Advertisers to splash out whopping £9.5bn over Christmas

The new figures reveal the increasing importance the festive period means to brands and the economy, with ad spend up from £9bn last year.

The research from advertising trade body the Advertising Association also reveals that nearly half  of all adults credit Christmas ads with helping to spark gift ideas, while 70 per cent of young adults find Christmas ads to be the ultimate festive mood booster.

Broken down, trends in advertising spend over Christmas include a big jump in Broadcast Video on Demand spend, up over 20 per cent on the year.

Other noticeable increases include outdoor advertising, up  10.3 per cent, and online display, up 9.1 per cent.

The internet continues to be an important platform for advertisers, with four out of every five pounds now spent on online advertising.

TV advertising remains robust, with £1.5bn set to be spent during the Christmas quarter, although this was 0.2 down on last year.

Earlier this week, John Lewis released its highly-anticipated Christmas ad, with a Venus flytrap in a starring role.

Other Christmas TV ads this year include Boots, Tesco and  Sainsbury’s which has 80s legend Rick Astley in its Christmas ad, as well as Asda which features  Michael Bublé.

The festive ads appear in November and December, as advertisers look to make hay over the period.

 Sharon Lloyd Barnes, commercial director, Advertising Association, said: “Christmas advertising is an integral part of the festive season. 

“From offering gift ideas to inspiring holiday cheer, the annual display of brand creativity consistently entertains and warms hearts. 

“One of advertising’s major roles is to help people choose between products and services. 

“Whether it’s an outdoor ad for a local Christmas fair, or a big budget campaign for a high street brand, advertising is there to help people know about the options available to them."