Coles and Woolworths face off in Christmas marketing showdown

Australia's two supermarket giants are going head-to-head for what feels like a tighter Christmas budget, with Coles launching its festive campaign just a day after Woolworths unwrapped its first major work from Droga5 ANZ.

Coles has unveiled 'Take the Credit This Christmas', developed by bespoke Omnicom Oceania agency Smith St, encouraging Australians to pass off supermarket-bought festive dishes as their own creations.

The campaign puts Coles' Own Brand Christmas range at the centre of a convenience-led marketing push, tapping into the idea that Australians would rather spend time with family than hours preparing Christmas lunch.

At the heart of the campaign is a film set to Buster Poindexter's version of 'Zat You, Santa Claus', featuring Australians going to increasingly elaborate lengths to conceal their festive shortcuts.

The launch comes just a day after Woolworths unveiled its Christmas campaign, the first major work from Droga5 ANZ since the agency was appointed to the supermarket's creative account.

While Woolworths has focused on Christmas food traditions, Coles is taking a more playful approach, using convenience and its Own Brand range to appeal to Australians preparing for the festive season.

The campaign will run across paid, owned and earned channels, with creative tailored to different audiences and shopping moments throughout the festive period.

Coles general manager brand and marketing Kate Bailey said the campaign was designed to take some of the pressure out of Christmas entertaining.

“At Christmas, people want to spend less time stressing in the kitchen and more time with the people who matter most. Our Own Brand festive range helps make that possible, delivering quality and convenience without compromise,” Bailey said.

“We love that this campaign celebrates those little moments of festive ingenuity that so many Australians can relate to.”

Smith St executive creative director Giles Watson said the agency wanted to avoid the sentimental approach traditionally associated with Christmas advertising.

“Every year, brands compete to tell the warmest, emotional festive tale. We saw an opportunity to go in a different direction and create a campaign built on a more relatable truth. People love looking good, especially when they've found an easier way to do it,” said Watson.