Consumers' emotional responses to the Christmas TV advertising of four retail brands

• Advert liking does not always lead to a positive attitude towards the retail brand.
• Advert content and Christmas depiction influence emotional response to the advert.
• Lack of brand/advert congruency has a negative influence on ad likeability.

The aim of this paper is to analyse consumer perceptions of Christmas advertising and its impact on brand perception for four UK fashion retail brands. The research develops the Holbrook and Batra (1987) advertising communications model by taking into account the portrayal of advert content arising from the retailer's positioning and self-perception, and pre-existing brand attitudes, and how these shape consumer response to the brand. Findings include that prior brand attitudes do not necessarily affect consumers' attitude towards the advert; they are able, for example, to enjoy the advert but still dislike the brand. Practical and managerial implications are included.