# M&S challenges John Lewis with James Norton as a muscular Santa

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/ms-takes-on-john-lewis-in-christmas-ad-battle-with-topless-shredded-santa/
- Published: 2026-11-06T07:00:47+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-06T07:12:21+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/nov/06/marks-and-spencer-john-lewis-christmas-ad-battle-james-norton-lucy-punch-topless-santa
- Topics: Business, Celebrity, Entertainment, World

## Key points

- M&S counters John Lewis with a playful Christmas advert.
- James Norton stars as a topless, “shredded” Santa.
- The campaign promotes shared moments and M&S products.

## Summary

Marks & Spencer has launched a lively Christmas advert starring James Norton as a topless, “shredded” Santa, taking aim at the festive attention usually commanded by John Lewis. The campaign presents Christmas as a time for shared moments as well as shopping, while the comparison between the two adverts highlights how retailers use seasonal advertising to connect with customers.

Norton and Lucy Punch play a youthful Mr and Mrs Claus; the story follows Santa shaving off his beard to experience Christmas incognito. M&S has combined its fashion, food, beauty and homeware ranges in one campaign, with items featured in the advert available to buy. John Lewis’s advert stars Kristin Scott Thomas as a wealthy grandmother, a portrayal criticised by some as out of touch. Both retailers face pressure: M&S is recovering from a 2025 cyber hack that cost it more than £100m, while John Lewis is dealing with higher costs and weaker consumer confidence.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.