zappistore christmas report 2015

CHRISTMAS CREATIVE TEST 2015

CHRISTMAS ADVERT SURVEY 2015

We love an emotional advert don’t we? ‘Sad-vertising’ is all around us this Christmas, led by the high profile John Lewis and chased hard by the likes of Sainsbury’s. But while they’re extremely worthy, maybe it’s just not Christmas… Jamie ShacklockDirector of Research Architecture

CHRISTMAS CREATIVE TEST 2015

ZappiStore’s Christmas Advert Creative test evaluated 11 adverts using its in-house automated research approach, with 1,000 responses captured using SSI’s panel in just a few hours. Read on to find out what people told us about Christmas advertising and the Christmas spirit.


WINNING ADVERTS

John Lewis – A Man on the Moon (Winner)

Also tested: Aldi, Asda, Boots, Harrods, Harvey Nichols, Lidl, Morrisons, Marks & Spencers, Waitrose

Sainsbury’s – Mog’s Christmas Calamity (Runner up)


SUMMARY We tested 11 Christmas ads from well-known UK supermarkets and stores and weren’t surprised to see John Lewis and Sainsbury’s rated significantly ahead of the pack in overall appeal, as well as in a host of emotive measures, chief amongst these being ‘sadness’. In fact, ‘sadness’ had the strongest correlation with people loving an advert. But what these ads didn’t win out on was Christmas related measures.

If you really want to feel Christmas, look to a whole host of glitzy ads from the likes of Aldi, Waitrose, Boots and Morrisons because what gets people in the Christmas spirit is happiness, not sadness at all. ‘Happy’ had one of the tightest relationships to that Christmassy feeling and sadness one of the weakest. Cynical as it may sound, in this age of rampant consumerism, the real Christmas spirit is bright lights, presents and eating as much as you can.

Interestingly, ‘happy’ is also in bed with behavioural change, but one suspects that these ‘happy’ Christmas ads are short term sales drivers only.


KEY METRIC SCORECARDBrand Advert ‘Lovers’ Behavior ChangeJohn Lewis Man on the Moon

Sainsbury’s Mog’s Christmas Calamity

Boots Discover More

Harrods The Land of Make Believe

Morrisons Handmade Right Here

Asda Light up Everything

Marks and Spencer The Art of Christmas

Aldi Favorite Things

Harvey Nichols Avoid Gift Face

Waitrose What makes your Christmas

Lidl The Lidl School of Christmas

Great

Average

Poor

Green indicates significantly above benchmark at 90% confidence levelOverall, how much did you like the advert? / After seeing the advert, are you more or less likely to change your behaviour?


WHAT EMOTIONS CREATE AD LOVE? Interestingly, sadness is the emotion with the closest relationship with ad ‘love’. John Lewis, in particular leads the way here, followed by Sainsbury’s but many ads avoid this territory entirely.

Sad

Unique

Sympa

thySw

eet

Thou

ghtfu

l

Inspir

ation

al

Authen

tic

surpri

seHap

py Cute0.00

0.20

0.40

0.60

0.80

Top 10 correlating emotions with ‘Lovers’ Advert ‘Sad’ score

John Lewis 26%Sainsburys 11%Harrods 7%Harvey Nichols 4%Aldi 1%Asda 1%Lidl 1%Boots 0%Morrisons 0%M&S 0%Waitrose 0%

Overall, how much did you like the advert? / Please select the emotions that best show how you felt when watching the advert.


EMOTIONAL REACTION OVER TIME John Lewis and Sainsbury’s leverage that sadness to take us on a more rewarding journey that brings more joy than other less challenging adverts. ‘Strong like’ increases rapidly in the final stages, where others remain flat. John Lewis

Morrisons

Sainsbury’s

Boots

Strong like

Like

Neutral

Dislike

Now move the scale bar when the video is playing to express your feelings.


EMOTIONAL ASSOCIATIONS WITH CHRISTMAS

But we don’t associated sadness with Christmas, but ‘happiness’ instead, hence we might think of John Lewis’ Man in the Moon as a great ad at Christmas, rather than necessarily a great Christmas ad.

-0.100.000.100.200.300.400.500.600.700.800.90

Top 10 correlating emotions with Christmas measures

FestivePuts me in Xmas spirit

Advert ‘Festive’

score

‘Puts me in Xmas spirit’

scoreAldi 64 33 Morrisons 61 40 Boots 61 50 Waitrose 61 39 Sainsbury's 57 34 Harrods 54 41 Lidl 52 35 Asda 49 38 John Lewis 47 31 Marks & Spencer 45 27 Harvey Nichols 42 19

Please select the emotions that best show how you felt when watching the advert.


WHAT EMOTIONS GENERATE BEHAVIORAL CHANGE?

Nor does sadness connect with any immediate behavioral change. Again, that is happiness and festivity – something that brands like Boots have achieved with a bright and glossy Christmas offering.

0.000.200.400.600.80

Top 10 correlating emotions with ‘behavioral change’

Advert ‘Happy’ score

Boots 55%Morrisons 52%Sainsburys 52%Aldi 52%Waitrose 47%John Lewis 46%Lidl 44%Harrods 43%M&S 37%Asda 36%Harvey Nichols 27%

After seeing the advert, are you more or less likely to change your behaviour? / Please select the emotions that best show how you felt when watching the advert.


ALL ADVERTS


JOHN LEWIS Advert: “Man on the Moon”

Influence score Emotional score Lover score Brand score

Top 3 messages

Top 3 emotions

Key words

John

Lew

is7.3 1.2

38

64 7.2

Sweet 53%

Festive 47%

Easy to understand 42%

christmaspeople

feelcare

lonely

johnlewis

time

man

love

moon

happy

loved

presentselderly making

sharegood

remember

express christmas.

reach

deserves

family reminds

sharing

shop

dont

xmasgift

happy 46%

thoughtful 43%

love 35%

Standard Norm Best in Class Norm


SAINSBURY’SAdvert: “Mog’s Christmas Calamity”


Top 3 messages

Top 3 emotions

Key words

Sai

nsbu

ry's

6.8 1.0

38

59 6.7

Festive 57%

Sweet 47%


christmassharing

sainsburyspeople

xmas help

sharing.cat

family helpingcommunity

great

fire

time

neighboursfriends

christmas.

spirit thingsshare

sainsbury

foodsafety

child

literacy

products

supporting

switched

together.

togetherness happy 52%

cute 40%

laughter 22%



BOOTSAdvert: “Discover More”


Top 3 messages

Top 3 emotions

Key words

Boo

ts

6.8 0.732

46 7.0

Festive 64%

Puts me in the Christmas spirit 52%


bootschristmas

giftsxmas lots

presentsrange

wide

time

goodbuy

ideas

quality

great

productslot

gift

christmas.

collect

beautybrands

engaging

ready

daysell

choose

shop

it's

boots.

things

happy 55%

love 20%

excited 19%



HARRODSAdvert: “The Land of Make Believe”


Top 3 messages

Top 3 emotions

Key words

Har

rods

6.6 0.932

46 6.6

Festive 54%

Sweet 48%


christmasharrods

magical smallxmasgoodland

things

placemice

shop

spirit coming

makingbig

help

peter

feel

matter

achieve

familydiscover

santa

magic

festive

better

it's

toy

buyadvert

cute 43%

happy 43%

peaceful 28%



MORRISONSAdvert: “Handmade Right Here”


Top 3 messages

Top 3 emotions

Key words

Mor

rison

s

6.8 0.6

38

45 7.0

Festive 63%



christmasmorrisons

foodxmasfamily

hand

magical

greatpersonalstoretouch

goodtimethings products

morrison's

fresh happy

special

christmas.

foods

producepersonalise

families

quality

easy

companyprovide

loved

tasting

happy 53%

thoughtful 29%

cute 26%



ASDAAdvert: “Light up Everything”


Top 3 messages

Top 3 emotions

Key words

Asd

a6.6 0.7

32

43 6.6

Festive 49%



christmasasda

fungood

xmas

great

shop

it's

happyenjoy

money

live

pricesbrand

dontproductslow

savecoming

helps

well

timebetter

buy

asda.advertenjoyingwill

exciting

family

happy 36%

excited 32%

laughter 21%



MARKS & SPENCERAdvert: “The Art of Christmas”


Top 3 messages

Top 3 emotions

Key words

M&

amp;

S

6.4 0.8

38

41 6.5

Festive 46%


Youthful 26%

christmasm&s

xmas

marks

art fun

lots

spencergreatfamily

buy

advertisingchristmas.

goodgifts

presents

shopping

range

fashion

productsquality

money

things

gifthappy

excitementhappiness

excitinggrownups...get

greedy happy 37%

excited 37%

cool 22%



ALDIAdvert: “Favourite Things”


Top 3 messages

Top 3 emotions

Key words

Ald

i6.6 0.6

32

39 6.8

Festive 63%



christmasaldi

xmas

family

food

good

favouritelots

christmas.

perfecthappy

items

time

magical

thingsproducts

dontfestivealdi's

it's

variety

buy

expectfanmily

gifts

goods

great

gfjtyjf

friends

fun

happy 52%

excited 23%

cute 20%



HARVEY NICHOLSAdvert: “Avoid Gift Face”


Top 3 messages

Top 3 emotions

Key words

Har

vey

Nic

hols

5.8 0.732

38 5.8


Festive 44%

Sweet 21%

giftsharvey

presentsbuygiftchristmas

people

willavoid nichols

shopgood

rubbish

great

nicksbetter

nicholls

happy dont

nicols

receive

perfectpretend

productsfind

lovemessage

lots

boringthings

laughter 37%

happy 27%

indifferent 21%



WAITROSEAdvert: “What makes your Christmas”


Top 3 messages

Top 3 emotions

Key words

Wai

tros

e6.2 0.7

38

37 6.4

Festive 62%



christmaswaitrose

familyfood

good

timexmas

lotsfun

preparingheston

qualitywaitrose.

christmassyenjoying

eating

christmas.advert

exciting families

extra

getogethersfvrbf

food.friends

feel

family.

goods

feed

feedshappy 47%

excited 26%

love 24%



LIDLAdvert: “The Lidl School of Christmas”


Top 3 messages

Top 3 emotions

Key words

Lidl

6.3 0.7

38

33 6.4

Festive 52%



christmaslidl

xmas

products

goodpeople food

familylots it'sbuy

advertchristmas.

fun

enjoy

messageshowing

prepareprepared range

qualityneeded

provide

festive

lidlsidea

help

lidli

lidl. key

happy 44%

laughter 23%

cute 23%



MERRY CHRISTMAS …whatever that means to you… For many of us, it looks like it means a happy and care-free holiday period, eating and drinking with our loved ones. That’s what underpins our ‘Christmas spirit’, and perhaps it’s not always about having a sharper focus on those less happy all around us.

For sure, we love to be reminded of the beauty of human decency and to think of those in need and how we can help. Even more so, we love an advert that offers these sobering thoughts and follows up quickly with a happy ending before we have to get too serious. But maybe this is tapping into a human spirit that should always be in residence, rather than necessarily a Christmas one.

The John Lewis advert is brilliant, but maybe it’s just not Christmas?


WHO General Population; N=100+ (per advert)

WHERE United Kingdom, Representative Sample

WHEN November 2015

WHAT 11 adverts tested via online survey; Sample provided with compliments from SSI

SAMPLE SPECS

Report Drafted by Jamie Shacklock & Team ZappiStore London

CHRISTOPHE OVAEREGlobal Sales & Marketing Director

[email protected]

JAMIE SHACKLOCKDirector of Research Architecture

[email protected]

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