The remarkable Christmas campaign by PLUS supermarkets has been executed on a wide scale, with each channel playing their part and the interpretation changing as the campaign progresses. As Christmas approached, emotion became less important and the focus shifted to food to encourage store visits. Hence, PLUS was effectively present at all relevant moments in the customer journey.

The theme and main characters provide many entry points for emotional engagement and inspiration throughout the campaign, from recipes and products to a collaboration with the Thuisgekookt Foundation. In this way, PLUS ensures that everyone can enjoy good food together this Christmas.

All supermarkets are competing for share of stomach and increased sales over the Christmas period, so it is vital to retain existing customers while attracting new and less frequent shoppers with fresh ideas, product ranges and affordable solutions.

The brief: To create an emotional campaign that inspires and activates shoppers to do their Christmas shopping at PLUS Supermarket.

The campaign should be real and authentic, reflecting PLUS' commitment to good food, the community and each other. The starting point for the campaign is their Christmas spirit: 'Eating well means eating together'. At PLUS, the holidays revolve around food its ability to bring people together and the power of sharing a meal. Because shared meals foster connections, and eating well means gathering around the table with loved ones.

After experiencing years of COVID-19-related uncertainty surrounding Christmas celebrations, 2022 was the year to return to our familiar holiday routines. The established traditions and habits are what make Christmas so special, but it can be enjoyable and occasionally beneficial to experiment with new ideas. After all, the world constantly evolves and both people and their food preferences evolve with it.

In today's society, there is an increasing number of children growing up in broken families. The story is relatable and comes from different scenarios (such as divorce or loss of a loved one) and roles (parents, stepmothers/fathers or from a child's point of view). Even if you have not personally experienced such a situation, it is easy to imagine.

Christmas is a time of tradition and established habits. But it’s also nice to try something different. After all, when we look out for each other, new worlds and possibilities open up that add value to the time we spend together. That's why this year Christmas at PLUS is all about getting to know what is ready to be discovered: people, products and flavours.

PLUS believes in the unifying power of sharing a meal, but this is not something that comes naturally to everyone. The fact that many dysfunctional families struggle with the introduction of a new partner is the starting point for the campaign.

The campaign stars Gio. A wandering teenager, who lost his father and now unexpectedly meets his brand-new stepfather. Gio has difficulty dealing with him, which leads to tension in the family. However, an unexpected action by the stepfather brings the family together for Christmas dinner.

We want to reach both existing and new customers (25–64 years old) to have them shop at the PLUS store near their home. And because PLUS is present all over the Netherlands, we need to reach many people. As media pressure is high, we choose a strong emotional story based on a social insight. This allows us to stand out and create a talking point. It also fits the brand and its advertising property, because PLUS always shows people from all walks of life, with real stories. This sets PLUS apart from its competitors.

We chose a theme and story that gave a lot of clues for the rest of the campaign, both on an emotional and product level. The closer we get to Christmas, the more people will be busy preparing dinner. That's why in this campaign, too, the focus on food and products increases as Christmas approaches.

The PLUS Christmas campaign kicked off with an emotional TV and cinema spot, achieving high reach in a short period of time. To inspire and activate audiences to shop at PLUS, we created an online video series based on the film's storyline, showing the same family serving a surprising dish or noticing the convenience of the delivery service.

All the food and stories were collated in the PLUS Christmas magazine. To get closer to the audience, we work with a food influencer. And we inspire with dishes and then with great products for Christmas in OOH near the stores, on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, in-store, with TV posters, in display advertising or product folders.

The campaign also introduces the Thuisgekookt Foundation. Together, they motivate to cook an extra portion for a neighbour who is unable to. PLUS encourages everyone to enjoy good food under the motto 'eating well means eating together'.

The campaign is touching and gets people talking, also in TV shows. Despite increased media pressure from competitors, PLUS manages to win a place in people's hearts and minds. With this emotional campaign, PLUS continues its Christmas tradition and once again connects with people emotionally and fills the shopping baskets.

• Campaign recognition is 63% (+12.5% compared to 2021, benchmark: 57%)

• Brand preference increased with two percent points (+29%).

• Familiarity with the proposition 'Eating well means eating together' increases with +10%.

• We see increased loyalty. More people consider PLUS their primary supermarket (+5,5%)

• Over the Christmas period, we saw a positive impact at the checkout with sales increasing by 1.3%, setting a new record for sales and an increasing market share (16% higher than the rest of 2022).