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This year’s festive campaigns were a masterclass in leveraging consistency to drive effectiveness. According to Kantar, two-thirds of the top-performing Christmas ads in 2024 maintained continuity with prior campaigns, proving that sticking to proven creative platforms can deliver both short-term impact and long-term brand-building benefits.
When brands commit to a consistent, long-term campaign, they create more than just recognition – they build emotional connections that resonate deeply with consumers.
Campaigns such as Aldi’s ‘Kevin the Carrot,’ introduced nine years ago, and Cadbury’s ‘Secret Santa,’ running since 2018, have become ingrained in the cultural zeitgeist, earning a place in consumers’ minds and hearts.
“A good brand platform establishes and consolidates what makes the brand different from the alternatives. It plays a powerful role in shaping what a brand becomes famous for – both through the idea itself and consistent use of branded elements,” explains Kantar’s head of creative excellence, Lynne Deason.
Kantar’s ad effectiveness research highlights that consistent Christmas ads evoke stronger emotional responses and build brand equity more effectively than new campaigns. This year, consistent ads outperformed new ones across several key metrics: the top 26% for branding (versus average for new ads) and the top 24% for building brand meaning (versus the top 38% for new ads).
“Committing to the same idea over time has numerous benefits. People become familiar with the idea and it becomes woven into the cultural fabric of our lives,” adds Deason. “People look forward to seeing the next installation in the series. This builds nostalgic-like feelings of warmth towards the idea itself, which halo on to the brand.”
Kantar’s research on the effectiveness of this year’s crop of Christmas ads shows that consistency makes sure the ad feels unmistakably tied to the brand, which has a more integral role in the story. Consistent ads are in the top 26% for branding, whereas news ads are almost exactly in line with the average.
Below are five standout campaigns and exclusive insights as to why they continue to be successful.
Cadbury’s ‘Secret Santa’ campaign took the top spot in Kantar’s rankings for 2024, cementing its place as the brand’s most successful Christmas effort yet. In the first two years of the campaign (22 and 23) the campaign has amassed over 3 million participants driving a 43 percent increase in Cadbury Christmas sales, generating £80 million in additional revenue, and increasing the brand’s share of category distribution points by 13%.
These results showcase how commitment to a singular idea – embodying the spirit of selfless giving – can create emotional resonance and cultural relevance over time.
“You won’t be surprised to hear that branding is in the top 5%, but what you need to know is that this doesn’t just come from this being probably the most purple ad you’ll see on your screens,” says Deason. “You can’t talk about this ad without talking about Cadbury and only Cadbury could bring you this ad.”
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Marks & Spencer’s ‘Not Just Food’ platform, led by Dawn French as the M&S Food Fairy, was a standout for its relatability and humor. This year’s iteration topped all prior efforts by leaning further into human insight and a memorable product showcase.
M&S’s 2024 campaign was in the top 5 most anticipated Christmas ads this year. And it lived up to the hype – with strong scores for enjoyment (top 2%), humor (top 5%), and branding (top 4%). By consistently aligning its messaging with ‘Not Just Food,’ the brand reinforces its premium positioning, and this year successfully expanded the products featured to encompass clothing and beauty. It was the most persuasive Christmas ad to date for the heritage retailer.
“It has kept the magic of the campaign and what makes it successful,” adds Deason.
From a strategic perspective, for a premium retailer like M&S, having a brand platform that is consistently activated across the whole business, not just marketing, reinforces a set of associations and sets it apart from others. All these associations mean that the brand springs to mind for consumers, making it feel instinctively like the right choice and one that’s worth paying more for.
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The enduring appeal of Coca-Cola’s ‘Holidays Are Coming’ campaign proved timeless once again. Despite AI-generated tweaks to this year’s ad, which did irk some, the response from audiences remained almost identical to previous years. Iconic elements such as the Coca-Cola truck, the catchy jingle and Santa branding continued to evoke powerful nostalgia and emotional warmth.
Overall, 89% of viewers said the ad “celebrates the joy of Christmas” (versus 87% in 2023) and the spot is in the top 1% for branding. Audience sentiment reinforced the campaign’s staying power.
According to Kantar’s research, only four people out of 150 mention AI as something that they disliked, with some suggesting it “looked a bit uncanny valley with the animation” and “had some poor-quality AI-made parts.”
Essentially, they experience the ad in the same way as before. The most important elements that trigger the nostalgic and powerfully emotive response to this campaign are still at the beating heart of this ad.
Stickin’ with what works gave KFC the last laugh this year. The brand hasn’t been chicken about sticking to what it knows works, airing an updated version of its 2023 ad and yet again leaving people feeling peckish.
The ad is stuffed full of brand cues and certainly stacks up to last year’s efforts, proving that consistency is key. Whether you recall the 2023 ad or not, this year’s version is a delight, landing in Kantar’s top 6% for enjoyment overall.
But for those who remember it from last year, it was even better the second time, according to the research platform. One viewer commented: “I liked the imagery and the ‘we ignored you again’ at the end. Gave me a giggle”
Testing put it in the top 3% for brand cues, top 4% for keeping people hooked and top 2% for engagement potential.
Aldi’s iconic Kevin the Carrot returned for another adventurous installment, proving that he’s become a beloved staple of festive advertising. This year’s campaign scored highly across enjoyment (top 4%), humor (top 4%) and surprise (top 9%).
From humble beginnings to becoming a beloved holiday icon, Kevin has rooted himself as a staple of festive advertising.
This year, the carrot’s impossible mission offers an engaging story, making it Aldi’s most captivating ad since ‘Greatest Showman.’ Kevin and his escapades are not only consistent and recognizable as part of the brand but they also surprise and delight year after year. This year’s ad is just as enjoyable and funny as last year’s, but with an even stronger feel-good factor, making one in four people laugh.
Kantar’s pre-Christmas research found Aldi UK was in 2024’s top five most anticipated Christmas ads, demonstrating how Kevin has become a highly anticipated feature of festivities.
