M&S Fires Back At John Lewis In Christmas Advert Showdown – James Norton’s Topless ‘Shredded Santa’ Steals The Spotlight

The battle for Britain’s biggest Christmas advert just got a lot more interesting. While John Lewis is leaning into emotional family moments and luxurious festive living, Marks & Spencer has taken a very different approach – unveiling a cheeky, younger Mr and Mrs Claus, complete with James Norton’s unexpectedly muscular take on Santa.

And it’s Norton’s shirtless appearance that has everyone talking.

The actor, best known for his television roles, has been dubbed a “shredded Santa” after appearing in nothing but a white M&S cotton towel, showing off his muscular chest and toned stomach. Men’s Health magazine even suggested his physique makes the traditional mince-pie-loving Father Christmas look rather outdated.

But there’s more to M&S’s festive campaign than one attention-grabbing appearance.

M&S Takes Aim At John Lewis With A Very Different Christmas Story

For years, John Lewis has dominated Britain’s Christmas advertising conversation. Its signature combination of piano soundtracks, sentimental storytelling and emotional finales has helped the 160-year-old department store establish itself as a festive-season favourite.

This year, however, M&S is making a determined attempt to steal some of that attention.

Its new campaign has already sparked comparisons with John Lewis’s 2026 advert, starring Kristin Scott Thomas as a glamorous grandmother looking to transform a room in her enormous townhouse into a playful “gran cave”.

The John Lewis commercial has attracted criticism over its portrayal of wealth, with some viewers questioning whether its sprawling property and apparently ungrateful grandchildren reflect the financial realities facing ordinary families.

M&S, meanwhile, has opted for humour, celebrity appeal and a more youthful take on Christmas.

James Norton And Lucy Punch Reinvent Mr And Mrs Claus

Norton and Lucy Punch take centre stage as a modernised Mr and Mrs Claus.

In the advert, Norton plays an undercover Santa who shaves off his beard to experience the excitement of the festive season without being recognised. Punch portrays a rather snobbish Mrs Claus, drawing on the sort of character she plays in the comedy series Amandaland.

Their Christmas adventure takes them through several familiar festive settings:

• They gatecrash a dinner party.
• They drop in on a children’s carol service.
• They discover the appeal of M&S’s famous “picky bits”.
• And, naturally, they encounter plenty of opportunities to showcase the retailer’s products.

The campaign brings together M&S’s fashion, food, beauty and homeware divisions in a single advertisement – a strategy the retailer last adopted in 2017.

Its central message is that Christmas should be about spending time together and creating shared memories, rather than simply exchanging expensive presents.

There is, of course, a commercial side to the message. Almost everything featured in the advert can be purchased from M&S, from Punch’s pyjamas to Norton’s now-famous white towel. The prawn cones he encountered during filming also made an impression, with the actor recalling seeing “hundreds” of them.

John Lewis, by contrast, is delivering a more straightforward message about the importance of giving thoughtful physical gifts rather than simply handing over cash.

Why The Stars Wanted A Different Kind Of Christmas Advert

For Norton, the appeal was the combination of humour, warmth and festive tradition.

He said the script’s playful, funny and reverent tone immediately attracted him. He was also particularly enthusiastic about working with director Shannon Murphy, whose previous credits include Killing Eve and Babyteeth.

“I trusted that Shannon would deliver on the tone,” he said, describing her as “such a cool cat”.

Although Norton admitted he is usually drawn to traditional Christmas tearjerkers, he believes the M&S advert still captures the season’s emotional heart.

Rather than relying on a dramatic storyline, it celebrates the connections between family and friends, focusing on the simple moments that bring people together.

Punch was equally enthusiastic about the lighter approach.

“I don’t want any more Christmas tearjerkers,” she said. “I want fun and joy. Life is enough of a tearjerker, it’s fun to have something festive with a bit of a wink.”

A Christmas Advertising Battle With Millions At Stake

Behind the festive humour, both retailers have serious commercial reasons to make their campaigns work.

M&S is continuing its recovery from the devastating 2025 cyberattack that forced the retailer to shut down its website for more than six weeks. The disruption cost the business more than £100m, making a successful festive trading period particularly important.

John Lewis faces its own challenges. Higher operating costs and weakening consumer confidence have added pressure as the retailer attempts to reignite customer interest.

For both brands, Christmas advertising is about much more than generating social media attention. It is an opportunity to strengthen their identities, reconnect with shoppers and encourage spending during one of the most important periods of the retail calendar.

Why M&S May Have The Edge With Younger Shoppers

Jonathan De Mello, founder of JDM Retail consulting, believes the two campaigns reflect very different approaches to attracting customers.

He described John Lewis’s decision to cast Kristin Scott Thomas as a smart move because her image represents the type of affluent shopper the retailer wants to reach.

“They are targeting a group that is fairly affluent,” he explained. “They have a decent chunk of disposable income because they have paid off their mortgages.”

However, he warned that the strategy could risk alienating the wider market, particularly younger consumers who may see the lifestyle depicted in the advert as financially unattainable.

M&S, on the other hand, reflects a retailer that has successfully brought its previously separate businesses closer together.

De Mello noted that there was once a clear divide between M&S’s food and fashion offerings. Today, the two are much more closely aligned, helping the company connect with a younger generation of shoppers.

“M&S now taps into the younger consumer psyche and this advert reflects this,” he said.

With John Lewis banking on nostalgia, emotional storytelling and aspirational luxury, M&S is betting on humour, celebrity appeal and a more contemporary vision of Christmas.

And with James Norton’s topless Santa already generating plenty of attention, M&S certainly has a memorable way of making its presence felt in this year’s festive advertising battle.