. Boots - 'Make Magic'
The Boots ‘Make Magic’ advertisement campaign starred acclaimed Black actress Adjoa Andoh as the role of Mrs. Claus, who refers to a present for someone named 'Robin' as being 'very them' rather than using a gendered pronoun.
Boots occupied 58% share of mentions, but this was primarily driven by negative sentiment (78% of Boots mentions), with #boycottboots’ trending on X. The ad, which generated 471k views, received a lot of criticism for casting a woman of colour as Mrs. Claus, and the inclusion of gender-neutral pronouns was not received favourably among viewers who believed it to be political, and pandering to the “woke agenda”.
Some social media users claimed that they would be switching to Superdrug instead, while others claimed that the marketing team should be held accountable. Hence, the advert aimed to spread holiday cheer and embrace inclusivity but instead found itself in the crosshairs of reactionary backlash.
It doesn't look like the negativity on social media has impacted Boots - online, at least - with data from Ipsos iris showing that time spent on the Boots site was 15% higher in the seven days after the advert's release on the 6th November, compared to the seven days prior.
However, all this conversation has still drawn the public's attention to the campaign, with 40% of people currently recognising the ad (vs 32% UK Christmas campaign average at this stage). In its second week on air recognition jumped +23% as the online conversation took hold. This attention will certainly have helped some of these people take away key messages about the brand and its products ahead of the critical Christmas gift buying period.
2. John Lewis - 'The Gifting Hour'
John Lewis’ campaign ranked second most mentioned, occupying 21% of the share of mentions. Many social media users appreciated the ad’s nostalgic and heartwarming theme, however the post with the highest interactions was a reel posted by GB News, which showed anchor Stephen Dixon, calling the advert “utterly pointless” due to its lack of focus on John Lewis as a go-to retailer.
John Lewis’ theme of heartwarming videos every Christmas additionally had a fan-inspired spinoff titled ‘John Lewis Inspired Christmas Advert 2024 - Send Me a Sign’ by Sam Cleg. This amassed a whopping 1.9M views on YouTube - nearly four times the official John Lewis ad. Many viewers initially mistook it for an official campaign, prompting clarifications on X. Nonetheless, this highlights the enduring appeal of John Lewis’ tradition of heartwarming, family-oriented Christmas ads, solidifying its reputation as a leader in emotional storytelling among retailers.
John Lewis' campaign ranked second for online mentions, with share of mentions hitting
21%
79% of M&S social mentions had a positive sentiment
3. M&S - 'The Journey' & 'I Believe in Miracles'
M&S occupied 9% share of mentions, with its two ads – ‘The Journey’ by M&S Food, which received 415k views and ‘I Believe in Miracles’ by M&S Clothing, which received 96k views.
Overall, M&S had overwhelmingly positive sentiment, with 79% share of mentions being positive. Public reaction to the 2024 M&S Christmas advert has been mixed. Some viewers found it delightful and praised the festive storyline, particularly enjoying Dawn French's performance, who has become a popular fixture for M&S, making her second appearance in M&S ads since last year’s Christmas ad.
The brand also capitalised on her popularity by posting a follow-up reel on Instagram of Dawn French reacting to various M&S Christmas party foods, which received 9.9k likes. However, the M&S Clothing ad proved divisive, with some people supporting the cast and the use of song ‘I believe in Miracles’ by the Jackson Sisters, while others considered the Clothing advert "woke”, expressing their distaste for what they perceived as excessive diversity.
We've seen this positive discussion has helped it cut through with consumers. In our latest round of tracking data 48% of people recognise the M&S Food ad, which is the highest of the 20+ Christmas campaigns we've been tracking.
In Summary
Holiday advertising reflects cultural dynamics and audience expectations. This year’s campaigns from Boots, John Lewis, and M&S revealed how social intelligence influences success. Boots’ ‘Make Magic’ aimed to embrace inclusivity but faced backlash. John Lewis’ ‘The Gifting Hour’ relied on nostalgic storytelling about sisterly bonds, earning praise for its simplicity and emotional appeal. M&S had mixed results: its food ad featuring Dawn French was well-received, while the clothing ad drew criticism for perceived over-diversity.
These campaigns reveal that effective holiday advertising combines authenticity, emotional resonance, and cultural awareness. By employing social intelligence measures, such as sentiment, brands can create campaigns that connect meaningfully and leave a lasting impression.
Source: Ipsos Synthesio. ‘Race to Christmas’ Dashboard, where we analysed 20 brands from 1st to 30th November 2024 to cover all Christmas ad related conversations
