Has the public lost interest in Christmas adverts?

In the last several years Christmas adverts from the likes of John Lewis, Sainsbury’s and Tesco have been big-budget productions that signal the start of the festive period. 

Last year, John Lewis and Sainsbury’s both launched merchandise lines to support their festive adverts, and other big retailers also spent millions on seasonal advertising.

More than a month before Christmas, this season’s adverts have been released, but the mood this year is noticeably subdued.

Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Marks & Spencer have all opted to focus mostly on their products like a traditional advert, and Morrisons has reused footage from previous years.

As ever, John Lewis has released an imaginative piece that points to the meaning of the season, but is also very different from its adverts in the past three years.

Waitrose’s 2018 Christmas ad makes fun of the excitement around the release of the John Lewis advert and even shows clips of the Sir Elton in the retail store’s ad.

The commercial left many at home wondering whether John Lewis and Waitrose are the same company.

Could the shift in style signal a change of public opinion? With political uncertainty looming, many families are planning a more modest Christmas that’s about traditional family values rather than gift-giving and expensive celebrations.

What do you think? Has the public lost interest in Christmas adverts, and is this a sign of the times? Share your views at Speakers Corner.