The M&S Christmas ad is sexy, sweet – and puts John Lewis to shame - The Independent
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The people have spoken. This year’s Marks & Spencer Christmas ad is a triumph, at least according to the thousands of comments already left beneath the video released mere hours ago. After the PR disaster that was the John Lewis ad earlier this week, it seems at least one brand has got it right. And seemingly all it took was a leaf out of the old-school ad-man playbook: sex sells. OK, not sex per se, but a very handsome, very muscular Santa as portrayed by a topless James Norton.
Between the respective success of Hot Priest on Fleabag and Hot Rabbi on Nobody Wants This, Hot Santa was all but inevitable – it just needed a brand with a vision and a budget. The ad begins with a makeover as Norton’s Santa, draped in a plush red robe in his wooden cabin in the North Pole, fire crackling in the background, takes a razor to his trademark beard at the strong suggestion of his loving wife, a fabulous Mrs Claus played by the equally fabulous Lucy Punch. “Saint Nicholas…” she blushes, as her festive beau shows off his newly shaved look, wearing only a towel around his waist. (A good portion of those aforementioned comments are people asking whether Norton comes with free shipping.)
Without his beard, Santa takes the opportunity to experience Christmastime incognito – heading deep undercover where else but central London. Along the way, he happens upon a school carol concert where children are being led by Welsh singer Katherine Jenkins in a rendition of Belinda Carlisle’s soaring classic “Heaven Is a Place on Earth”. Elsewhere, in an even less believable plotpoint than a shredded Santa, a kindly stranger on the street invites him to a friends-mas party and doesn’t turn out to be a serial killer – or even a creep! All roads lead back to M&S. “Who’s Mark and who’s Spencer?” marvels Norton, face aglow from the store’s bright and shiny window displays. It’s also where Punch’s Mrs Claus has secretly been buying all their gifts and food for years.
Norton’s Santa may be the lead (he’s not 007, but he makes a damn good Saint Nick), but it’s Punch who steals the show whenever she’s on screen. When you think about it, the Amandaland actor starring as an updated Mrs Claus makes perfect sense. The actor channels her glamorous, insufferable mumfluencer character here, looking like an Instagram post come to life in a cute pyjama set, eye patches and a perfect blow out as she ogles her husband. Could we be looking at a “Senuous x M&S” collab anytime soon? Punch is well on her way to national treasure status, and at the very least, we can thank M&S for giving us a little dose to tide us over until the Amandaland Christmas special next month.
Undeniably, there’s a whiff of Elf about the ad: North Pole native dropped into the big city to see Christmas through the eyes of normals. But what’s the festive season for if not sharing ideas… and IP? And as with that film, this one imparts a heartwarming message of festive wonderment that works without being so heavy-handed. Sometimes there is no deeper meaning than just having a good time with friends and family. Incidentally, when did the barometer for a successful Christmas ad become how many tears it can elicit?
Beyond sexy Santa and the undeniable appeal of Lucy Punch, there’s something less tangible that M&S Christmas gets right – and that’s tone. It’s worth noting that the retailer tapped director Shannon Murphy, the woman behind Killing Eve, for the project and while there are no assassins on screen, the ad does carry that same slightly frothy, very fun effortless touch. (Everyone is also immaculately dressed; Villanelle would be proud).
I will say that I think M&S missed a trick here by not having Kathryn Turner, their director of product development and micro-celebrity in her own right, make a cameo – but I’m nitpicking. Sweet, sellable, and even a little spicy, this Christmas ad is a winner. It’s not rocket science.
