Jingle hell: 17m Brits left cold by this year's festive ads

Christmas may be painted as the season of joy, but for many Brits the festive magic has evaporated, with nearly a third (29.8%) – equivalent to 17 million people – saying this year’s advertising and marketing messages make them feel nothing at all.

And, while adland pats itself on the back for another round of seasonal campaigns – from Waitrose’s “Sussex Charmer” rom-com and John Lewis’s father and son love-in to Kevin the Carrot’s nuptials and Asda’s The Grinch – it seems millions are being met with pressure, guilt, overwhelm and loneliness from marketing that feels more like noise than care.

That is according to a new survey of 2,000 consumers commissioned by Braze, the global customer engagement platform, which reveals that just a fifth (21.6%) of UK consumers feel inspired or excited to shop.

Meanwhile, the same proportion (21%) feel pressured to spend beyond their means as those who feel frustrated or overwhelmed by irrelevant or excessive messaging.

One in six (16%) even experience guilt for not being able to buy more for others, while 8.5% suffer loneliness because they have no one to buy for.

Braze general manager for UK&I Georgia Harrison claims the findings are a “wake-up call”. She explained: “Behind every campaign is a real human being with hopes, fears, constraints and pressures. When brands lean on one-size-fits-all messaging year after year, they’re not just missing the mark; they’re contributing to real emotional strain.

“The technology exists for genuine, one to one personalisation that helps people feel understood. If marketers want to rekindle the magic of Christmas, we need more empathy, more creativity, and more humanity.

“In the same way that a friend or family member embodies the magic of Christmas with a well-thought-out gift tailored to what they know about you, brands need to do the same.”

The findings also reflect the wider reality of the moment: with 22.49% of consumers planning to spend less this year, the pressure on households is real.

Braze insists that personalised, thoughtful messaging is not just a nice-to-have, it is essential for creating meaningful connections without adding financial or emotional burden.

Jingle hell: 17m Brits left cold by this year’s festive ads

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