Global effectiveness agency System1, in partnership with ITV, released FeelMore50 – the UK’s most effective TV and online video ads of 2019. It announced the John Lewis & Waitrose Christmas ad as the best of the year for long-term brand-building effectiveness.

During this popular industry event System1 screened the most effective ads of the year based on their Test Your Ad service, which uses an emotional measurement methodology (independently validated using IPA data) to test over 14,500 TV and digital ads in the most popular product and service categories for 2019.

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FeelMore50’s results shed light on what is actually working to build brands in the long-term. Overall, 2019’s top 50 ads shared some recurring themes; for example the noticeable positive impact of Fluent Devices (in ads such as Churchill), nostalgia making a comeback (with brands such as Coca-Cola giving a fresh twist to their classic ad), and cultural relevance (with great ad examples in the Woman World’s Cup).

So which ones are the advertisers that made the public “feel more” last year? The top 10 are:

After being acclaimed best Christmas ad, Excitable Edgar conquers the first place for most emotional ad of the year in the UK. This ad is a roller coaster of joyful emotions; it’s characterised by a strong story line and a deep sense of “betweenness”, especially in the relationship between Edgar and his human friend.

Last Christmas saw an exceptional spark of creativity; the John Lewis & Waitrose ad is not the only festive one in the top 10. Amazon, Joules and this year’s version of Coke’s classic “Holidays Are Coming” also appear in the year-end Top 10, showing the degree to which UK advertisers save their most emotional work for the holiday season.

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Cadbury has also had a brilliant year placing second in the top10, with the highest-scoring non-Christmas ad, “Fence”, in which an old man and his young neighbours bond over the gift of a Dairy Milk bar. The chocolate brand’s ads this year have got a lot of mileage out of a realistic style, telling relatable stories with a very strong sense of place and character.

 Jon Evans, CMO at System1, says: “FeelMore50 has always been the event which celebrates what actually works. The ads real people loved in 2019, with the biggest potential impact on a brand’s market share in the long term. It’s great to see such a variety of brands and sectors producing 5-Star work – even if they still save the best for Christmas! FeelMore50 gives advertisers a brilliant insight into what’s moving audiences right now, from award-winning modern classics to unashamedly populist work. We hope everyone is inspired to make even better work in 2020.”

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