Marks & Spencer Christmas adverts are a staple of the UK festive season. Famous for indulgent food visuals, dry humour, and instantly recognisable taglines, M&S Christmas adverts have carved out a distinct identity in an increasingly competitive Christmas advertising landscape.
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This guide explores the history and evolution of M&S Christmas adverts, highlights the most iconic campaigns, and provides a detailed breakdown of the 2025 M&S Christmas advert, “Traffic Jamming”—with comparisons to other major festive campaigns, including the Waitrose Christmas adverts of 2025.
Why M&S Christmas Adverts Are Instantly Recognisable
M&S has remained remarkably consistent in its festive strategy. Rather than chasing overt sentimentality, the brand focuses on:
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Food as the emotional centre of Christmas
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Humour rooted in everyday festive frustrations
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Short, repeatable storytelling formats
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A long-running brand line: “This is not just food. This is M&S Christmas food.”
This approach clearly differentiates M&S from more emotionally driven campaigns like the John Lewis Christmas advert, while still competing for attention alongside Amazon Christmas ads and Lidl Christmas adverts, which often rely on spectacle or comedy.
The Evolution of M&S Christmas Adverts
Early Years: Product-Led Festive Advertising
In the early 2000s, M&S Christmas adverts were unapologetically product-focused. Slow-motion food shots, rich lighting, and festive music were used to drive appetite appeal and position M&S as the go-to destination for Christmas food.
Introducing Narrative and Characters
Over time, M&S began layering light storytelling into its adverts. Characters such as Mrs Claus and later the fairy figure helped give the brand continuity without losing its core food-first identity.
This evolution mirrored broader trends across UK retail advertising, including in Waitrose Christmas adverts, which increasingly blended premium food with emotional storytelling.
Consistency Over Reinvention
Unlike some retailers that reinvent their Christmas strategy every year, M&S has doubled down on consistency—allowing audiences to immediately recognise an M&S Christmas advert within seconds.
Most Iconic M&S Christmas Adverts
“Not Just Any Christmas”
These campaigns established the foundation of M&S festive advertising. The simplicity of the messaging and focus on food quality made the ads highly memorable and commercially effective.
Mrs Claus (2016)
The Mrs Claus campaign marked a cultural shift for M&S, introducing a strong, modern festive character while still keeping food at the heart of the story.
Percy Pig at Christmas
Percy Pig’s festive appearances added playfulness and family appeal, reinforcing brand loyalty across generations.
M&S Christmas Adverts by Year (2016–2025)
| Year | Campaign Theme | Core Focus | Notable Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Mrs Claus | Festive adventure | Iconic character debut |
| 2018 | Magical Christmas | Fantasy | Visual spectacle |
| 2020 | Togetherness | Comfort food | Pandemic-era tone |
| 2021 | Percy Pig | Animation | Family appeal |
| 2023 | Fairy Returns | Nostalgia | Dawn French |
| 2025 | Traffic Jamming | Food & humour | Dawn French, Tom Kerridge |
M&S Christmas Advert 2025: “Traffic Jamming” Explained
The 2025 M&S Christmas advert, titled “Traffic Jamming”, is a clear reaffirmation of the brand’s food-led Christmas identity.
Storyline Overview
Set during a familiar festive scenario—being stuck in traffic while driving home for Christmas—the advert taps into a shared seasonal frustration. As the jam drags on, the fairy character (played by Dawn French) intervenes, transforming the stalled cars into a spontaneous festive feast.
Rather than aiming for emotional catharsis, the advert embraces absurdity, humour, and indulgence.
Food Takes Centre Stage
True to form, the narrative exists primarily to showcase M&S Christmas food, including:
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Black tiger prawn pil-pil
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Fish, chips, and peas
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A premium pâté by Tom Kerridge
The message is clear: M&S food can turn even the most inconvenient moment into Christmas.
Brand Message
The advert closes with the iconic line:
“This is not just food. This is M&S Christmas food.”
This reinforces consistency—one of the biggest strengths of M&S Christmas advertising.
How the 2025 M&S Ad Compares to the Waitrose Christmas Advert 2025
While M&S leaned into humour and food, Waitrose Christmas adverts in 2025 took a very different approach.
Waitrose Christmas Advert 2025: “The Perfect Gift”
Waitrose’s 2025 ad, “The Perfect Gift”, is a full-length festive rom-com starring Keira Knightley. The story follows Phil, an ordinary man who meets a famous actress in a Waitrose cheese aisle, with their romance unfolding through shared food, cooking, and emotional vulnerability.
The campaign focuses on:
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Emotional storytelling
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Romance and cinematic pacing
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Food as a symbol of love rather than spectacle
Key Differences Between M&S and Waitrose (2025)
| M&S “Traffic Jamming” | Waitrose “The Perfect Gift” |
|---|---|
| Short, punchy format | Long-form cinematic ad |
| Humour-driven | Emotion-led storytelling |
| Food as indulgence | Food as love and connection |
| Relatable chaos | Aspirational romance |
This contrast highlights how differently UK retailers approach Christmas advertising—even when both prioritise food.
M&S vs Other Major Christmas Advertisers
In the wider festive landscape:
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The John Lewis Christmas advert leads with emotional storytelling
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Waitrose Christmas adverts blend food with romance and warmth
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Amazon Christmas ads often focus on inclusivity and modern values
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Lidl Christmas adverts rely on humour and price-led messaging
M&S stands apart by consistently making food the star, supported by humour rather than sentimentality.
Marketing Impact of M&S Christmas Adverts
From a marketing perspective, M&S Christmas adverts are effective because they:
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Drive immediate seasonal food sales
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Reinforce premium brand positioning
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Deliver strong recall through repetition and consistency
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Avoid creative fatigue by refining rather than reinventing
The 2025 “Traffic Jamming” advert shows that clarity of brand role can be more powerful than emotional spectacle.
FAQs About M&S Christmas Adverts
What is the M&S Christmas advert 2025 about?
The 2025 advert, “Traffic Jamming”, shows festive food transforming a Christmas traffic jam into a celebratory moment.
Who stars in the M&S Christmas advert 2025?
The advert features Dawn French as the fairy and celebrity chef Tom Kerridge.
How is M&S different from Waitrose in Christmas advertising?
M&S focuses on humour and indulgent food moments, while Waitrose prioritises emotional storytelling and cinematic romance.
Final Thoughts: Why M&S Still Owns Festive Food Advertising
In a year where Waitrose delivered romance, John Lewis delivered emotion, and Amazon delivered spectacle, M&S stayed true to its roots.
The Traffic Jamming campaign proves that M&S understands its role in Christmas advertising:
not to tell the biggest story, but to make the food unforgettable.
