Knightley v Norton: Who’s winning the posh shop war?

And so to the battle for upmarket festive food spend has begun, with Waitrose’s “The Perfect Gift 2” taking on M&S’s “The Home of Christmas”, pitting Keira Knightley against James Norton.

And while both Waitrose and M&S have benefitted from the expertise of their agency partners – Wonderhood Studios and Mother respectively – there is little doubt that the film directors Molly Manners and Shannon Murphy have brought the best out the talent on show, while media agencies MG OMD and Mindshare have also played a huge part.

So which one is winning the plaudits?

Well, according to creative effectiveness company System1, neither. It claims that Morrisons and Sainsbury’s are tied at the top of early effectiveness leaderboards with 5.9 Stars.

Then again, they are far cheaper than both Waitrose and M&S so the general public – remember them? – are probably more likely to shop with them anyway.

Interestingly, neither has attracted the ire that poor old John Lewis did.

In fact, Waitrose has been praised for treating the campaign like a genuine Hollywood film release rather than a standard TV spot. Reviewers highlighted the cleverness of backing the 8pm ITV premiere (which pulled in 2.1 million viewers) with theatrical movie posters, short trailers, and a cameo by This Morning hosts Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond.

Others noted that leaning into classic Richard Curtis-style tropes – complete with a barefoot run through a Waitrose aisle and Jennifer Rush’s The Power of Love – gives viewers the exact escapism they crave. And let’s not forget Joe Wilkinson, either.

For M&S, commentators have commended the pairing of a clean-shaven, topless Norton (“Hot Santa”) with Lucy Punch, noted that she effectively channels her viral Amandaland persona as a glamorous Mrs Claus, giving the ad instant social media shareability alongside Katherine Jenkins’ cover of Heaven Is a Place on Earth.

Industry reviewers have also pointed out how effortlessly the narrative showcases M&S products, from the Autograph shaving set and white cotton towel to its party food “picky bits” and outerwear.

But, more importantly of course, what is the consensus around the Decision Marketing office?

Well, maybe, just maybe, we are getting soppy in our old age but we love ’em both. Then again, as you may recall, we also love the John Lewis ad too so there’s definitely something in the water round here. (Probably alcohol related, too.)

Ultimately, both ads bring joy at a time when many people are going through shit. Will we be rushing off to buy our Christmas goodies at either M&S or Waitrose? Unlikely. Do you know we get paid a pittance to write this stuff. Generous contributions are always welcome though…

Decision Marketing Adometer: A ‘double bubble’ 10 out of 10 for both