Christmas Adverts: do people really care?

[Lifeisntajoke]

I just switched the radio on and it was the end of The Media Show on radio 4. They were talking about Chrismas Adverts. And saying that people actually really looked forward to these Adverts, that they were eagerly anticipated and people really either enjoyed them or sometimes were disappointed by them. That they are part of our Christmas tradition.

I found this hard to believe. I generally try and avoid Adverts, although this year I did actively seek out the Boots Christmas ad because I'd heard it was supposed to be controversial. When I saw it my only reaction was that it didn't mean anything to me and it wouldn't influence the way I shop at Boots one way or another.

The woman I heard on the Media show plugging the importance of Christmas ads was from Satchi and watching, so obviously had an axe to grind. But really do any of you MNers actually look forward to Christmas adverts? Are they of any importance?
YABU They are a Christmas tradition
YANBU They are totally of no importance

No. No one really takes a blind bit of notice

I'm only bothered about seeing John Lewis / Waitrose ones. They are a cut above.

No, not anymore. I feel like TV used to have these moments because we only had a few channels. Now, we can stream, cut the ads, etc. It doesn't feel as prominent. Just my feeling anyway.

Clearly some people are bothered and others aren't. There are threads on here, plus comments on the ads on YouTube, to suggest that people do take an interest.

That's interesting because they actually specifically mentioned how people anticipated the John Lewis advert.

I’m not interested in most of the programmes, never mind the adverts! 🤣

That's how I feel too!

The John Lewis one out of nowhere suddenly started being touted as some ancient Christmas tradition, which I never understood. Aside from the fact that it wasn't—that this was obviously a PR line—it's just a bloody mawkish ad with some whiny music. Who gives a shit?

If enough PR people say it, it becomes true. I think the rise of it coincided with 24 hour news—they need filler, so the advertising agencies oblige by writing the copy for them.

That's how I felt too.

I assumed I must have just missed it for all those years.

Glad to know I'm not the only one who finds it odd that it suddenly just appeared, claiming to be a thing.

Yes that's the way they were talking about the John Lewis adverts on the programme tonight.
I can honestly say if I've ever seen a John Lewis Christmas advert I can't remember anything about it. And I felt as though I was really being manipulated by this person telling me something was a traditional part of life when my memory and common sense was saying that's utter nonsense.

Couldn't care less.

I heard that interview as well, and thought the same as you! It was important that her but I thought perhaps she was living in her own little advertising world bubble and not really aware that most normal people don't give a shit and just forward through the ads at any time of year.

I honestly cannot believe that people get excited about the John Lewis advert. On the rare occasions we might watch live TV, or use ITVX, we mute everything and tend to do little odd jobs like put a log on fire, of shove the dog out for a pee, so JL might need to know that all those millions spent on advertising are wasted on us. I haven’t been in a JL store for 20 years……🤭 🤣

I think its part of the wave of manufactured consumerist-traditions like Elf on the Shelf, Christmas Eve hampers etc.

Totally agree: advert breaks = putting the kettle on or bathroom breaks as far as I'm concerned!

Couldn't give a shiny tinsel covered shit about them.

They all meld into one to be honest, I get all the supermarkets muddled up for a start.

Didn't the Christmas advert trend come about because one year John Lewis did a cute sentimental one with the song Lily Allen covered "somewhere only we know", then suddenly everyone jumped on the bandwagon. Then the "big Christmas advert reveal" became a thing, usually debuting during the X Factor or the like?

It's been going for 17 years...that's hardly just appeared.

Similarly Coca cola since 1995.

Yes in the grand scheme of Christmas traditions stretching centuries, it's new, but...we can't claim this is a brand new thing really.

The only comment I've got about adverts on YouTube is that there are too many of them.

17 years! Really? I'm amazed at that. Although now you mention it I do remember a very ancient Coca Cola Chritmas ad , which was probably way back in the 1990s.

No interest whatsoever and they certainly don't influence my shopping. I avoid all shops as far as possible from November onwards, and don't go to John Lewis anyway.

Even if I owned a TV I don't think they would be of any interest. Surely people shop where it is convenient, or where they have bought things before, not because they have seen an advert?

I can't imagine seeing, for example, an advert for M&S and thinking "Oh, I must go there at the earliest opportunity." I only go because they have clean toilets, or if I need new pants.

I watch TV on demand as got Sky Glass. I fast forward or skip the adverts, depending on which streaming service I use.

If I watch 10 hours of TV a week, an hour long programme is 55 mins (US its 52 mins) - I save enough time to watch 2.5 US seasons of TV in a year!

Yes but I'm talking about 17 years ago, there was all this talk like it was a decades-old tradition. Proper gaslighting stuff, like the Matrix had changed the algorithm as an experiment.