Do tear-jerker Christmas ads, such as the bouncing John Lewis dog, change where you shop?

20 November 2016

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Whether it’s John Lewis’s dog bouncing on a trampoline, Aldi’s carrot traversing a Christmas dinner or Waitrose’s two robins uniting over a mince pie, a host of maudlin Christmas ads are designed to tug at our heart and purse strings. While they certainly get column inches and boost brand recognition, do they change where you do your Christmas shopping? Has this year’s or previous years’ ads ever affected where you shop? Which of these is closest to your answer…?

Whether it’s John Lewis’s dog bouncing on a trampoline, Aldi’s carrot traversing a Christmas dinner or Waitrose’s two robins uniting over a mince pie, a host of maudlin Christmas ads are designed to tug at our heart and purse strings.

While they certainly get column inches and boost brand recognition, do they change where you do your Christmas shopping?

Has this year’s or previous years’ ads ever affected where you shop? Which of these is closest to your answer…?

Results

I'm male aged under 25 (225 votes)

Big impact – these ads regularly push me to shop in a store more		4 votes (2%)
An impact – I remember a few that have made me shop in that store more		7 votes (3%)
Rare impact – a really good one may have subtly influenced me once or twice		22 votes (10%)
No impact – I’ve never changed where I shop after watching these Christmas ads		135 votes (60%)
No TV – I don’t ever see these ads		16 votes (7%)
No memory – I like some of the ads but never remember who they’re for		15 votes (7%)
No chance – these ads mostly turn me off and I avoid the stores		26 votes (12%)

I'm female aged under 25 (208 votes)

Big impact – these ads regularly push me to shop in a store more		2 votes (1%)
An impact – I remember a few that have made me shop in that store more		10 votes (5%)
Rare impact – a really good one may have subtly influenced me once or twice		37 votes (18%)
No impact – I’ve never changed where I shop after watching these Christmas ads		140 votes (67%)
No TV – I don’t ever see these ads		8 votes (4%)
No memory – I like some of the ads but never remember who they’re for		3 votes (1%)
No chance – these ads mostly turn me off and I avoid the stores		8 votes (4%)

I'm male aged 25 to 34 (791 votes)

Big impact – these ads regularly push me to shop in a store more		2 votes (0%)
An impact – I remember a few that have made me shop in that store more		18 votes (2%)
Rare impact – a really good one may have subtly influenced me once or twice		101 votes (13%)
No impact – I’ve never changed where I shop after watching these Christmas ads		483 votes (61%)
No TV – I don’t ever see these ads		52 votes (7%)
No memory – I like some of the ads but never remember who they’re for		37 votes (5%)
No chance – these ads mostly turn me off and I avoid the stores		98 votes (12%)

I'm female aged 25 to 34 (757 votes)

Big impact – these ads regularly push me to shop in a store more		4 votes (1%)
An impact – I remember a few that have made me shop in that store more		20 votes (3%)
Rare impact – a really good one may have subtly influenced me once or twice		129 votes (17%)
No impact – I’ve never changed where I shop after watching these Christmas ads		514 votes (68%)
No TV – I don’t ever see these ads		26 votes (3%)
No memory – I like some of the ads but never remember who they’re for		30 votes (4%)
No chance – these ads mostly turn me off and I avoid the stores		34 votes (4%)

I'm male aged 35 to 49 (1215 votes)

Big impact – these ads regularly push me to shop in a store more		9 votes (1%)
An impact – I remember a few that have made me shop in that store more		30 votes (2%)
Rare impact – a really good one may have subtly influenced me once or twice		102 votes (8%)
No impact – I’ve never changed where I shop after watching these Christmas ads		838 votes (69%)
No TV – I don’t ever see these ads		43 votes (4%)
No memory – I like some of the ads but never remember who they’re for		60 votes (5%)
No chance – these ads mostly turn me off and I avoid the stores		133 votes (11%)

I'm female aged 35 to 49 (1952 votes)

Big impact – these ads regularly push me to shop in a store more		13 votes (1%)
An impact – I remember a few that have made me shop in that store more		40 votes (2%)
Rare impact – a really good one may have subtly influenced me once or twice		191 votes (10%)
No impact – I’ve never changed where I shop after watching these Christmas ads		1410 votes (72%)
No TV – I don’t ever see these ads		45 votes (2%)
No memory – I like some of the ads but never remember who they’re for		141 votes (7%)
No chance – these ads mostly turn me off and I avoid the stores		112 votes (6%)

I'm male aged 50 to 64 (1282 votes)

Big impact – these ads regularly push me to shop in a store more		8 votes (1%)
An impact – I remember a few that have made me shop in that store more		15 votes (1%)
Rare impact – a really good one may have subtly influenced me once or twice		100 votes (8%)
No impact – I’ve never changed where I shop after watching these Christmas ads		853 votes (67%)
No TV – I don’t ever see these ads		29 votes (2%)
No memory – I like some of the ads but never remember who they’re for		92 votes (7%)
No chance – these ads mostly turn me off and I avoid the stores		185 votes (14%)

I'm female aged 50 to 64 (2845 votes)

Big impact – these ads regularly push me to shop in a store more		10 votes (0%)
An impact – I remember a few that have made me shop in that store more		34 votes (1%)
Rare impact – a really good one may have subtly influenced me once or twice		232 votes (8%)
No impact – I’ve never changed where I shop after watching these Christmas ads		2122 votes (75%)
No TV – I don’t ever see these ads		46 votes (2%)
No memory – I like some of the ads but never remember who they’re for		204 votes (7%)
No chance – these ads mostly turn me off and I avoid the stores		197 votes (7%)

I'm male aged 65+ (827 votes)

Big impact – these ads regularly push me to shop in a store more		2 votes (0%)
An impact – I remember a few that have made me shop in that store more		6 votes (1%)
Rare impact – a really good one may have subtly influenced me once or twice		43 votes (5%)
No impact – I’ve never changed where I shop after watching these Christmas ads		576 votes (70%)
No TV – I don’t ever see these ads		12 votes (1%)
No memory – I like some of the ads but never remember who they’re for		60 votes (7%)
No chance – these ads mostly turn me off and I avoid the stores		128 votes (15%)

I'm female aged 65+ (1399 votes)

Big impact – these ads regularly push me to shop in a store more		9 votes (1%)
An impact – I remember a few that have made me shop in that store more		14 votes (1%)
Rare impact – a really good one may have subtly influenced me once or twice		69 votes (5%)
No impact – I’ve never changed where I shop after watching these Christmas ads		1059 votes (76%)
No TV – I don’t ever see these ads		12 votes (1%)
No memory – I like some of the ads but never remember who they’re for		110 votes (8%)
No chance – these ads mostly turn me off and I avoid the stores		126 votes (9%)

                   11,501 votes received.

We try to use technology to limit voting to one per person. Occasionally, this may erroneously block a few people's votes (eg, from shared offices). Apologies for that.