M&S Christmas: Mrs. Claus and the power of a second mince pie

Oliver Waterstone and Emily James

Marks & Spencer, a British retailer, used feminism to advertise to women in the UK with its 'Mrs Claus' ad, which successfully turned around year-on-year sales declines.

Campaign details

Brand: Marks & SpencerClient: Marks & SpencerAgency: Y&R London

Summary

In a year when feminism was making headlines again, M&S needed to show that it 'got' modern women to turn around five years of consecutive sales decline in womenswear.

To gain maximum impact, we chose a time of year when, for a retailer, the stakes couldn't be higher: Christmas. And we doubled down by directly subverting one of the most beloved and cherished Christmas conventions, the Santa Claus myth. And we did it despite what women were telling us in qualitiative research, not...

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