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This is a self-funded case study using our ad testing solution.
There’s something undeniably magical about the advertising extravaganza we’re treated to each festive season; it’s the one time of year the public is genuinely excited about (and eagerly anticipates) new campaign releases. In a world where consumers are largely apathetic and indifferent toward brands and advertising, it truly is a season like none other!
But, in the rush to test ads and separate the wheat from the chaff, what quickly gets lost is the theory and ‘science’ behind what makes an ad effective. In particular, we’ve seen marketers grow increasingly skeptical toward the idea that “emotion” and “happiness” are the be-all and end-all of advertising success.
To be clear, emotion (and standing out) is a prerequisite; advertising which doesn’t enter people’s mental headspace is consigned to being ineffectual. But from there, two other (equally important) things must happen:
Our framework has been built upon these rigorous theoretical underpinnings, distilling the factors for success into a simple and intuitive framework — the 3Cs:
We produce a one number composite metric (the Cubery Rating) which equally weights the 3Cs, providing a robust and transparent prediction of effectiveness. You can read more about our framework here.
Without further ado, we’re delighted to share the 2023 rankings for Australia.
Merry Christmas! 🎅
Cubery Rating: 78 (+14 vs. 2022)
There was no topping Australia Post in 2023. While the national mail carrier’s holiday ads have consistently delivered (topping our Australian rankings in 3 of the last 4 years), this year’s tale took things to new heights. Centered around Santa himself, the narrative follows ‘Nick’ as he goes undercover as an intern at Australia Post. In doing so he discovers exactly how Australia Post delivers gifts at Christmas — confirming his suspicions that sliding down chimneys mightn’t be the best way of getting the job done! By placing a familiar face in an unfamiliar environment it made for a highly amusing plot, generating excitement around the festive period. What’s more, spotlighting Australia Post offices, employees, and delivery methods meant warmth and favorability was intrinsically linked to the brand.
“It was extremely amusing seeing Santa undercover and fit well with a postal service. It is memorable and won’t forget the ad or that it’s for Australia Post.”
Cubery Rating: 70 (+1 vs. 2022)
Being Australia’s top performing Christmas ad in 2022 meant Target had big shoes to fill in 2023. And while it fell just short of being the best ad again in 2023, “All The Way” did prove just as effective as its predecessor. Viewers enjoyed the family-friendly storyline together with the clever rendition of Jingle Bells (which used different sound effects intrinsically tied to the festive season). Simultaneously tapping into a sense of familiarity around the hectic build-up to Christmas day made the ad feel warm and relatable. Target’s presence was also felt, with the sequential narrative clearly positioning the retailer as the facilitator behind the long and tiring — but thoroughly enjoyed — Christmas day.
“I liked how it felt special but captured the craziness of Christmas at home.”
Cubery Rating: 65 (-1 vs. 2022)
While many fall into the trap of reinventing the wheel each Christmas, Coles went to Great Lengths to ensure consistency with the brand’s wider campaign platform that was launched earlier in the year. The decision to build off the quality-focused “Great Lengths” creative theme with its Christmas spot paid dividends, with the approach tapping into many of shoppers’ most important ‘jobs to be done’ during the festive period (e.g. wanting to go the extra mile to bring joy and happiness to those near and dear). Together with the seasonal appearance of Curtis Stone it made for an ad that was unmistakably for Coles, and Coles only.
“There’s a bit of humour throughout the advert which flows from the recent quality adverts with Coles that aren’t part of their Christmas range.”
Cubery Rating: 65 (+3 vs. 2022)
Kmart once again proved the power of consistency, almost cloning their 2022 Christmas campaign in 2023 (with just a few small tweaks to keep things feeling fresh and relevant). Using the same familiar white backdrop, the ad spotlighted the great value products you’d expect to see from the discount retailer, while wrapping it all up in Kmart’s typically upbeat style (including the Avicii soundtrack which frequently appears across their communications). Consequently, viewers were almost unanimous in their view that the ad was for — and could only be for — Kmart. While yes, the ad doesn’t score high marks in the creativity and engagement stakes, it makes up for this (and more) in other aspects — ultimately delivering a clear and motivating message at a time shoppers need it most.
“Easy to identify it was for Kmart, showed there were still bargains despite the cost of living increases.”
Cubery Rating: 62 (+2 vs. 2022)
Unlike Coles, Woolworths switched gears this year, moving from the dulcet nostalgic tones of their 2022 ode to the mango and instead taking a considerably more energetic and upbeat approach. The big band musical ensemble which replaced last year’s soft acoustic soundtrack was found much more enjoyable, with it being complimented by a story featuring bright visuals and cute children in playful costumes. However, the change of pace certainly hindered connection back to the brand, with people not finding the theme synergistic with the established ‘fresh food’ focus they’ve typically come to expect from Woolworths. While this meant the ad didn’t tap into as many key shopper purchase motivators during the festive period, the ad still carved out a point of difference and exhibited potential to become a long-term creative platform for the grocery retailer.
“It was a really heartwarming story with lots of energy and people coming together. Made Christmas fun!”
Cubery Rating: 61 (-2 vs. 2022)
Aldi’s quest to distinguish itself from the big two big supermarket goliaths was again the focus of its 2023 Christmas campaign. Like nearly all the Aldi Christmas ads we’ve tested since 2016, the brand’s newest spot certainly grabbed people’s attention — its rework of the classic 80’s hit (“Time of My Life”) to incorporate the supermarket chain’s range of side dishes was considered highly unique. While the off-key singing meant some of this magnetism was from a place of annoyance (consequently impacting how positive it left people feeling toward the brand), the approach was nonetheless effective in delivering on exactly what Aldi sets out to do each year — reminding people that the grocer does things a little bit differently to competitors.
“It is completely different to what other grocery retailers do.”
Cubery Rating: 58 (-4 vs. 2022)
2023 saw Myer continue their penchant for shaking things up and switching creative themes each Christmas. After last year’s highly energetic dance routine, this year saw the up-market department store deploy a more laconic style together with a dose of quintessentially Australian humor, presenting a highly relatable and enjoyable narrative surrounding the dreaded re-gift. However, Mark Ritson recently commented in Marketing Week that: “Most marketers seek ads that deliver instant, one-off success, but the ideal campaign is an idea that runs indefinitely while only the execution changes.” With Myer still not having quite landed on a style that they can call their own, the ad’s ability to build and reinforce memory structures in shoppers’ minds was consequently limited.
“It was interesting to watch but so annoying trying to figure out who it was representing.”
Cubery Rating: 55 ()
Telstra’s latest foray into Christmas advertising mirrors the path taken by many other brands over the years. By going heavy on a heart-warming, sentimental storytelling approach that is widely deployed during the festive season, often what gets sacrificed is creative elements (emotional or otherwise) that people can uniquely and exclusively associate with the advertiser. For Telstra, the theme felt at odds with people’s expectations of the telco, meaning that the feelings generated by the emotional story weren’t able to be successfully attributed back to the brand. Could this be a shift in direction for Telstra under a newly appointed CMO? Of course, but commitment to the cause — and investment in building and refreshing a tight set of distinctive brand assets — is necessary to make this strategy work and to get Telstra to the promised land.
“A nice ad but it achieves nothing for its customers.”
Cubery Rating: 52 (-2 vs. 2022)
While the characters were cute and the theme certainly festive, viewers just couldn’t get past a child receiving a tub of stain remover for Christmas. Whether an intentional move to spark conversation or a way to showcase the wide range of products offered by the retailer, the narrative’s climax (or anti-climax?) left many scratching their heads feeling as though they’d missed something. Positively, the family-friendly theme was synergistic with people’s expectations of the discount department store, particularly following on from last year’s whimsical Christmas-hands narrative.
“I couldn’t really tell at first what the ad was for and didn’t quite understand the present for the little pet ghost.”
Cubery Rating: 50 (-9 vs. 2022)
Much like Myer, David Jones have been known to quickly move from one creative theme to the next each year, resulting in advertising which lacks familiar, easily identifiable cues. This year, however, a continuation of the effervescent, glitzy theme seen last year (a style that has also been scattered across years gone prior) meant “185 Christmases” was much more aligned with people’s expectations of the luxury department store. However, the people featured, their behavior, and the overall glamorous setting created a bit of tension with the average person’s financial situation during these testing times. More broadly, the approach was considered somewhat generic and subsequently failed to leave a lasting impression on people.
“It showed a ritzy Christmas. A bit out of reach for the average family and the table wasn’t warm and cozy but squashy and like it was staged.”
Cubery Rating: 47 (-18 vs. 2022)
After the brand’s 2022 campaign received widespread plaudits, Michael Hill decided to shift gears in 2023 and go in a slightly different direction. While the movie-length tale of a young girl coming to terms with a new parental figure in her life was a slightly more unique (and serious) direction than the junior Casanova story of years gone past, people found this new collection of characters and the way the story was told a lot less heart-warming and likeable. By revealing the brand at the ad’s conclusion amidst a somewhat mawkish conflict resolution it meant the ad’s ability to build favorable mental associations for Michael Hill was consequently diminished.
“It was long and felt sad... the ending didn’t even seem like a happy moment.“
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