Nut-Cracking Neutrality: Brands That Crushed ‘Dullness’ This Christmas | System1 Group (2025)

Over the past few years, there has been a noticeable shift between short-term, “rational” advertising and long-term, emotional, or “showmanship” strategies. This shift has led to a significant decline in the business effects reported by brands. And this isn’t just my opinion—this insight comes from the brilliant work of Adam Morgan and Peter Field, who analyzed IPA data to uncover the economic impact of this swing towards short-termism. Their research revealed that this shift is negatively affecting commercial effectiveness.

So, what is it about rational advertising that hinders commercial impact? According to Adam and Peter, it all comes down to one thing: dullness.

However, Christmas offers a notable exception. During the festive season, brands put their best foot forward, focusing on incorporating brand-building features like character, storytelling, and creating a strong sense of place to evoke emotional responses. Christmas, in many ways, is the antithesis of dullness: it thrives on emotional resonance and “showmanship”. If dullness is the color beige, then Christmas is its technicolor cousin!

So, if Christmas advertising presents itself as the antidote to dullness, what can we learn from it? And how can brands embed these strategies into their year-round comms? There’s a bowl of insights just waiting to be cracked, but first, let’s explore what “dull” really means, and importantly, how we can quantify it.

Defining “Dullness”

Dullness in advertising often comes down to a lack of emotional engagement, failing to capture attention or spark an emotional connection with the audience. It’s the kind of content that often ticks many of the rational boxes—flat backdrops, direct calls to action, and a focus on product features—but misses the mark when it comes to creating memorable or meaningful experiences. Quantifying dullness involves looking at the emotional response of the audience. Does the ad make them feel something – anything at all?

This is where System1’s Jon Evans entered the conversation, drawing from System1’s Test Your Ad platform, which measures consumer emotional responses like happiness, surprise, neutrality, sadness, anger, disgust, contempt, and fear. Emotion is central to two key System1 metrics: Star-Rating (predicting long-term commercial potential) and Spike-Rating (measuring short-term activation potential).

Before diving into how emotion influences these metrics, let’s clarify: any emotion is better than none. In fact, many of the most successful ads take viewers on an emotional journey, prioritizing dynamism that leads to frequent changes in emotion rather than relying solely on positive emotions. However, different emotions play distinct roles in driving commercial impact.

Star Rating (long-term): Consumers view the ad and then select the emotion that best sums up their lasting feeling. Positive emotions like happiness and surprise are weighted more heavily, while negative emotions and neutrality weigh it down. Why is happiness more valuable than surprise? You can only surprise an audience once—it’s not built for long-term impact. Remember, Star Rating is a long-term measure, not a short-term one.

Spike Rating (short-term): After selecting their overall emotion, respondents rate how intensely they felt it on a three-point scale. Emotional intensity, not the type of emotion, determines the score—higher intensity leads to higher short-term sales potential. The more intense the emotion, the more likely a consumer is to act. Neutrality, however, doesn’t drive intensity or sales, as it cannot be felt with intensity.

And there it is—the single emotion responsible for dullness: neutrality. If consumers feel nothing, they do nothing, in both the long-term and the short-term.

The Case of Christmas

I mentioned earlier that Christmas appears to be the antidote to dullness—so let’s quantify it! On average, neutrality in the UK hovers just under 50%, and it’s slightly better in the US at 46%. This means nearly half of consumers feel nothing when watching ads. However, when we look at Christmas, the picture brightens significantly, with only 34% neutrality in both the UK and US.

This year’s Star Ratings show that much of this improvement can be attributed to positive emotions, with a 4.1 average Star Rating in the UK and a 3.5 Star Rating in the US—well above the typical 2-star average these markets see year-round. Positive emotions aren’t the only factor diminishing dullness, but they’re largely responsible at Christmas. Emotional intensity is also much higher at Christmas, averaging “exceptional” compared to a “good” rating during the rest of the year. This directly correlates to an increased Spike Rating, reflecting exceptional short-term sales potential in the UK and strong results in the US, compared to more mediocre performance throughout the year.

So, what can we learn from the ads crushing dullness this Christmas? We’ve analysed the 2024 holiday rankings by the amount of neutrality they triggered—the Top 10 in the UK and the Top 10 in the US. These ads sparked the least neutral responses in the data set, which, by the way, was drawn from a massive 350 ads this year. Ready to crack open the insights? It’s crunch time!

The US Top 10 Least Dull Christmas Ads:

10. Capital One – 20.08%

Coming in at number 10 on the US list, Capital One brought back their 2023 holiday ad for another festive season. The ad shows John Travolta strutting through the city streets like he did in the opening credits of Saturday Night Fever as Tony Manero. But for this ad, there’s a twist. Travolta is dressed as Saint Nick, tapping his Capital One Quicksilver card for purchases and at the end, asks viewers the famous Capital One slogan, “What’s in your wallet?”

“Holiday Night Fever” not only piques consumer interest with the Bee Gees’ hit “Stayin Alive” (music with a discernible melody, a right brain feature, helps brands lodge themselves in consumers’ memories) but as Orlando Wood notes in Lemon, references to other cultural works can be incredibly powerful.

There are a few other right-brain features that render this ad effective, and land it in the top 10 due to low levels of neutrality. It has a clear progression, especially for those who have seen the film, as Travolta makes his way to the dancefloor. Additionally, implicit and unspoken communication is leveraged as passersby look at him in awe, watching him confidently strut from store to store making holiday preparations.

72% of consumers reported Happiness and the holiday bliss this ad demonstrates is behind it. The FaceTrace™ for this ad is quite interesting with not a hint of negative emotion shown. Consumers love chocolate, and it’s hard to feel nothing or dullness when chocolate, family and Christmas cheer are in the mix.

It’s no secret that chocolate brings joy to many, so let’s talk about the creative qualities that make this ad fill viewers with positive emotion. Right off the bat, consumers are cued into the ad with Deck the Halls playing, a tune sure to make anyone feel the holiday spirit but more importantly, engage the right side of their brain. The moment the woman bites into the chocolate and looks around, consumers are given a clear sense of place.

Dick’s Sporting Goods puts NFL star JJ Watt and his family in an action-packed holiday spot, defeating dull with numerous nostalgic references to beloved Christmas movies, including Home Alone, Elf, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and Love Actually. We see both happiness and surprise rise during these festive moments, and very little negative emotion from the audience.

It’s yet another reminder of the power of cultural references as well as the importance of ensuring your celebrity fits well within your ad. JJ’s status as a well-known professional athlete make him a relevant choice for Dick’s given their product portfolio, and the inclusion of his family feels authentic thanks to the Home Alone tie-in.

Every holiday season there’s at least one ad that’s labelled a ‘tearjerker,’ and Apple may take the crown in 2024. This year’s spot sees a teen receiving a guitar for Christmas, then cycles through joyful memories from her youth, though the sound is muffled. About halfway through the ad, the father activates the Hearing Aid feature on his AirPods Pro 2 headphones, which allow him to clearly hear his daughter’s music. The memories then replay, this time with the sound crystal clear.

The ad successfully follows our rule on the “sadness trap” – if you’re going to introduce sadness to defeat neutrality, make sure that you resolve these with positive emotions by the conclusion of the ad. Apple leaves itself plenty of time to drive happiness by introducing the solution to the unclear audio halfway through the 2-minute spot.

Pillsbury showed up with several different Thanksgiving and Christmas-themed executions this year, all featuring the lovable Doughboy and all high scoring among viewers. This particular ad sees the tiny Doughboy carrying a large cinnamon roll to place on Santa’s plate.

Today, more brands favor “hired devices” (celebrity spokespersons) over “fluent devices,” recurring brand-owned characters that turn up across their comms. Pillsbury understand the value of these long-running characters, featuring the Doughboy prominently in their ads, packaging, website and more. As Orlando Wood discusses in his books Lemon and Look out, fluent devices give brands an opportunity to entertain. And we know that entertainment is key to minimizing dullness.

Every year Kroger’s animated Krojis tell a sweet tale of coming together around food and family, helped along by a soundtrack that fits the narrative well and pulls at viewers’ heartstrings. This year, we see a family preparing holiday dishes and treats, and their young child sharing them with a seemingly lonely neighbor. When they discover their food is missing, rather than reprimand the child, the parents decide to share the feast with their neighbor, bringing everyone together around a mouthwatering holiday table.

The ad achieves high levels of happiness, a dash of surprise when the first plate of food is shared on the neighbor’s doorstep and sadness tied to the neighbor’s solitary lifestyle. Thankfully the meal at the conclusion helps to keep happiness at a high, and all of these emotions together mean that neutrality is not the star.

Disney appears on both the US and UK lists with a charming short film depicting a boy and an octopus. Initially afraid of the sea creature that attaches itself to the boy’s head, the main character ends up forming a heartwarming bond with the octopus, teaching him things and showing him the wider world outside the ocean.

Perhaps its no surprise that “The Boy & the Octopus” made it into Disney+’s top streamed content list – it resonates emotionally with viewers, yielding high levels of happiness and surprise while also introducing fear and sadness. In fact, the highest levels of sadness are recorded when it becomes clear to the audience that the boy and the octopus are saying goodbye to one another. Like Apple, Disney ensures this emotion is replaced with happiness to leave viewers on an emotional high.

The UK Top 10 Least Dull Christmas Ads:

10. Aldi “Get into the Christmas Spirit” – 22.31%

At number 10, with a low neutrality score of just 22.31%, is Aldi, marking the return of their festive fluent device, Kevin the Carrot. Over the years, this humble and humorous brand character has become synonymous with the Aldi brand, boosting recognition since his debut in 2016.

The ad’s emotional profile is overwhelmingly green, with happiness dominating at 64%. Yet, negative emotions also play a role, creating tension and dynamism early on. By the end, these emotions are resolved, leaving happiness as the clear winner and earning the ad a high 5-Star Rating.

So, why does it work? Why is it so engaging? The answer lies in Aldi and McCann’s commitment to consistency. Kevin’s annual appearances build familiarity, which, as System1’s Andrew Tindall revealed with the IPA, strengthens creativity over time. Familiarity breeds contentment—a concept we often emphasize at System1. Kevin creates cognitive ease; audiences instantly recognize him, allowing them to focus on the narrative without confusion. This makes the ad accessible and engaging from the start.

Aldi also leans on playful humour, with cheeky puns often aimed at adults. As Orlando Wood highlights in Lemon and Look Out, humour is rare in advertising but drives significant business impact. Aldi’s ad strikes this balance, taking viewers on a comedic journey with a character they already love.

The result? A campaign that’s anything but dull—utterly endearing, irresistibly entertaining, and a festive favourite year after year. Just take a look at our FaceTrace™, a second-by-second map of the emotions consumers feel while watching the ad.

This immersive campaign by Cadbury and VCCP once again demonstrates how consistency can effectively combat dullness. With 68% of consumers reporting positive emotions—the highest happiness score among the top 10 “least dull” campaigns—the message is clear: familiarity breeds contentment. Unlike Aldi’s repurposing of Kevin the Carrot, Cadbury has re-aired the exact same ad over the past few Christmases, and the results have been overwhelmingly positive.

Cadbury has transformed typically dull elements, such as an explicit call to action and product-focused messaging, by adding a human touch. Through character, discovery, and universal human truths, the campaign taps into our desire to share special moments and the excitement of gifting at Christmas. While Cadbury belongs to a category that isn’t inherently dull, they could have easily played it safe by simply showcasing chocolate. Instead, by embracing “showmanship and consistency,” they’ve positioned themselves as one of the most commercially effective brands this season.

In true storytelling style, Sainsbury’s has joined forces with The Roald Dahl Company to create a joyful, nostalgic ad that defeats dullness in style. Unsurprisingly, happiness takes centre stage as the BFG—a beloved and familiar character—guides us on a heartwarming journey, with a little help from Sainsbury’s, to gather ingredients for his Christmas dinner.

As a “hired device”—also known as borrowed intellectual property or a celebrity character—the BFG brings with him pre-existing emotions cherished by audiences. Such devices are highly effective in eliciting an immediate emotional response, and this is clear in the second-by-second FaceTrace™ analysis. Upon his introduction, there’s a striking surge in positive emotions, alongside a few negative ones, demonstrating his presence as a powerful emotional force.

As a charity brand, Save the Children consistently delivers creative campaigns that defy dullness throughout the year. Charities typically see exceptional short-term impact (spike ratings) year-round, driven by the intense emotions their ads evoke. In fact, when we look at all UK advertising, the least dull ads often come from charities.

However, these ads usually perform less strongly in the long term due to the negative emotions they often convey—such as sadness and anger—which can lower their overall star ratings. That said, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially for a charity ad looking to drive immediate donations in the short term. Charities often use a mix of campaigns, balancing ads that focus on short-term emotional responses with those designed for long-term brand-building.

Save the Children’s 2024 collaboration with Aardman is a perfect example of achieving both long-term and short-term impact in one sweep. Like Sainsbury’s, Save the Children strategically leverages Aardman’s Shaun the Sheep intellectual property. Not only do these beloved characters evoke an immediate emotional response, but as animations, they also serve as “neutral messengers.” This makes tough charity messages easier to digest, conveying a lighter, less guilt-inducing tone—ideal for a Christmas ad aimed at fostering a positive, long-term response.

In Lidl’s 2024 Christmas campaign, there’s very little not to like. It’s simpler than many of our usual Christmas “dull crushers,” yet it carries a strong, impactful, and emotive message: being kind to those less fortunate. The narrative follows a young girl spreading kindness and joy—helping a lady who has dropped her bags and gifting one of her own presents to a friend who has none. It’s filled with small, heartfelt gestures that will melt even the coldest of hearts this year.

Similar to Save the Children, Lidl balances somewhat sad messaging with a positive tone by using a child protagonist, another example of a “neutral messenger.” We’re more likely to feel pride and astonishment at the girl’s kindness than to feel pressured or guilted into donating to the Lidl Toy Bank. This strategy is not only more likely to encourage donations—since the young girl models positive behavior in an inspiring way—but it also taps into positive emotions, building both long-term and short-term impact.

Joining Cadbury and Aldi in the Consistency Dull Crushers is Morrisons, who have revived their festive oven glove characters for the second year. Featuring the voices of actual Morrisons employees, these festive gloves evoke strong emotions and positivity through music and humour—two key elements for capturing and maintaining engagement, as highlighted by Orlando Wood in his books Lemon and Look Out.

A big part of the campaign’s appeal lies in its familiarity, which drives a significant increase in positive emotions, including happiness and even some surprise at the return of these humble characters. It taps into the spirit of Christmas—the idea that even an oven glove can come to life with personality, humor, and agency in the lead-up to the big day.

Coming in at number three, with just 18% neutrality, is another simple showstopper: Amazon’s “Midnight Opus.” Ed Smith, GM Europe at Amazon, joined us on the festive sofa in May 2024 to discuss Christmas strategy, revealing that part of their success lies in their celebration of the everyday hero. This ad is a perfect example of that in action. The protagonist, a janitor with a talent for singing, is relatable and human—someone we can see ourselves, our friends, or our peers in. There’s none of the extravagance associated with celebrity characters, just pure, down-to-earth emotional resonance.

The success of this ad also rests in its simplicity. Slow-paced ads that follow a single narrative are easy for us to follow—there’s no cognitive overload, no excessive messaging, fast cuts, or ear-piercing rhythms. It’s easy to engage with from the start, and that’s a key factor in defying dullness. When people feel confused or struggle to grasp a narrative, they tend to feel neutral about the ad, unsure of the brand and the point of it all. Keep it simple to keep it engaging.

One of the least dull ads from the festive season isn’t very festive at all—PETA’s 2024 Christmas ad takes viewers on a journey showing the growing bond between a young girl and a dairy cow. The girl plays music for her new friend, who eagerly returns each time, except on Christmas Day. Instead, she finds an empty field, as her friend has been taken for meat production, with a powerful message: “Please leave animals off your plate.”

Unsurprisingly, this ad receives a low Star Rating, triggering intense negative emotion. However, the emotional intensity is off the charts, with an exceptionally high rating. The second-by-second FaceTrace™ is one of the most striking across the set—audiences are taken on an emotional rollercoaster, as their hopes build only to rapidly plummet as the message becomes clear.

Let’s consider what this ad is trying to achieve. Is it aiming to build positive emotions toward animals? Yes, and it succeeds—especially in the first half of the ad. But is it trying to evoke positivity about animal cruelty and meat production? No, and it absolutely achieves this. By the end, the overwhelming sadness eclipses any earlier positivity. This presents an interesting lesson for brands: which emotions do you want to evoke for different messages?

And last, and in this case, least—well, least neutrality, that is—is the return of the Boy and the Octopus campaign, also appearing on the US list of neutrality defiers. This beautiful campaign borrows a little antidote of anti-dull from all of our examples: a simple, singular narrative, a positive message of helping others at Christmas, characters with agency, consistency and familiarity through Mickey Mouse and Disney references, a “neutral messenger” delivering an emotional message, leading ultimately to ups and downs in emotional dynamism, which has garnered significant long-term and short-term impact.

But let’s be honest, we all knew anyway, Disney is anything but dull!

Create Un-Dull Ads with Confidence!

In “The Extraordinary Cost of Dull” report, System1, eatbigfish and Peter Field dive deeper into the problem with dull advertising and strategies for defeating dull.