System1 Finds 2024 is Most Consistent Christmas of Advertising Yet

Nov. 20, 2024

The latest Test Your Ad data from System1 reveals that 2024 has been the most consistent and highest-performing year for Christmas advertising to date. Brands have increasingly leaned into their distinctive assets and re-aired past creatives, amplifying the commercial power of consistency. This approach has driven exceptional results, with six of the top 10 ads by Star Rating leveraging consistent themes to deliver outstanding long-term and short-term business potential. These ads have also shown a notable increase in brand recognition compared to non-consistent campaigns, underscoring the effectiveness of repetition and familiarity in advertising success.

In 2024, consistent Christmas campaigns—those re-airing previous ads or using recurring characters and stories—achieved a 5.6 Star Rating on average, compared to 3.9 for new creatives. Fourteen brands embraced consistency this year, nearly double the number in 2023, demonstrating its growing importance. Consistency also boosts brand recognition, with consistent campaigns achieving 91% brand recognition, versus 84% for new creatives. A stronger connection between a brand and its ad reduces the risk of misattribution to the category or competitors, amplifying business impact.

System1 tests all major Christmas ads annually using its Test Your Ad platform, capturing real audience reactions to each highly anticipated creative. Ads are rated from 1-Star to 5.9-Stars, a measure of their potential to drive long-term brand growth. While only 1% of ads typically achieve a 5-Star rating, brands often save their most emotional and impactful work for the festive season, making 5-Star ads far more common at Christmas.

Jon Evans, Chief Customer Officer, System1, said:

“This year has been remarkable for creative consistency, reaffirming that marketers tire of campaigns far faster than consumers do. Despite the backlash around Coke’s AI-driven Holidays Are Coming, the familiar assets and consistency still resonated. Many winners this year featured character fluent devices like Kevin the Carrot and the Very flamingos—evergreen creations that extend into broader campaigns, driving brand-building success year-round. Here’s to more consistent Christmas creative—and even greater consistency throughout the year. It’s a proven strategy for success!”

 

The ads released to date are ranked by Star Rating (brand-building potential), with Spike Rating (short-term sales potential) the tiebreaker for ads with the same Star Rating.  Consumers’ favourites thus far include:   

1. Aldi – “Get into the Christmas Spirit with Kevin the Carrot” – 5.9 Stars  
2. Coca-Cola “Holidays Are Coming” – 5.9 Stars
3. Sainsbury’s – “Phizz-whizzing” – 5.9 Stars  
4. Lidl – “Lidl Presents: A Magical Christmas” – 5.9 Stars  
5. Cadbury – “Secret Santa Delivery” – 5.9 Stars 
6. Disney – “The Boy and the Octopus” – 5.9 Stars
7. Amazon – “Midnight Opus” – 5.9 Stars  
8. Hotel Chocolat – “Welcome to Our Chocolate Imaginarium” – 5.9 Stars
9. M&S Food – “The Journey” – 5.9 Stars
10. National Trust – “Discover the joy of giving from a good place with the National Trust this Christmas” – 5.8 Stars