M&S clothing and home ditches festive hero ad for ‘mini content drops’

Marks & Spencer says it wants to take a “more modern and more relevant” approach to its 2025 clothing and home Christmas campaign, switching from a single hero ad to a series of “mini content drops”.

Live from October to December, the short films focus on different aspects of the festive season, from hosting to gift giving. The idea is to meet customers “where they are”, the retailer explains, whether that’s through social, streaming or in-person shopping.

This is the first Christmas campaign since Sharry Cramond made the shift from M&S Food marketing director to marketing director for fashion, home and beauty in June. She is also marketing director for the M&S Masterbrand and director of loyalty.

“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,” says Cramond.

“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.”

The M&S marketing boss explains that rather than focusing on one hero ad and then cutting it down, the team is taking a “more contemporary approach with different mini content drops”.

According to the retailer, the campaign marks a broader shift in M&S’ marketing approach, moving towards a “more modern social-first strategy” that builds on digital-first activations, including Instagram channel M&S Man and YouTube series Love That.

While TV, print and out-of-home remain “key channels”, the retailer is “doubling down” on more “frequent, targeted content drops” across social, designed to drive engagement and relevance all year round.

To maximise visibility and impact, M&S plans to “significantly” increase its digital media investment. From October to December, YouTube spend is set to rise 67%, with digital display and video spend up 232% to ensure high-impact placements across platforms.

The first phase of the campaign ‘Give the Gift’ released on 23 October, features two 15-second films of someone opening a Christmas gift before snapping back to typical Christmas chaos, set to dance anthem Rhythm is a Dancer by Snap!

Titled ‘Host with the Most’ and scheduled for 6 November, the second content drop will focus on the glitz-and-glamour of Christmas through a further pair of 15-second videos.

The final chunk of content, set for release on 4 December, is a 20-second film featuring two families crossing paths on their Christmas Day walks, dressed in a range of M&S winter clothing.

Series Love That and the M&S Insiders employee influencer programme will support the campaign, while the retailer is working with a mix of influencers, including Binky Felstead, Vernon Kay and Ian Wright.

The creative was shaped by M&S’s latest Customer Pulse insight, which found 66% of customers have already started planning for Christmas, with strong intent across decorating, gifting and dressing up.

The research also highlighted a growing desire to embrace joy and escapism through styling via fashion and homeware, with more customers (38%) than last year saying they’ll dress up (rising from 33% in 2023) and decorate more (28% up from 25% in 2023).