Iceland’s Smart Holiday Move
Picture this: a supermarket chain that’s famous for offering frozen berries and spaghetti meatballs, pulling the ultimate “no‑TV‑ad” prank for Christmas. They’ve decided to ditch giant budgets for glossy shop‑front commercials and, instead, rally their shoppers against the cost‑of‑living grind.
Why Skip the TV Ad Stack-Up?
Ad spend data from the Advertising Association and the World Advertising Research Centre tells us that advertisers will splash out a staggering £9.5 billion on Christmas broadcasts. That’s enough to buy the entire stock of ice‑berg lettuce at a mile‑wide scale!
Richard Walker, the managing director of Iceland, tweeted, “Rather than spend millions creating and sharing a TV ad, we chose to invest the money supporting our customers during the cost of living crisis.” In plain Speak‑English, the chain is saying: “Let’s keep our money in the hands of people who actually care about food and prices, not on flashy ads that disappear after 12 minutes.”
What Iceland is Rolling Out Instead
- Price‑Check Fixes – Immediate price cuts on staple items like milk, bread and frozen dinners.
- Community Deliveries – Home‑to‑home delivery for seniors and low‑income shoppers.
- Website Flash Sales – Surprise markdowns scheduled throughout the holiday season.
Dear Customers, We’re Not Just a Place to Buy Ice Cream
With families sweating over grocery bills, Iceland’s new strategy feels like a warm hug rather than a flash of Coca‑Cola. “We’re celebrating real people, not TV screens,” Walker says.
Humor Meets Humanity
“If we did a Christmas ad, it might be called ‘How to Keep Your Wallet on Ice’—but that’s not how we want to spend our holiday vibes. So, instead we’re putting cold pizza straight into the fridge of your community!”
Community Reaction
Shoppers are feeling the love so far. One Dutch customer shared, “I don’t care about an ad. I care about a cashback on my grocery bill.” The chain’s move is being labelled as a “real‑deal holiday kindness” by netizens across the UK.
While other retailers spin theatrical commercials, Iceland proves you can win hearts by bucking the trend—and saving a few pounds for everyone.
