The advert topped the agency’s ranking of ads both in the UK and globally, generating a score of 5.9 after eliciting the strongest ‘emotional reaction’ from audiences, according to System1.

The analysis found that the average star rating in the UK increased from 3.0 in 2019 to 3.3 stars in 2020 – the highest average rating recorded by the agency.

System1 tested 106 Christmas ads in the UK for the analysis, with each ad tested on 150 participants. The company uses a ratings system, with viewers asked what they felt about an advert and how strongly they felt it. Adverts that resonated strongly with participants are scored more highly.

Aldi’s ‘Kevin the Carrot’ advert took the second-highest spot in the UK ranking, with a rating of 5.8, while the DFS ad, ‘A Comfy Carol’, ranked third with 5.5.

According to the analysis, Christmas advertisers who made any reference to Covid-19 in their campaigns saw an average decline of 1.0 stars compared with their adverts’ ratings in 2019.  

Jon Evans, chief marketing officer at System1, said: “The last thing we want is a reminder of the tough year we have had so this is definitely a case of the ‘old normal’ being preferred to the ‘new normal’. What is also clear is that ‘familiarity breeds contentment’ as both Aldi and Coke have demonstrated. 

“One additional highlight is that despite media speculation in the UK that some people were reacting adversely to the Sainsbury’s spot featuring a black family as the central characters, the results show the opposite is true – audiences are embracing an increase in diverse representation.”