Waitrose Overtakes John Lewis as the Nation's Favourite Ad
The lights are twinkling; the logs are on the fire and the sweet sounds of Mariah and Wham! once again fill our streets. That can only mean that December has finally arrived! You are officially allowed to enjoy Christmas now.
Ironic then that just 44% of Brits were excited about Christmas in the last week, the lowest proportion since the Race to Christmas began at the beginning of November. Perhaps they’ve already pre-gamed one too many mince pies? Or, like us, they have now bought most of the Christmas presents and have noticed that the wallet is getting very light. Whatever the case, we at Ipsos are continuing to embrace the festive season with our latest update from the 2025 Race to Christmas.
Is a front runner emerging from the pack?
Over the last few weeks, we’ve talked at length about the most recognised ad of the festive season. This week Argos, John Lewis, M&S Food, Amazon and Aldi (Kevin’s finally had his wedding!) all had their ads recognised by more than 40% of those who have seen Christmas advertising.
Both Sainsbury’s and ASDA broke the 50% recognition barrier this week. But rising above them all is Waitrose, recognised by a massive 54% of the audience. And, for the first time this week the Waitrose ad surpassed John Lewis as the nation’s favourite (16% favourited vs 14% for John Lewis).
of respondents recognised Waitrose's festive ad
branded recognition for the ASDA as is the highest this week
Britain loves love! Whether it be between a father and son, or a bearded comedian and the star of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. We agree, it’s pretty memorable.
Interestingly, not everyone who remembers the ad and its story can successfully link it back to the Waitrose brand.
Branded recognition for the ad was 28% this week (it peaked at 30% last week). That is a little way short of the leaders here (Asda 37% and Aldi 36%). But still enough people that Waitrose and their marketing team are going to be having a very merry Christmas.
Grinch vs Grinch - the battle for the greenest Christmas
It is important that consumers are able to connect your advertising and their memories of it, back to your brand. Ultimately, this affects who gets credit for your work, especially in a cluttered media landscape where the audience is being exposed to all kinds of advertising on a minute-by-minute basis. Spare a thought then for McDonalds...
In the last week they have launched their global Christmas campaign, designed not just for the people of Britian but for the wider world to enjoy as well. And getting ads to travel consistently around the world and generate success is never easy. Months of planning, designing and tweaking, all to make sure that audiences around the world can appreciate the work and it can help promote that vital Christmas offering. This year McDonalds chose to tell a story about laughing, eating, plotting and scheming, a story about…The Grinch. Sound familiar?
of respondents who claimed to recognise the McDonalds Grinch advert misattribtued the ad to ASDA
In the first week of our Ipsos Fast Facts tracking 37% of Brits claimed to recognise the ad, but the ad achieved just 7% branded recognition. Why? Because in this early stage of the McDonalds campaign, the audience, when presented with stills of the advert, thought it was for ASDA! A massive 55% of McDonalds recognisers.
Remember, ASDA currently has the highest branded recognition of any ad with their now established story, also about the Grinch.
The good news for McDonalds here is that there is plenty of the race left to go, enough time for this ad to establish itself in its own right.
The campaign is promoting the Grinch meal at McDonalds, complete with green gherkin flavouring on the fries, and a pair of Christmas socks included, for free! That was a genuinely nice surprise for more than a few in the Ipsos offices this week. Now we know what Dad is getting for Christmas. A great example of how a marketing campaign is not only about the primary video advertising. These small touches that feel personal to the consumer can help deepen brand relationships and turn your customers into your brand ambassadors.
Still, all this does beg the question: how important is uniqueness during the holiday season? After all, many brands are tapping into the same well of nostalgic memories to generate their Christmas cheer. Uniqueness certainly gives people something to remember and talk about, breaking brands away from the sea of sameness that often envelops day to day advertising creative. Then again, right now we are talking about both ASDA and McDonalds and their love for the Grinch… whose Christmas will be saved by the Grinch? Only a few weeks left to find out.
Christmas just getting started
The next week is a big week in the Race to Christmas here at Ipsos. Soon we will be finding out from our Innovation team which food trends and unique products won the DUEL for Christmas supremacy.
Stay tuned next week for our article covering this year’s food trends as well as our discussion of the new HFSS regulations and how that has affected this year’s Christmas advertising. Plus, as the race hits its fifth week, we’ll also be sitting down to start pondering the big question, who should win one of the coveted Ipsos 12 Awards of Christmas.
So, get your tree out of the loft and hang your stockings with care. Sit down by fire and check your list twice, to make sure you don’t miss a second of the Ipsos Race to Christmas coverage. Mariah Carey, entirely optional…
Each week we'll be sharing the latest race insights, reporting on which brand is leading the way and driving impact with their festive campaigns. Check back here for weekly updates, and get in contact if you'd like to discuss this further with the team.
Sources
Source: Ipsos Fast Facts. Week 4 data: n= 300, UK Nat rep sample, fielded on 28th November 2025.
