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British retailers do battle for top Xmas ad

Friday, November 18, 2016 - 01:37

Tis' nearly the season to be merry and for big-budget media campaigns, designed to get our attention and our money.Every year companies spend more and more on Christmas marketing. As Ross Miklaszewicz reports, the figure in the UK this year reportedly topped £5.6 billon.

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They're designed to make you feel warm and fuzzy But don't be deceived by the slick Christmas adverts from the big retailers. It's part of the battle for the pound in your pocket. John Lewis's stars Buster the dog and trampolining foxes They spent around a million pounds making it. But will they get their money back? (SOUNDBITE) (English) JANE BLOOMFIELD, HEAD OF UK MARKETING, KANTAR MILLWARD BROWN UK, SAYING: "They will get that money back and they'll get it back many times over. In the past John Lewis advertising has been responsible for increasing sales by up to 40% over the Christmas period and when you consider that for a retailer about 50% of their annual sales can be made over that time of year, you are talking about millions and millions and millions of pounds." While many have taken a feelgood approach, others haven't. Argos, part of the Sainsbury's group, is offering a simple proposition. Their focus on speed of delivery aimed at time-poor shoppers. They had the same message in 2015. This year its ice-skating yetis pushing the same line. Even if otherwise the big retailers are pushing a slightly different one after Brexit. (SOUNDBITE) (English) JANE BLOOMFIELD, HEAD OF UK MARKETING, KANTAR MILLWARD BROWN UK, SAYING: "I think this year sees a return to perhaps a more light-hearted tone in some of the advertising, particularly people like John Lewis who have gone for less of a tear jerker but more a nice make you smile type story. I think that is very reflective of the mood for 2016." Dogs bouncing, yetis skating ... The countdown is on to Christmas day - retailers still desperate to hear their ... tills jingling.

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