M&S is kicking off the festive season with a more modern and relevant approach to its Christmas Fashion, Home & Beauty marketing – conceived to more closely reflect how customers really shop in the lead-up to Christmas and showcase a fuller range of M&S’ fashion, home and beauty products.
Rather than anchoring the season around one hero ad covering all product categories, M&S is launching several mini films and dropping chunks of content throughout the season.
The shift mirrors how customers really plan and purchase, starting with gifting, followed by hosting with a focus on partywear and homewear, then winter style as they look beyond Christmas to the New Year and colder weather.
Sharry Cramond, M&S Fashion, Home & Beauty Marketing Director, said: “This year’s Christmas campaign is more modern and more relevant. It's rooted in what our customers are telling us - how they’re planning, and how they want to celebrate.
“We realised that we were considering Christmas shopping missions too holistically. Customers don’t think or shop in that way – everything all at once. Our research showed us that customers tend to shop in phases across the period, starting with gifting and then moving on to parties and then hosting at home.
“Rather than focussing on one hero ad and then cutting it down, we’re taking a more contemporary approach with different mini content drops. Each film will showcase the full magic of M&S in a way that feels fun, relevant and – of course - super stylish.”
The campaign celebrates the full breadth of M&S’ offering across fashion, beauty, home, and gifting, with targeted content rolling out from late October through December. Delivered across digital, social, print, TV and out-of-home, the strategy has been designed to meet customers where they are - whether scrolling, streaming, or shopping - creating a continuous drumbeat of festive inspiration.
Three distinct campaign moments
The campaign has been structured around three festive shopping missions, each supported by a high-impact film and tailored content across channels. These are:
- Give the Gift (23rd October): Two 15” films open with a music video-style moment of someone enjoying their M&S gift, before snapping back to the joyful chaos of Christmas morning. A fun, relatable take on the magic of giving - and receiving- the perfect present.
- Host with the Most (6th November): Two 15” films set at a glamorous festive party, spotlighting the host mid-party trick, showing off their outfit and décor. A celebration of those who go all out to make Christmas unforgettable.
- Get Your Christmas On (4th December): A 20” festive catwalk moment featuring two families crossing paths on their Christmas Day walks, dressed in the best of M&S winter style.
A broader shift in marketing strategy – social buzz and investing in digital
The campaign marks a broader shift in M&S’ marketing approach, moving towards a more social-first strategy that builds on the success of recent digital-first activations, including M&S Man and Love That. While TV, print and out-of-home remain key channels, M&S is doubling down on more frequent, targeted content drops across social, designed to drive engagement and relevance all year round.
To amplify reach, M&S is partnering with a curated mix of ambassadors, including Binky Felstead, AJ Odudu, Hattie Bourn, Melvin Odoom, Vernon Kay, Vogue Williams, Ian Wright, Oliver Proudlock and Olly Murs. Alongside M&S Insiders and the Love That series, the multi-layered content strategy builds on recent viral product moments to drive buzz and excitement throughout Autumn/Winter.
To maximise visibility and impact, M&S has also significantly upweighted its digital media investment. Throughout October, November and December, YouTube spend is up 67%, reflecting the role it plays in discovery and inspiration. Digital Display & Video spend is up 232% to ensure shoppable, high-impact placements across platforms.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
Download the first set of films and hero assets here.
Rooted in what matters most to customers this Christmas
- This year’s campaign has been shaped by M&S’ latest Customer Pulse insight, which shows that 66% of customers have already started planning their Christmas, with strong intent across decorating, gifting and dressing up.
- There’s also a growing desire to embrace joy and escapism through styling through fashion homewear, with more customers than last year saying they’ll dress up (38% up from 33% in 2023) and decorate more (28% up from 25% in 2023).
- The top three gifting categories remain food & drink, clothing, and beauty.
- 50% of products in M&S’ Gift Shop priced at £10 and under, and 70% of the range is under £15.