Ever since they landed in the same week, they’ve been the two Christmas ads everyone’s comparing: on LinkedIn, in the group chat and over the office kettle. One has a beardless Santa and a cheeky Mrs Claus. The other has a gran, a talking toy dog and Sam Fender.
There’s been plenty of opinions, but we wanted to hear from the people who matter most: those watching from their sofas. At OnePulse, we love getting their feedback. Our market research platform lets everyday people share their thoughts through quick surveys on our mobile app, so we can find out how they really feel in just a few hours.
So which ad did Britain like more? We asked 500 UK adults who had seen both, and here’s what they said. In the 2026 Christmas ad showdown between M&S and John Lewis, M&S came out on top: 52% preferred it, while 18% chose John Lewis.
At a glance
- 52% of UK adults prefer the M&S Christmas ad 2026 (18% for John Lewis).
- M&S comes out on top in the better Christmas story, with 45% and 23% for John Lewis.
- M&S feels more festive (47%) than John Lewis (19%).
- M&S made more people laugh (43% vs 22%).
- The soundtrack was the closest race: 39% for Katherine Jenkins (M&S) and 30% for Sam Fender (John Lewis).
- 42% say the M&S advert does more to get them to go Christmas shopping than the John Lewis ad (17%).
M&S vs John Lewis: the head-to-head
Meet the contenders
M&S: The Home of Christmas.
Santa (James Norton) has shaved his beard off and is completely unrecognisable as Santa, going to London to do Christmas like the rest of us. What he doesn’t know is that Mrs Claus (Lucy Punch) has been quietly shopping at M&S for years. Katherine Jenkins provides the soundtrack with Heaven is a Place on Earth, and for the first time in nearly a decade, M&S Food and Fashion, Home & Beauty are sharing the stage.
John Lewis: Gloria and Pickles.
Gloria (Dame Kristin Scott Thomas) is about to give up and put some cash into the Christmas cards for her grandchildren when her childhood toy dog, Pickles (voiced by Paul Whitehouse), comes to life and pulls her on a last-minute gift run. Sam Fender provides the soundtrack with a cover of The Rolling Stones’ You Can’t Always Get What You Want.
Which Christmas ad tells the better story?
Christmas ads are won on two things: a good story and that ‘festive’ feel. M&S have won on both (45% vs 23% on story, 47% vs 19% on festive feel).
And those two things matter most. Brits who preferred M&S’s story were almost certain to prefer the ad overall (90%), and the same was true for festive feel (84%). John Lewis fans are a loyal bunch, though: 79% of those who preferred it overall said it told the better story.
Which Christmas ad is funnier?
A clean-shaven Santa beat a talking toy dog on giggles, with 43% saying M&S made them laugh more, against 22% for John Lewis. Not everyone was in stitches, mind: 1 in 5 said neither ad made them laugh more. Tough crowd.
Which Christmas ad has the better song?
If there was one category John Lewis came close to winning, it was the music. 39% preferred Katherine Jenkins’ Heaven is a Place on Earth, 30% backed Sam Fender’s You Can’t Always Get What You Want, and 21% were happy to hum along to both. Music is still where John Lewis shines.
Which Christmas ad makes people want to shop?
M&S didn’t just win hearts. 42% said its ad does more to encourage their Christmas shopping, compared with 17% for John Lewis, while 24% said both equally. And liking it clearly matters: 71% of those who preferred M&S overall also said it made them want to shop there more.
Who backed which?
- Women were more festive about M&S. 52% of women found M&S more festive, compared with 35% of men.
- People in charge of Christmas food shopping were won over. Those who do most of the food shopping were nearly twice as likely to find M&S more festive (52% vs 27%).
- Sam Fender fans are John Lewis’s secret weapon. 38% of those who preferred his soundtrack said John Lewis did more to encourage their shopping, compared with 8% of everyone else.
- In-store shoppers kept it closer. 48% of in-store shoppers preferred M&S overall, compared with 64% of everyone else.
The winner
This year, M&S takes the Christmas crown. It won on every measure, with its biggest leads on story and festive feeling, and it gave more people a reason to shop. But don’t rule out John Lewis. Twenty years in, its fans are as loyal as ever, and Sam Fender gave Katherine Jenkins a real run for her money. And honestly? With two brilliant ads to argue about over the mince pies, Britain’s the real winner.
See how each ad performed on its own: John Lewis reactions and M&S reactions.
For journalists
This data is free to use with credit. Please credit OnePulse and link to this page. Full data is available on request. Please contact lois.fearne@onepulse.com.
About OnePulse
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Methodology
OnePulse surveyed 500 UK adults on 7 November 2026. Only people who said they had seen both the M&S and John Lewis Christmas ads took part, and they answered from memory. Shopping results reflect what people say would encourage them, not actual purchases. All figures are rounded to the nearest whole number, so some totals may not add up to exactly 100%.
