‘Banned’ Iceland Christmas advert named UK’s favourite

Return of Aldi's Kevin the Carrot and John Lewis' dedication to Sir Elton John also among nation's favourite 2018 festive commercials

Iceland’s festive film about the devastating effects of palm oil plantations has been named the UK’s favourite Christmas advert for 2018.

The TV commercial, an animated tale of an orangutan that has lost its home and family to deforestation, was released in collaboration with environmental organisation Greenpeace.

It was initially reported that the advert had been banned from TV for being “too political”.

However, advertising industry advisory body Clearcast later clarified this had been a “misunderstanding”, saying it could not be shown on TV due to the supermarket’s collaboration with Greenpeace, as opposed to the supposed political nature of the advert itself.

The research into the nation’s favoured Christmas adverts, which was conducted by YouGov’s ad testing service, assessed several factors, including which ones were liked the most and which were most in keeping with its brand’s identity.

According to the survey, four in five people said they liked Iceland’s advert, 83 per cent said they thought it stood out among others and 87 per cent found the message easy to comprehend.

Furthermore, three quarters of the public said they thought the advert was “believable”.

While the Iceland advert may have come out on top as the nation’s favourite, a minority of people (39 per cent) said they believe the film fit with the supermarket’s image.

Coming in second on the list of the UK’s most liked Christmas adverts was Sainsbury’s “The Big Night”, which sees an eight-year-old girl perform a rendition of the New Radicals’ “You Get What You Give” while dressed as a star.

A total of 65 per cent of the British public said they like the advert, with 55 per cent also saying they thought it stood out.

In third place comes supermarket Aldi, whose advert saw the return of the anthropomorphic vegetable Kevin the Carrot.

Kevin the Carrot proved so popular with consumers that plush toys inspired by the character quickly sold out when they went on sale in store and online.

In fourth places comes McDonald’s’ depiction of Santa Claus trying to source carrots for his reindeers, closely followed by Boots’ mother-daughter tale in fifth place.

While Tesco may not have been placed in the UK’s top five Christmas adverts of 2018, its film about the diverse ways that families celebrate the festive period was named the most fitting for its brand, with 65 per cent of the public saying so.

A majority of people (60 per cent) said the same thing about Cadbury’s Christmas advert, which relays the trials and tribulations of trying to pull off Secret Santa smoothly.

While this year’s John Lewis advert may not have been its most popular, it did appear the most memorable, with 66 per cent of people saying they found it easy to remember.

Despite the fact the Iceland advert may have had the most impact on the nation since its release in early November 2018, YouGov states that Aldi’s Kevin the Carrot campaign was the most effective overall.

“The success of Aldi’s campaign here, along with its status as one of the most-liked, indicates it has been successful at telling an entertaining story while still effectively showcasing its products,” the market research company says.