// M&S hires director of Beyonce’s Single Ladies, Jake Nava, for new Christmas ad
// The advert, Go Jumpers, sees people across the UK jumping, dancing in festive knitwear to tune of Jump Around
// M&S also released a Christmas separate campaign for its food division, set in a Christmas Market
Marks & Spencer has launched its all-dancing, jumper-filled Christmas advert, in a move that seemingly challenges John Lewis in terms of production quality and appeal.
M&S’s 60-second advert shows people wearing 50 different jumpers from its knitwear ranges while dancing to House of Pain’s iconic track Jump Around.
The advert was created by creative agency ODD and was directed by Jake Nava – the same director of Beyoncé’s iconic Single Ladies music video.
The premise of M&S’s Christmas advert evolves around how the retailer’s festive knitwear sparks people around the UK to “jump around” – from friends in the local pub, to schoolkids at the bus stop, to a family chilling on the sofa.
The Go Jumpers advert is part of M&S’s wider Christmas campaign, which calls for customers to share their attempts at the “shoulder roll” in their festive knitwear online.
“This year our Christmas campaign really brings the changes we’re making at M&S in clothing & home to life – it’s all about great style and great value for the whole family,” M&S clothing & home marketing director Nathan Ansell said.
“We’re backing with confidence our biggest commercial category for Christmas and importantly having some fun with our customers and colleagues.
“We can’t wait to see the nation Go Jumpers for Christmas.”
M&S’s wider Christmas campaign also includes a separate advert for its food division, one that is set in a Christmas market and stars M&S Food Celebrity Panel Members – Paddy McGuinness and Emma Willis – along with the award-winning Ysgol Gynradd Llwyncelyn primary school choir from Wales.
Viewers are led through the market, where each of the stalls are hosted by the M&S product developers behind its delicious Christmas products.
McGuinness and Willis are seen sampling seasonal products and mingling in with 125 real-life M&S Food customers while bumping into fellow panel members Amanda Holden and Rochelle Humes.
The Ysgol Gynradd Llwyncelyn choir, who shot to fame after winning Songs of Praise Choir of the Year in 2018, sing a special arrangement of Fleetwood Mac’s Albatross, the tune behind M&S’s famous This is not just any campaign.
M&S said that the choir’s festive makeover of Albatross would be heard over 350,000 times in stores across the UK with a further 12 million people expected to view the advert over the festive period.
“At M&S Food our plan is to protect the magic – the things our customers really love about M&S – whilst modernising the rest – and at Christmas time especially this means upholding our award-winning quality and innovative food,” M&S food marketing director Sharry Cramond said.
“Our product developers are the team behind the magic of our food – that’s why we’re making them and our delicious Christmas range the stars of this year’s ad.
“It’s only our amazing Côr Ysgol Llwyncelyn choir that might steal a little of the limelight from our fantastic food.
“Families are at the very heart of an M&S Christmas – and the incredible voices and talent of the children bring a truly magical festive feel to this year’s campaign.”
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