M&S has launched its Christmas campaign featuring a popular North Yorkshire actor.
Titled The Home of Christmas, it brings together Food, Fashion, Home and Beauty for the first time since 2017.
The campaign features a festive film starring actor James Norton, who grew up near Malton, as an undercover Santa, Lucy Punch as Mrs Claus, and a special appearance by singer Katherine Jenkins.
Katherine also provides the soundtrack, reimagining the classic Heaven Is a Place on Earth.
Sharry Cramond, marketing director at M&S, said: "Customers don't think about Christmas as one meal, one gift or one outfit.
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"They think about all the moments that make the season special.
"As the only retailer with a truly cross-category offer spanning Food, Fashion, Beauty, Gifting and Home, M&S plays a unique role in helping customers create Christmas from start to finish.
"Bringing those categories together allows us to tell one connected Christmas story and celebrate all the ways our customers make the season their own.
"That's why we're proud that customers call M&S The Home of Christmas."
Launching on social media at 7am today (Friday), the campaign will appear across TV, video on demand, cinema, outdoor, social media, radio, digital display and print.
The story follows Santa, encouraged by Mrs Claus, as he shaves off his beard and swaps his red suit for a Christmas jumper to experience the season from a new perspective.
His journey takes him through key festive moments: dressing up, enjoying seasonal food, choosing meaningful gifts, and transforming the home for Christmas.
James said: "It’s not every day you get asked to play Santa, let alone a Santa who immediately shaves off his beard!
"M&S has been such a familiar part of Christmas for as long as I can remember, so getting to be part of its Christmas campaign feels really special.
"I loved that this story takes such an iconic character and lets us see him differently.
"He gets to experience Christmas like the rest of us, discovering that the real magic is in the food, traditions and moments we share with the people we love.
"It’s warm, funny and full of Christmas spirit, and I’m very happy to have been briefly trusted with the red suit."
An M&S Customer Pulse research found that 81% of customers want a special Christmas with the people they love, and 68% say food is what makes the season feel special.
The campaign is filled with M&S favourites, from festive food to Christmas jumpers.
The retailer sells nearly three mince pies every second during the season, one in three Christmas turkeys sold in the UK comes from M&S, and 1,800 Christmas jumpers every day over the festive season.
In 2025, customers snapped up one Beauty Advent Calendar every 17 seconds.
Lucy Punch, who plays Mrs Claus, said: "M&S and Christmas just go hand in hand, so it was an absolute joy to become part of that tradition this year.
"I loved that Mrs Claus is the one who gets this story moving.
"She gives him the nudge so he can get out there incognito and experience the magic of Christmas for himself.
"There’s something very sweet and fun about their dynamic, and something quite lovely about the idea behind it: this idea that the magic you’re looking for is actually happening all around you."
Andrew Hicks, marketing director at M&S Food, said: "Christmas is made up of countless moments, traditions and rituals that mean something different to every family.
"For generations, M&S has been privileged to play a part in those celebrations, helping customers create a Christmas that feels uniquely their own."
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