Mrs Claus gets her spot in the limelight
A very special Christmas launch with C4 and M&S
The Big Idea
During a collaborative PL4Y workshop at C4 HQ with all the key stakeholders, we explored the role Mrs Claus could have with C4 outside of the launch ad to help amplify the message and cut through the myriad of ‘Xmas blockbusters’ that the festive season heralds. The idea that resonated most was an ambitious execution that would see her launch our Xmas season for us, rubbing shoulders with our key on-air talent during one of the Nation's favourite shows.
Making it Happen
Working with our partners, The Outfit, we recruited C4’s most recognisable talent to star in an epic, entertaining film that would bring Mrs Claus right into the heart of C4.The launch took place during a full break takeover in Gogglebox on 18th November and the makeup was an intro with the bespoke C4 blocks, followed by the M&S Christmas Ad and finally, the C4 vignette.
The M&S ad was narrated by 7year old Jake asking Mrs Claus to help him make his sisters Christmas extra special. This was followed seamlessly by the C4 vignette; narrated by David Mitchell, asking for Mrs Claus to help our talent make C4’s Christmas party extra special! The vignette opened with Mrs Claus arriving at the C4 building and entering the C4 control room to guide our talent. She cut through Phil & Kirsty’s amiable squabbling, helping them get the decorations right, guided Fred Sirieux and Dawn O’Porter towards the perfect party outfits and gave Jimmy Doherty a helpful nudge to create the ultimate Christmas feast! Each scene saw Mrs Claus help our talent to create ‘Christmas with Love’ whilst highlighting key M&S products. The end of the vignette saw Mrs Claus swoop down the C4 steps and illuminate the huge, 3D ‘4’ in Red – the signature colour throughout both ads.
The Mrs. Claus campaign showed an 82%
instant uplift in spontaneous consideration
There was an average of 158
tweets per minute on launch night!
The Results
C4 has huge heritage in championing diversity and the female icon at the heart of the campaign really resonated with our viewers. Our independent research from BDRC Continental showed an instant 82% uplift in spontaneous consideration after the M&S launch break on C4 and M&S increased quarterly sales for first time in 6yrs Best Xmas since 2013. There was also an average 158 tweets per minute on launch night!
