Gillian Anderson has been appointed as M&S’s first Chief Compliments Officer as the retailer focuses on making people feel good in the new Love That campaign.

Born from the insight that 62% of the UK say that receiving a compliment makes them happy, yet many rarely get one, M&S is reimagining the traditional celebrity partnership to champion positivity and style. Anderson's unique appointment is rooted in the joy of uplifting others through simple but powerful moments of positivity. 

 “A simple compliment can genuinely boost confidence and change how someone feels all day, so as Chief Compliments Officer, I’m here to help make those moments more commonplace,” says Anderson.

A campaign film follows Anderson on her first day in the role. As she goes about her day, she brings to life the ‘Love That’ ethos by paying compliments to those around her. The film was created by Mother and directed by Rubberband.

The spot shows how simple compliments can lift someone’s confidence while showcasing M&S’ new Spring Style collection. 

The Love That campaign originally started as a weekly shoppable social series hosted by stylist Melissa Holdbrook-Akposoe (aka Melissa’s Wardrobe) and Capital Breakfast stars Jordan North, Siân Welby and Chris Stark. ‘Love That’ struck a chord with customers and has been adopted both online and in real life as an expression of appreciation. 

This next phase of the campaign builds on the success of the social series, which has now surpassed 20 million views. With the help of Gillian Anderson, M&S brings the same energy to a broader audience.

Media strategy, led by Mindshare, puts Love That at the heart of high-impact, high-reach channels to drive buzz and long-term brand rediscovery. The campaign is set to reach 89% of Spring Style shoppers an average of 7.3 times across a balanced mix of AV social, OOH, digital display and print. 

Gillian Anderson’s debut as Chief Compliments Officer is supported by activations across own-channels, PR, social and creator partnerships as well as AV moments including linear, VOD and YouTube and high-visibility OOH sites across prime London hubs, contextual podcast host-reads and a strong social presence.

The joyful campaign embraces a new type of celebrity partnership to brighten people’s days and build M&S brand love.