Morrisons: A Pick Of The Christmas Crop

It’s tough to come up with new ideas for Christmas Ads. But every now and then a brand hits on something genuinely fresh, a concept that makes you smile with its simplicity and depth. Morrisons’ ad this year is one of those. You’ve met Father Christmas, it says – now here’s Farmer Christmas.

Just as Father Christmas brings the presents, Farmer Christmas sorts out the Christmas feast. It’s a delightfully simple concept which Morrisons and Publicis Poke run with, introducing the Farmer’s “reindeer” (delivery trucks) and “sleigh” (a flying combine harvester) before a final food reveal.

From a viewer’s perspective the magic and fun springs from that central idea. But from a marketer’s perspective what’s impressive is how Morrisons have come up with something which fits so seamlessly into their ongoing “Make Good Things Happen” campaign and brand positioning. The supermarket has made support for British farmers and produce a cornerstone of its brand, and the “Make Good Things Happen” campaign works to encourage families to make healthier, fresher food choices. Inventing the character of Farmer Christmas is the perfect way to bring these messages to life without being heavy-handed.

That said, you can have a killer idea and perfect positioning and still fall down on execution. Morrisons’ dodges that risk with an ad where the storytelling is clear and the reveals well-timed – in our second by second emotion tracker we saw Happiness climb through the ad and some big peaks of Surprise – the two positive emotions which drive long-term effectiveness.

The result is one of the highest-scoring Christmas ads on our Test Your Ad platform this year – a very strong 4-Star score and an exceptional short-term Spike rating. It’s been a tough year for Christmas ads, with the public not in the mood for some of the tear-jerking storylines that have done well in the past. But where brands like Morrisons have mixed humour, imagination and a tempting product, viewers have loved it. And who knows, perhaps Farmer Christmas will visit again next year?