John Lewis & Partners has taken an early lead as consumers’ favourite Christmas ad this year, according to exclusive figures from the first week of Ipsos’s Race to Christmas survey.

More than a fifth (21%) of consumers named John Lewis’s ‘Where Loves Lives’ as their top campaign, according to the data, which was collected on 7 November, prior to Waitrose and Tesco’s ads being launched.

The spot leans into 90s nostalgia, centring on a father–son relationship set to Alison Limerick’s 1990 club track of the same name. It follows a similar path to 2025’s festive offering in terms of eschewing brand characters in favour of a human-focused campaign.

Despite its strong lead, some 9% cite it as their least favourite ad, reflecting the ongoing debate about the ad’s portrayal of post-adolescent masculinity, says Samira Brophy, Ipsos’s senior creative excellence director.

John Lewis spotlights ‘unspoken emotions’ with 90s club classic Christmas ad

“Its distinctive portrayal of post-adolescence masculinity strikes a chord that’s as engaging as it is divisive, cementing its role as a pioneer in British Christmas advertising tradition,” she tells Marketing Week.

System1 data also backs this up with John Lewis achieving 5.1 stars for brand building potential, its highest score since 2019.

Following John Lewis in Ipsos’s study is M&S (9%), with Asda and Aldi in joint third place (6%).

When respondents were shown de-branded stills from major campaigns, Asda emerged as the most recognised, with 40% saying they had seen it. This year’s Asda campaign feature the Grinch to showcase its price push aimed at working families.

Aldi (38%), Sainsbury’s (36%) and M&S (36%) follow, suggesting that familiar mascots, from Aldi’s Kevin the Carrot to M&S’s Dawn French fairy and Sainsbury’s use of the BFG, continue to drive recognition.

“Asda’s Grinch gets noticed with 40% ad recognition, making a strong start for Lucky Generals with a good use of a cultural icon,” says Brophy. “Meanwhile, Aldi and M&S show how entertaining creative and enduring brand platforms retain consumer interest year on year.”

While recognition is important, the big impact comes from branded recognition – a consumer’s ability to correctly link the ad back to the brand. M&S and Coca-Cola lead branded recognition at 25%, followed by Aldi (24%) and Asda (23%).

This year, Coca-Cola again experimented with an AI-generated version of its 1995 ‘Holidays Are Coming’ ad.

Respondents were also asked whether an ad “gave them a good feeling about the brand”. Coca-Cola tops this measure with 57%, just ahead of John Lewis (55%) and Lidl (54%).

Aldi’s return of Kevin the Carrot ranks highest on relatability, with 52% agreeing the ad is “for people like me”.

While Morrisons trails some competitors on branded recognition, 49% of those who did recall the ad said it made them want to buy their Christmas food there.