Nov 7th Northern news round-up

The Christmas Ad spend bonanza, brands in crisis from Marks & Spencer to Leon, and Gary Neville’s next gig: This week in Northern news

Now that Halloween is safely put away (yes, bin that carved pumpkin masterpiece!), are we finally ready to talk about Christmas? Good. Because the Christmas Ad season is officially upon us, the budgets are bigger than ever, and a few major Northern brands are facing their own festive dramas.

This week’s news from Prolific North brings us massive holiday ad spend, a major M&S cyber headache, the return of a beloved supermarket character, and some serious talent moves - read on for the full scoop!

🎄 UK advertisers to spend a record £12bn on Christmas adverts this year

If you thought last year was expensive, think again. UK advertisers are set to drop a monumental £12 billion on Christmas advertising this year. That’s a whole lot of goodwill and jingle bells being bought. This colossal figure means that if your brand isn’t cutting through the noise, you’re essentially whispering into a very expensive wind tunnel. Agencies, make sure your pitch deck focuses on cut-through, not just volume.

Read More: UK advertisers to spend a record £12bn on Christmas adverts this year

🥕 Kevin the Carrot is back: Aldi kicks off multi-channel Christmas campaign

The only thing more reliable than a delayed train in winter is the annual return of Kevin the Carrot. Aldi’s decision to stick with its character-led storytelling is smart business. Why reinvent the wheel when you have a beloved, multi-channel asset that practically guarantees water cooler chat and social shares?

I personally think this is a masterclass in brand consistency. In a world where we quickly move on to the next thing, it’s great to see the long-term investment in creative IP that builds equity and maximum recall, not just one-off viral hits.

Read More: Love is in the air as Kevin the Carrot kicks off Aldi’s multi-channel Christmas 26 campaign

📉  M&S profits slump following massive cyber attack

The cyber attacks on Marks & Spencer in April 2025 led to a 99% profit slump for the first half of the year. The cyber incident costs totaled £101.6 million in the first half of the year - thankfully M&S confirmed it received £100 million in insurance proceeds, which helped to partially offset the immediate costs (Louvre, hope you’re taking notes).

Despite the disaster, the company remains confident that the business is "getting back on track" and expects full-year profits to align with the previous year's figures due to a strong second-half recovery.

Marketers, how is your crisis management and reputation recovery policy doing? Perhaps time for a review!

Read More: Marks & Spencer profits slump 99% following April’s massive cyber attack

☕ Leon founder buys it back in an effort to bring healthy fast-food back

The healthy fast-food brand Leon has been reacquired by its co-founder, John Vincent, in a deal that saw ownership revert from Asda. The 2024 sale included all 46 company-owned UK restaurants, 20 UK franchises, and several international sites, along with approximately 1,120 staff. Vincent's stated intention is to reverse the brand drift that occurred under Asda's ownership, focusing on restoring Leon's core commitment to "naturally fast food" away from recent criticism that the menu had devolved into cheaper, less healthy options.

Read More: Founder reacquires Leon from Asda after brand sucked down into cheap fast food options

 ☕ Gary Neville and D2C founder join Dragon's Den judging panel 

The lineup for Dragon’s Den is getting a major Northern power boost with Gary Neville returning. Crucially, he’s joined by talent from the digitally-native startup world (including the Refy beauty founder). This move highlights the importance of the creator economy and D2C brands. Investors are looking for founders who get social media, personal branding and well..marketing.

Read More: Gary Neville to return to Dragon’s Den with rapper and Refy entrepreneur