‘Joy and nostalgia’: Boots hails ‘most integrated’ Christmas campaign yet

Boots is focusing on the magic of gifting and the in-store experience with its 2025 Christmas ad, which puts the spotlight on its beauty offering.

The campaign ‘Gift Happily Ever After’, developed in collaboration with WPP agency The Pharm, reimagines fairytale character Puss in Boots as ‘Puss’ who heads to Boots to find last-minute gifts for the Snow Queen’s Ball.

According to interim marketing director Laura Gooday, the advert is in line with Boots’ ethos of always starting out with a “really core human truth at the centre” of each campaign.

“The very best gifts are the ones that show that we’ve put real thought, love and effort into them. And that’s never more true than when you’re unboxing a beauty gift,” says Gooday.

She claims Boots is offering an “unrivalled range” of beauty products, having added 56 new gifting brands this year.

“It’s a really exciting step forward, and we’re using really beloved and familiar fairytale characters, which will, on the one hand, spark joy and nostalgia, set against a really modern and fresh Boots environment,” Gooday adds.

The ad sees Puss journeying through the store after magically falling in front of a Boots shop. Based on advice from a Boots Beauty Specialist he gifts ‘Rapunz’ a Shark Glam 5-in-1 Hot Tool, ‘Snowy’ a No7 Pro Artist Lip Duo Set, ‘Cinders’ a Carolina Herrera Good Girl perfume and ‘Prince Charming’ a No7 Cordless Mirror.

Delighted with their gifts the characters travel to the Snow Ball and gift The Snow Queen hot hand warmers to the soundtrack of Girls on Film by Duran Duran.

The advert is set to air for the first time at 7am today (4 November) on Boots’ social media channels and then at 8.15pm on ITV during the Martin Lewis Money Show.

“We’ve really had a brilliant run of Christmases over the last few years. So this year is absolutely about building on that momentum,” says Gooday.

She explains last year’s campaign “performed excellently” for the brand in terms of reach, returns and likeability.

However, Gooday explains the retailer wants to “evolve every year” in an effort to “keep things fresh”. This approach inspired the use of Puss in Boots character, which Gooday says will “drive really strong brand attribution” at a time when “most people just want to be entertained”.

Top of mind

The approach moves away from the influencer-focused 2024 campaign ‘The Christmas Makeover’ set in Mrs Claus’ workshop. Gooday says influencers will still play a “critical role” in the retailer’s Christmas activation, with Boots inviting creators to its Winter Beauty Ball. She claims this year’s Puss is “still a celebrity of sorts”.

Last year, Boots expanded its use of channel, trialling 65% new tactics as it looked to make its Christmas campaign more “personal”. This included a bespoke game in Candy Crush, Bubble Witch Saga and Farm Hero Saga games.

This year, marketing spend is “roughly the same” as last year, with a fully integrated campaign running for eight weeks across AV, audio, OOH, cinema, print, social and online, with renewed partnerships with Global and Battersea Power Station. The media mix has been “carefully crafted” based on the results seen last year.

“You have to keep building out with lots of little activations that make sure that wherever your customer is or whatever they’re doing, you’re there to make sure Boots is top of mind,” says Gooday.

She notes the importance of TV in the mix, explaining it has a “multiplying effect on other channels”.

We’ve really had a brilliant run of Christmases over the last few years. So this year is absolutely about building on that momentum.

Laura Gooday, Boots

This is, however, the first time Boots is activating on travel app CityMapper, using new on-the-go advertising that taps into first-party data to target users with products. The goal is to make Boots “just feel really relevant”.

“When a customer is in or close to our stores, as we start dealing with CityMapper and we can prompt them with a deal or a message, which is really relevant and motivating,” explains Gooday.

Boots is also showing up on Snapchat Map to move audiences into stores and using Westfield’s brand new Eat Street window mall lifts to captivate shoppers in a new OOH approach. Gamification is seen as the “cherry on top” for the brand, while employee generated content on social media will focus on the “strength and expertise” of Boots colleagues.

Including a TikTok campaign and YouTube masthead, the campaign is estimated to reach a combined audience of 53 million, doubling the average frequency to 60, with the OOH work set to deliver 80.7 million impressions, which Boots claims is “greater awareness than ever before”.

“We probably say this every year, but it is the most integrated campaign that we’ve had. There are design elements in this campaign that run into store, on our website, on to gift guide and through all of our communications, which we’re really proud of,” says Gooday.

In terms of demographics, she explains appealing to under 35s is “as crucial” as appealing to “our core, slightly older customer”.

‘Rigorously’ assessed

The campaign has been split into three “rhythms”, reflecting customer’s needs within the festive period – going from inspiration to experience to value. Gooday wants the in-store experience to be as “sensorial” as possible for shoppers. Localised targeting will also be used, as well as personalisation through Boots Advantage Card data.

Boots has been pushing its Advantage Card offerings throughout the year, with points booster events and its Savvy Savers’ campaign in January designed to position the retailer as a place for “great value”.

“This will be AdCard’s biggest Christmas yet. So, anyone that doesn’t have an AdCard or isn’t signed up to our scheme is really missing out this year,” says Gooday.

She points to numbers suggesting Boots has more than 17 million Advantage Card customers and nearly half of all females in the UK are signed up.

Success of the campaign will be “rigorously” assessed, with Gooday claiming Boots has “best in class measurement capability”.

“As a retail business, we will be looking at hourly sales,” she explains.

Getting closer to Christmas, it is about balancing real time analysis with long-term brand impact and customer perception change.

“When you get both of those things together is when you can make a proper judgement on investment and the power of the creative,” says Gooday.