followthemedia.com - a knowledge base for media professionals
ftm News From You

News From You

We receive dozens of news tips and press releases each week from ftm contributors. We want MORE. And we want to share the raw information as quickly as possible. NEWS FROM YOU is the forum for adding what you know to what we know. Share what you know...or what your hear. We will apply the light-touch of the editors axe for clarity. We will also accept NEWS FROM YOU in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch and Portuguese...without translation. (We do insist on being able to understand what you contribute.) You also must clearly indicate that your contribution is for publication in NEWS FROM YOU.

Please note: we cannot use PDF files, only text and .doc files.

Send us NEWS FROM YOU



Week ending December 19, 2015

Realeyes - The most engaging High St Xmas ad is… not John Lewis’ Man on the Moon - December 15, 2015
from Alex Burmaster for Realeyes

Harvey Nichols and Kwik Fit produced the most engaging Christmas ads by high street retailers, according to Realeyes’ annual Christmas study, which measures how people feel while they watch ads by tracking their facial expressions.

John Lewis – last year’s winner with “Monty the Penguin” – could only muster 7th spot with “Man on the Moon”, just behind Aldi’s “Telescope” spoof of it.

Almost 1,500 people agreed to have their faces measured via their own computer webcam so Realeyes, which was founded at Oxford University, could determine their emotional reactions to 30 Christmas ads from leading high-street and household brands. In total, the research incorporated over 11.5 million frames of facial expressions.

Harvey Nichols’ “Avoid Gift Face”, about a woman trying to look pleased when getting unwanted gifts, and Kwik Fit’s Santa surprising children whilst getting his sleigh fixed, both scored in the all-time top 9% of ads ever measured by Realeyes in terms of emotional engagement. This is a combined measure of how well the ad grabs viewers’ attention, keeps it and leaves a lasting impression.

Currys’ ‘Spare the Act: Secret Santa’ featuring actor Jeff Goldblum – playing on an almost identical theme to Harvey Nichols in teaching people to act happy when getting unwanted presents – followed closely behind in 3rd spot (top 11% all-time) ahead of Mulberry’s “Miracle” which plays on the traditional nativity scene by having a woman visited by shepherds and kings when receiving a handbag.

“John Lewis remains the undisputed champion for publicity and hype but in terms of connecting emotionally with consumers, many brands outdid them this year,” explains Realeyes’ CEO Mihkel Jäätma. “John Lewis’ ads have become increasingly out of this world and fantasy-based, consequently, they’re becoming harder to identify with. We’re seeing a move away from the kind of heavy-handed emotional approach. Harvey Nichols, Kwik Fit and Currys did brilliantly because it was about situations we’ve all been in – putting a brave face on disappointing gifts or seeing children’s reactions on meeting Santa.”

Harvey Nichols was the only Christmas ad this year to achieve 10 out of 10 on any of the four metrics that measure the overall “EmotionAll” score – doing so for both retention and engagement. It scored 4 on attraction and 9 on impact. Last year, the retailer was runner up to “Monty the Penguin” with “Could I Be Any Clearer” which featured people giving Christmas cards explaining what presents they wanted.

“The barometer of a successful ad shouldn’t just be whether people like and share it, but also whether it actually makes them spend money – ads that connect emotionally with people are more likely to make this happen,” explains Jäätma. “The four key tips to doing so are to hook the audience early, retain their attention, invoke a reaction – the stronger the better – and finish with impact. Humour was a big tool this year, all the top 10, except John Lewis and M&S, used it to connect with viewers.”

Harvey Nichols’ 2013 Christmas ad, "Sorry, I spent it on myself" remains the most engaging festive ad ever. Its scored in the top 3% of ads ever measured by Realeyes, whose emotion measurement technology enables marketers to make better decisions across the three key stages of video advertising – testing the creative, planning media spend and analysing the performance.

Previous News From You

News From You: Week ending December 12, 2015

News From You: Week ending November 28, 2015

News From You: Week ending November 21, 2015

News From You: Week ending November 14, 2015

News From You: Week ending October 24, 2015

News From You: Week ending October 10, 2015

News From You: Week ending September 26, 2015

News From You: Week ending September 12, 2015

News From You: Week ending September 5, 2015

copyright ©2004-2015 ftm partners, unless otherwise noted Contact UsSponsor ftm