A new study by Kantar shows that half of this year’s top 10 best performing Christmas advertisements are repeat campaigns. The findings highlight the growing effectiveness of familiar creative assets. Cadbury’s long-running Secret Santa campaign has been named the most effective Christmas ad of 2025, reflecting the strong impact of consistent storytelling.
Kantar’s analysis shows that five of the top 10 festive TV ads this year reused previous creative work. Cadbury first introduced its Secret Santa concept in 2018. Coca-Cola’s classic Holidays Are Coming also performed strongly. Both campaigns ranked in the upper 100th percentile of Kantar’s global database for brand strength and emotional engagement.
Other high performing ads include Aldi’s 10th anniversary of Kevin the Carrot and the return of the Dawn French festive fairy for M&S Food. Tui, Argos, KFC, Sainsbury’s and Asda also secured positions in the top 10. Asda was the only brand in the list with an entirely new creative idea through its Grinchmas campaign.
Lynne Deason, Kantar’s head of creative excellence, describes the continued use of established campaigns as smart marketing. She notes that consistent and recognisable creative elements help brands stand out more effectively.
“Brands that reuse and evolve familiar assets are cutting through more effectively than those starting from scratch,” Deason says. “People forget easily and brands must reinforce their distinctiveness in a clear and memorable way to be noticed.”
Deason adds that effective advertising requires more than repetition. She explains that brands need strong strategic foundations and must adapt their messaging to remain relevant to consumers. According to her, brands that maintain cohesive and distinctive identities perform better in the long run.
Notably, major retailers such as John Lewis, Lidl, Morrisons, Waitrose and Tesco did not make Kantar’s top 10 this year. However, Ipsos data shows that John Lewis’s Where Love Lives remains the most spontaneously liked ad for the third consecutive week. This suggests performance can vary depending on the research model used.
System1’s Christmas rankings also highlight the benefit of repeated creative. Amazon’s returning Joy Ride ad secured the top position. System1 chief customer officer Jon Evans says that good creative grows stronger over time rather than declining with repeated use.
Growing Influence of Digital Platforms
Kantar reports that television continues to dominate Christmas advertising, although digital channels have grown significantly in impact. With audiences increasingly fragmented, platforms such as YouTube and TikTok now play a bigger role in generating campaign reach and engagement.
One in four consumers say they look forward to watching Christmas ads on YouTube. Eighteen percent prefer TikTok, where John Lewis is the most discussed brand. Press advertising has also increased in effectiveness, particularly for grocery retailers, with its impact doubling over the past three years.
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Experts at Ipsos observe that brands now approach Christmas marketing more like entertainment properties. This shift represents one of the biggest changes in holiday advertising strategy.
Highlights from Kantar’s 2025 Review
Kantar’s research identifies several standout creative moments in 2025.
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Aldi’s Kevin the Carrot was named the funniest Christmas advertisement.
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Amazon achieved the highest musical enjoyment score, followed by Coca-Cola.
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Cadbury received the highest rating for positive male portrayal. Argos also performed well in this category.
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Argos delivered what Kantar considers its strongest Christmas campaign to date, scoring well in humour, storytelling and brand clarity.
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Amazon was recognised for strong representation of women on screen, although Kantar notes that overall portrayals of women in non-traditional roles declined by half compared to last year.
Overall, Kantar’s 2025 Christmas advertising rankings clearly show that brands with familiar and consistent creative platforms are outperforming brands that rely solely on new concepts. The study highlights the importance of consistent branding, emotional connection and effective use of multiple media channels in modern holiday marketing.
Source: https://www.marketingweek.com/kantar-repeat-ads-christmas-2025/
