James Norton stars in M&S Christmas advert as undercover Santa

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 6 Nov, 07:25 · Archive

Marks & Spencer has unveiled its Christmas advert featuring actor James Norton as an undercover Father Christmas who shaves his beard and adopts contemporary clothing.

Marks & Spencer has released its Christmas advert featuring actor James Norton as an undercover Father Christmas. In the campaign, Santa is persuaded by Mrs Claus, played by Lucy Punch, to experience the festive season as ordinary people do. He undergoes a dramatic transformation, shaving off his signature beard and replacing his traditional red suit with contemporary clothing.

Norton said he was delighted to be part of the campaign. "It's not every day you get asked to play Santa, let alone a Santa who immediately shaves off his beard," he remarked. "M&S has been such a familiar part of Christmas for as long as I can remember, so getting to be part of its Christmas campaign feels really special." Lucy Punch also praised the project, noting that "Mrs Claus is the one who gets this story moving. She gives him the nudge so he can get out there incognito and experience the magic of Christmas for himself."

The advert features opera singer Katherine Jenkins performing a seasonal rendition of the pop classic 'Heaven Is A Place On Earth'. According to the Guardian, the campaign has already drawn comparisons with John Lewis's Christmas advert and generated viral attention for scenes of Norton without his shirt. The M&S advertisement combines the retailer's fashion, food, beauty and homeware strands into one unified campaign, a strategy it last used in 2017.

How it is being reported

• M&S takes on John Lewis in Christmas ad battle with topless ‘shredded Santa’James Norton and Lucy Punch star as a youthful Mr and Mrs Claus in lively ad about shared moments as well as shopping For years the “Christmas advert moment” has belonged to one brand. John Lewis’s syrupy commercials featuring piano ballads and tearjerker storylines have given the 160-year-old department store a cultural head start in the dash for festive profits. This year, however, there’s one high-street rival with a sackful of tricks to make up the ground. Marks & Spencer has brought out the big guns – in the form of a topless Santa, played by the small-screen heart-throb James Norton .…Guardian Business · 6 Nov, 07:00
• James Norton Plays Santa As You've Never Seen Him Before In M&S' New Christmas AdvertJames Norton plays Santa as you’ve never seen him before in Marks & Spencer ’s brand new Christmas advert. On Friday morning, the retailer unveiled its festive ad campaign, featuring the House Of The Dragon actor as an undercover Father Christmas. In the ad, Santa – after a bit of encouragement from Mrs Claus, played by Amandaland ’s Lucy Punch – decides he wants to experience the festive season the same way most of us get to, with the couple undergoing a dramatic makeover – including shaving off his signature bead and swapping the signature red suit for something a little more contemporary.…HuffPost UK · 6 Nov, 07:00

In this story: James Norton · Lucy Punch · Katherine Jenkins · Marks & Spencer · John Lewis

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log