Allergies, outdoors and ice cream top UK’s 5 favorite TV ads in April
Jon Evans at System1 explains how the marketing industry’s darlings aren’t always the most effective ads in the eyes of the Great British public. Here are the real ads that were most enjoyed by real people
UK’s 5 favorite TV ads in April
Each month, hundreds of new TV ads launch in the UK. Marketing research and effectiveness company System1 analyzes the latest creative to test which spots resonated most with the public. In March, System1 chief marketing officer Jon Evans, explains how Ireland dominated.
How it works
System1 tests ads on measures that predict long-term brand growth (star rating) and short-term sales growth (spike rating) – each between one and six stars. These measures are validated using the independent Institute of Practitioners in Advertising database and against real sales data at a category level.
Bring on the ads...
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What Evans says
Spring is definitely in the air in April’s Top 5 UK ads. There’s a lively feel to them with lots of movement, fresh air, and fun. With Easter behind them and summer ahead, brands are looking outwards and audiences are responding well to ads for more indulgent products and services.
5. Tesco – ‘Hot Cross Buns’ – 4.6 stars
Most of the big Easter ads launched in March, so for April our only Easter entry is this 10-second sales activation ad from Tesco. Simple stuff – buns, a deal, and a jolly voiceover – but an effective way to use the brief canvas available. 4.6 stars is an excellent score for such a quick, direct bit of work.
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4. Pets at Home – ‘We’re all for pets’ – 4.8 stars
The first of two big brand ads for retailers this month. Pets At Home makes some very bold choices in this hero execution. Like Meat Loaf on the soundtrack, pet owners will do anything for love (perhaps they’ll even do “that”), and we see the pet/person relationship at its highest and lowest points. The ad includes some huge emotional swings – there's even a pet funeral – and to net out at a strong 4.8 stars is fantastic given that high-risk approach. The only downside is a poor Brand Fluency score: viewers are on such a rollercoaster of a story, and many of them aren’t clocking who the ad is for.
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3. Villa Plus – ‘A Spacious Villa’ – 4.8 stars
Another very well-made 10-second ad, for travel brand Villa Plus. The ad does a good job of conveying both the name and the idea that the plus represents the emotional benefits of a villa stay – quality time with the family, for instance. It performs well on Brand Fluency for a smaller name, as well as securing a 4.8-star score. We've attached the 30-second cut above. You can watch the 10-second version of the report.
2. Go Outdoors – ‘Discover Freedom’ – 4.8 stars
In recent months, we’ve seen travel ads perform well in the monthly rankings. Here’s what looks like another one, with families climbing, camping, hiking and swimming as they enjoy a fabulous break in the great outdoors. But the clever thing is it’s not a travel ad – it’s for a retailer which specializes in outdoor and camping gear. You never see a store; you do see the benefits of what it sells. A confident approach that pays off with a 4.8-star rating – way over the retail average.
1. Häagen-Dazs – ‘Häagen-Dazs x Pierre Hermé. Don’t hold back’ – 5.4 stars
Our only five-star ad of the month is a rarity – a high-scoring brand collaboration. Brand collabs are an ever-growing part of FMCG marketing and are even better established in the fashion and entertainment sectors, but they often confuse audiences, who after all barely think about brands in their daily lives. How does the link-up between ice cream brand Häagen-Dazs and bakery Pierre Hermé beat the odds and get to five stars?
Of course, it helps that the products are so compatible – both sweet treats with a sophisticated air. But the execution really sells it – a cavalcade of kitschy visuals and good-humored weirdness with a strongly Parisian air. The ad makes it look effortless, but other brands which have tried to conjure up similarly fantastic worlds for viewers have often wound up alienating them with a barrage of strange imagery. Pierre Hermé is a much smaller brand, too, so there’s less opportunity for confusion.
Watch the best ads of March here, where weirdly enough, Ireland dominated.