M&S' Christmas Campaign Invites You to 'Love Thismas' but 'Not Thatmas'

With less than two months to go until the big day, M&S has unveiled its Christmas Clothing and Home campaign for 2023 created by newly appointed creative agency MOTHER and director Ally Pankiw, best known for Feel Good and Black Mirror.

Celebrating the honest truth of Christmas, the campaign is inspired by the insight that, for many, it can be a challenge striking the balance between celebrating the things we love about the holidays, and taking on some things we might not enjoy as much but feel obliged to do anyway. To bring this to life, this campaign invites viewers to embrace only the things they love about Christmas (and skip those they don’t). The campaign line 'Love Thismas (Not Thatmas)' encourages people to join in, deciding what makes Christmas work best for them. 

The campaign’s TV ad is set across four different homes, each of which feature a popular British household name – actress Hannah Waddingham, singer and podcast host Sophie Ellis-Bextor, presenter and style expert Tan France, and actress Zawe Ashton – all making a decision on which Christmas traditions they're going to embrace this year (and which ones they're going to skip). Featuring a series of humorous and irreverent scenes, each can be seen facing an amusing dilemma in a relatable reference to the pressures we often face in the run up to Christmas, and the little things we all do to help make the festive season special for those around us. 

Anna Braithwaite, M&S clothing and home marketing director, said, “I’m sure everyone watching our ad will be able to relate to our fabulous cast of talent who so hilariously bring-to-life those little moments and dilemmas we all have at Christmas time! 

“Before we created Love Thismas (Not Thatmas), we spoke to hundreds of our customers and they all told us that, at Christmas, they feel this pressure of having to worry about and plan so many things. We know it can often feel like the list is never-ending so this year we decided to celebrate and empower our customers to just do the things they love.” 

Set against the stunning vocals of Ray BLK’s version of ‘I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)’, the soundtrack perfectly captures the tongue-in-cheek spirit of the campaign, empowering viewers to acknowledge the things we all do – some that we love, and some that we may like doing a little less - that makes the festive season a truly magical time with loved ones. 

Hannah Waddingham said, “I love the build up to Christmas and all the magic and sparkle that comes with it! If I'm perfectly honest, I'd be happy to start it all in November! Getting glammed up and spending time with loved ones and family is something I look forward to the most, so filming this campaign really got me in the festive spirit. M&S is always my go-to destination for picking up Christmas gifts and let's not forget the foooood!......so being involved in the campaign has been so special and a great pleasure.” 

On working with M&S, Tan France said, “I’ve loved M&S since I was a child, and so to be included in this campaign is such an exciting moment for me. I love celebrating Christmas with my kids and all the festivities that come with it (yes - even those home made decorations!), and I’m so excited to share this campaign with them – they love going into M&S when we’re back in the UK, so they’ll be super excited when they see the ad.”

Actress Zawe Ashton said of being involved in the campaign, “Who doesn’t love an M&S Christmas? I’m delighted to be playing a part in the campaign this year – I have a special place in my heart for M&S. I can’t wait to really embrace the season and make the most of every minute with my family.” 

Long-time fan of the brand, Sophie Ellis Bextor said: “My kids all still love the magic of Christmas, so it’s a really exciting time in our household – we love hosting Christmas, so having a house-full is when I’m happiest. We’ve got so many Christmas traditions  in our family, which we add to each year – it’s always busy for us, and I love it that way! Being able to be a part of one of the biggest TV ad campaigns of the year is so exciting, I can’t wait to see it go live!” 

The campaign creative will be executed across a range of channels – from VOD casting across multiple platforms, to dynamic digital billboards and print cover wraps. Within TV advertising, the advert will premiere in full at 9pm during Payback on ITV, Wednesday 1st November. In addition, the advert will also feature across several podcast sponsorships, including Table Manners, The Therapy Crouch, Help I Sexted My Boss, Sh*gged Married Annoyed, Closet Confessions and Spencer & Vogue.