M&S Clothing and Home is encouraging audiences to ditch the festive traditions they hate and  do only what they love this Christmas.

The festive campaign, created with the help of Mother London, celebrates the honest truth of Christmas, that for many the holidays force us to strike a balance between doing what we love and taking part in other things that aren’t as enjoyable just because we feel obliged. The campaign, ‘Love Thismas (Not Thatmas)’, encourages people to celebrate the festive season in a way that works for them and make the most of Christmas.

This concept is brought to life via a star-studded Christmas TV ad set across the homes of actress Hannah Waddingham, singer and podcast host Sophie Ellis-Bextor, presenter and style expert Tan France, and actress Zawe Ashton. In their respective households, the famous faces make decisions on which traditions they will embrace and which they might skip.

Through a series of humorous scenes, some of the skippable activities include making a children's Christmas outfit out of cotton wool, a family game of charades and a board game. Each of the characters is fronted with the decision to engage in the activities reluctantly or celebrate in their own ways, throwing board games to the wind and setting cards on fire with a Christmas pudding blow torch.

The spot is fittingly set to a cover of Meatloaf’s ‘I Would Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)’, re-recorded by artist and singer-songwriter Ray BLK, which humourously brings to life the realities of the difficult decisions audiences have to make at Christmas while empowering audiences to do what they love with loved ones.

“Before we created Love Thismas (Not Thatmas), we spoke to hundreds of our customers and they all told us that, at Christmas, they feel this pressure of having to worry about and plan so many things. We know it can often feel like the list is never-ending so this year we decided to celebrate and empower our customers to just do the things they love.” says Anna Braithwaite, M&S Clothing & Home Marketing Director.

While empowering audiences to do what they love, the spot still champions the warmth and togetherness of the festive season while showcasing the array of products on offer at M&S. The signature glitz and glam of the season is shown in the clothes and home settings.

The campaign draws on the talent of Hannah, Zawe, Tan and Sophie as part of M&S’ ongoing mission to challenge style perceptions with new and existing customers. 

A quality Christmas in the cost of living crisis 

The festive spot aims to showcase M&S as the high-street destination for Christmas this year. The retailer has curated a gifting range across Clothing & Home, Beauty & Food, along with Card & Wrap and Decorate. M&S has found that amongst its customers gifting is the second most important priority only behind food/drink this year. Customers are also prioritising a sociable Christmas over the coming weeks, looking to engage in celebrations with friends and family in the run-up to the big day.

This Christmas, M&S is continuing to invest in protecting prices and so one third of its Gift Shop range is priced at £10 or under, with 70% priced at £20 or less. The average price of M&S’ decorate range is down 6% compared to last year with more than 50 single hanging decorations priced at £6 and under.

Popular products such as Family PJs will return as they continue to be a favorite with customers. Over 150,000 pairs have been sold since the range launched online in September. The retailer has also seen 91,000 light-up candles being sold since the start of September, following their popularity on TikTok.

The campaign will run across a range of channels from video on demand, to dynamic digital billboards and print cover wraps. A podcast version of the ad will run in partnerships including Table Manners, The Therapy Crouch, Help I Sexted My Boss, Sh*gged Married Annoyed, Closet Confessions and Spencer & Vogue. The TV ad premiers at 9pm during Payback on ITV, Wednesday 1st November.

With consumers at the blunt end of the cost of living crisis and keen to return Christmas clear of Covid, this festive campaign empowers audiences to embrace the festive season by engaging in the things they love with family. With quality and cost-effectiveness underlining the brand's Christmas offering, M&S encourages audiences to do what they love while helping them to do so.