Christmas Testing Round 2

29 October 2026 · The copy for your six new tests. Each test is one ad set, and the creative is the thing that changes inside it, so every ad in a test carries the same text. Where the text is new, we have written two versions: the first is the one we would run, the second is an alternative in case you prefer it. Only one runs. Headlines are one line taken from the caption plus two already running on your ads. Fir and Starlight reuse text you have already approved, so there is nothing new to read there. Under each test you can see a frame from every creative in it, with what the video says. Edit any line straight on the page, mark each one approved or rejected, then press Send.

How to review: Anything with a pencil is editable, just click and type over it. Mark each one Approve or Reject. Your edits and choices save to this page automatically and Casey can see them, so you can close it and come back whenever you like.

When you are done, press Send to Casey at the bottom of the page. That tells Casey you have finished. You do not need to email anything, your marks and edits are saved on this page and Casey can already see them.

Noël · one caption on four videos Refilling · one caption on three videos PR · one caption on both sides of the test Fir · your current copy on the control and six new statics Starlight · your Icicle 02 caption on five creatives New formats · one caption on three videos Ailis on the Telegraph article Holly gift-box creator video

Noël: four years, and the notes
The alternative Noël text says "Four Christmases on". Your video says Noël is back for the fourth year; please confirm. Your live copy says sweet orange, cinnamon and clove, and Flora's videos say mandarin. Which do you want in the caption?

Starlight notes
Three versions are in play: "not cinnamon" (the review static), "bergamot, tonka and cinnamon" (your video and the approved caption), and "bergamot, lemon, mandarin and cinnamon" (the website). Tell us the one to use and we will keep every ad to it.

PR test: three exports needed
The comparison needs the same three images with the masthead removed and the quote left in. Can you send those?

Fir statics: are all six quotes real reviews?
We only run customer lines that are genuine. Please confirm, and let us know if "ofr yourself" on the dining-table image should be fixed.

Noël · one caption on four videosTest A · four ads

Four ads, one per video below, each with the approved caption and these headlines.

Sends to /collections/the-christmas-collection

Why this caption: it names the scent in the first lines, which is what sold in the Icicle creator test, and it ends on the refill the way your own captions do. Noël is the one Christmas scent with no approved caption yet, so both options below are new.

A. Gingham creator video (21s): "A Christmas candle you can refill year after year. This is Pott, a refillable candle in a ceramic pot that you keep. With notes of cinnamon, clove, mandarin, it will leave your home smelling really, really festive. When the wax is finished, pop in a new candle refill, light it, and enjoy it all over again. A lovely Christmas gift or a little something for your own home." B. Creator recommendation (10s): "This is my favourite Christmas candle. It's full of cinnamon and clove and mandarin and it really fills the whole room. I'd highly recommend it if you're looking for a strong scent that makes your home feel really festive." C. Ailis introduces Noël (24s): "Introducing Noël, one of our three new seasonal scents. If you want a scent that smells exactly like Christmas, like a properly quintessentially cinnamon, clove scent, then this is absolutely for you... we've brought it back for the fourth year in a row, as it just sells really well and you guys seem to really enjoy it." D. Holly gift-box creator video (28s): "You know those presents you'd quite like to keep for yourself? This is one of those. A handmade pottery candle, a matching match pot and your first refill, all together in one lovely box... A little Christmas ritual that carries on long after the decorations come down." It names no scent, and it opens on the gift, so we would rather run it in your Gifting campaign than in this test.

Primary Text

P1 · Recommended: Noël is back, the scent, the refill Testing: creative angle EditedRevised since your edit

Noël is back for Christmas. It's our spiced Christmas candle: sweet orange, cinnamon and clove, the scent most people picture when they think of Christmas. It comes in a handmade Pott, Holly in deep green or Gingham in red and white check. When the candle has finished, simply keep your Pott and pop in whatever candle refill you fancy next.

We have revised this line since you edited it.

P2 · Alternative: four Christmases on Testing: creative angle EditedRevised since your edit

Four Christmases on, Noël is still the one you ask for. Sweet orange, cinnamon and clove, in a handmade Pott that's yours to keep. It smells like Christmas the moment you light it. Once the candle's finished, simply keep the Pott and choose another candle refill, for Christmas or for any time of year.

We have revised this line since you edited it.

Headlines and description

One line from the caption plus two headlines already running on your ads, the same across the test. The description (D) shows under the headline on some placements. Call to action: Shop now.

H1 Noël is back for Christmas Edited

We have revised this line since you edited it.

H2 A Pott you'll keep after Christmas Edited

best cost per order in your Christmas ads

We have revised this line since you edited it.

H3 Our limited edition Christmas Potts are here Edited

most volume in your Christmas ads

We have revised this line since you edited it.

D Noël: sweet orange, cinnamon and clove Edited

Description

We have revised this line since you edited it.

Refilling · one caption on three videosTest B · three ads

Three ads, one per video below, each with the approved caption and these headlines. Link: the Refillable Candle Starter Pack page.

Sends to /products/refillable-candle-starter-pack

Why this caption: it opens on the line you approved for the Starter Pack ads, then gives the refill as a plain sequence, the way you write it yourself. The videos say "about 30 seconds"; the caption makes no timed claim.

A · Ailis answers "how do you get the wax out?"

A. Ailis answers a customer question (38s): "It's actually a really good question... when you've got about half an inch of wax remaining, take your whole candle pot and place it in a bowl of warm water... the edges will start to melt away, you can just put your finger in and it will literally just pop out like a disc... then you can just pop a new candle refill in and keep using it over and over again." B. Close-up refill (25s, the "Refill my candle with me in 30 seconds" video already running to past customers): "You just place the candle in hot water and leave it in there for a few seconds as the wax begins to melt. The remaining wax pops out like a disc and then you can choose your next scent. I'm going to try Fir this time..." C. Ailis's full walkthrough (68s): "Today I'm going to show you how to refill your candle. I'm refilling my Holly pot... All you need is a bowl, some warm water, your Potts and your refills... always add a splash of cold water, this is so the pottery doesn't crack... it slips out like a disc... grab your next refill, unwrap it, place it inside, and you're good to go." The file ends on a pink production card ("Brand Video, Refill into Pott") that needs trimming before it runs.

Primary Text

P1 · Recommended: buy it once, then simply refill it Testing: explanation format EditedRevised since your edit

Buy the Pott once, then simply refill it. When the candle has finished, put your Pott in a bowl of warm water for a moment. The last of the wax slips out like a disc, and you pop in a new candle refill, in whatever scent you fancy next. Your Pott is handmade and made to stay with you for years. After the first one, you're only ever buying the candle.

We have revised this line since you edited it.

P2 · Alternative: the question people ask most Testing: explanation format EditedRevised since your edit

New to Pott? Here's the bit people ask us most: how do you get the old wax out? Put your Pott in warm water for a moment and it slips out like a disc. Pop in a new candle refill, light it, and your Pott carries on. Every Pott is handmade, and after the first one you're only ever buying the candle.

We have revised this line since you edited it.

Headlines and description

One line from the caption plus two headlines already running on your ads, the same across the test. The description (D) shows under the headline on some placements. Call to action: Shop now.

H1 Refillable Candle Starter Pack Edited

your longest-running Starter Pack headline

We have revised this line since you edited it.

H2 Buy The Pott Once. Edited

We have revised this line since you edited it.

H3 Change Your Scent, Not Your Pott. Edited

We have revised this line since you edited it.

D Everything you need, in one box Edited

Description

We have revised this line since you edited it.

PR · one caption on both sides of the testTest C · three press ads vs three without

Six ads: the three press statics, and the same three images with the masthead removed. Same caption and headlines on all six. Link: the Refillable Candle Starter Pack page.

Sends to /products/refillable-candle-starter-pack

Why this caption: it carries no press quote and no customer review, so the masthead in the picture is the only proof in the ad. That is what makes the comparison clean. We need the three no-masthead exports from you before this can be built.

Three press statics: The Telegraph, "Its handmade ceramic jars bring more character to a table"; Ideal Home, "I own a Pott Candle myself and absolutely love it"; Ideal Home, "Extremely well made". The test compares each against the same image with the masthead removed, so we need those three exports from you.

Primary Text

P1 · Recommended: handmade, and made to be refilled Testing: press proof on or off EditedRevised since your edit

Handmade in the UK, and made to be refilled. Every Pott is thrown by an independent potter, so no two are quite the same. Inside is a candle refill, and when it's finished you simply pop in another, in whatever scent you fancy next. Buy the Pott once and keep it for years. After that, you're only buying the candle.

We have revised this line since you edited it.

P2 · Alternative: a Pott works differently Testing: press proof on or off EditedRevised since your edit

Most candles get burnt, and that's the end of them. A Pott works differently. The Pott is handmade and yours to keep. The candle inside is a refill, so when it runs low you simply put in a new one and light it again. Choose your Pott, choose your scent, and change it whenever you like.

We have revised this line since you edited it.

Headlines and description

One line from the caption plus two headlines already running on your ads, the same across the test. The description (D) shows under the headline on some placements. Call to action: Shop now.

H1 Buy The Pott Once. Edited

We have revised this line since you edited it.

H2 Made By Hand. Kept For Years. Edited

We have revised this line since you edited it.

H3 Refillable Candle Starter Pack Edited

We have revised this line since you edited it.

D Everything you need, in one box Edited

Description

We have revised this line since you edited it.

Fir · your current copy on the control and six new staticsTest D · seven ads

Seven ads: your best Christmas ad posted fresh as the control, plus the six new statics. All seven carry the text already running on that ad.

Sends to /collections/the-christmas-collection

Why no new copy: the test is about the picture, so the words stay exactly as they are on the ad that already works. Two things to check in the statics: "ofr yourself" in the dining-table one, and whether the quotes are all real reviews (we never run one that is not).

"doesn't end up stinking of pine disinfectant"

Six new Fir statics, each with its own customer line in the picture: "PSA: This candle smells like a christmas tree! Can't believe how true to life it is" by the fire; "Smells like a fir tree, gorgeous!" on the bookshelf; "smells EXACTLY!! like a Christmas Tree" in the kitchen; "This is the best candle i have bought, fills the room and smells like a Christmas tree"; "They are limited edition so don't hang about!" on the dining table; and "It's rare to find a fir scented candle that doesn't end up stinking of pine disinfectant" with the candle refill in hand. The control is your current best Christmas ad, posted fresh so it starts from the same place as the new ones.

Primary text

Primary text 1Approved, word for word

Our Christmas Potts are here! There's Holly in a deep forest green, Gingham with its hand-painted red and white check, and the new Icicle, a pale blue and white glaze that changes in the light. Each one comes with a Christmas candle in Noël, Fir or Starlight. When the candle has finished, simply keep your Pott and pop in whatever scent you fancy next...

Primary text 2Approved, word for word

"Second year I have bought “Fir” for my Christmas fragrance, love the Holly pot, lovely shade of green" ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Lorraine M. Holly is back for Christmas, alongside Gingham and the new Icicle Pott, with Noël, Fir and Starlight candles to go in them. Every Pott is handmade and made to stay with you for years. Only the candle refill inside changes.

Primary text 3Approved, word for word

Which Christmas scent is yours? Noël is orange, cinnamon and clove, sweet and warmly spicy. Fir is pine, eucalyptus and sandalwood, rather like having the tree in the room. Starlight is bergamot, lemon, mandarin and a little cinnamon, for a crisp winter's night. Each one comes in a handmade Christmas Pott, Holly, Gingham or the new Icicle, and the Pott is yours to keep for years.

Primary text 4Approved, word for word

Our Christmas candles are made for December, of course, but... The Pott they come in isn't. When the candle has finished, your Holly, Gingham or Icicle Pott simply stays out with whatever scent you fancy next, and it's ready to come back into its own next Christmas. Every one is handmade and made to stay with you for years.

Primary text 5Approved, word for word

Holly, Gingham and the new Icicle Pott are here for Christmas, with our Noël, Fir and Starlight candles. Handmade, refillable, and yours to keep for years.

Headlines and description

The five headlines already running on that ad. Nothing to approve.

H1 Our limited edition Christmas Potts are here Edited

We have revised this line since you edited it.

H2 Holly, Gingham and the new Icicle Edited

We have revised this line since you edited it.

H3 Noël, Fir and Starlight are back Edited

We have revised this line since you edited it.

H4 A Pott you'll keep after Christmas Edited

We have revised this line since you edited it.

H5 Pott Refillable Candles Edited

We have revised this line since you edited it.

Starlight · your Icicle 02 caption on five creativesTest E · five ads

Five ads, one per creative below, each with your approved Icicle 02 caption and the headlines from the Icicle test already running.

Sends to /collections/the-christmas-collection

Why this caption: it is the one already running on the Icicle test, so these five can be read against those results. One thing to settle: the scent-led static says "not cinnamon", your video says "bergamot, tonka and cinnamon", and the website says "bergamot, lemon, mandarin and cinnamon". Pick the one you want us to use everywhere. We have left out the 8-second review-on-the-Grand video, because the Grand photo lost in the Fir test and its review contradicts the static.

A. Pottery-led static from the kiln: "The most beautiful pottery! These are candle vessels, which you can keep refilling with wax refills. We have only made a limited number so be quick!" B. Scent-led review static: "This candle smells SO good, great if you want a wintery scent but not cinamon! Smells like begamot and tonka and really warming." C. Ailis on who Starlight is for (38s): "we refer to it as our non-Christmassy Christmas scent. It's a blend of Bergamot, Tonka and cinnamon, but the cinnamon isn't like Noël, it's not overpowering at all... if you're gifting it to someone for Christmas, often better to go for a non-Christmassy scent because they're going to be burning it in January." D. Creator "Hate Christmas candles? This one's for you" (music, captions): "Love a winter candle but don't want your home smelling like a mince pie? Meet Starlight. Fresh citrus, gentle spice and warming woods. A little festive but without going full on Christmas. And with Pott you can refill it again and again." E. Unboxing the Icicle Starter Pack (24s, music only): the Pott, the MatchPott, the candle refill going in, lit on the coffee table.

Primary text

Primary textYour caption, approved

"Wintery without being too Christmassy so perfect to burn now!" Meet Starlight: bergamot, tonka and cinnamon, blended into a fragrance that feels like a little sparkle on a winter evening. Pair it with Icicle, our limited Christmas edition Pott, and start enjoying it long before the decorations go up.

Headlines and description

One line from the caption plus two headlines already running on your ads, the same across the test. The description (D) shows under the headline on some placements. Call to action: Shop now.

H1 Starlight: bergamot, tonka and cinnamon Edited

as on the Icicle test

We have revised this line since you edited it.

H2 Holly, Gingham and the new Icicle Edited

We have revised this line since you edited it.

H3 A Pott you'll keep after Christmas Edited

We have revised this line since you edited it.

D Starlight, in our handmade Icicle Pott Edited

Description

We have revised this line since you edited it.

New formats · one caption on three videosTest F · three ads

Three ads, one per video below, each with the approved caption and these headlines. Link: the Refillable Candle Starter Pack page.

Sends to /products/refillable-candle-starter-pack

Why this caption: the three videos are about different things, so the caption has to sit happily on all of them. It describes the Starter Pack and the three sizes, which is the version you approved untouched on the Autumn round.

A. Sizes (30s): "These are the three candle sizes and MatchPott... our petite candles, this has a 20-hour burn time... our standard candle, a 60-hour burn time... the Grand, which has four wicks and a 70-hour burn time... we do bundles so you can pair any of them together." B. Matches (31s): "We get asked this a lot... on the base of every MatchPott is a striker sticker... when your matchsticks and striker pad need replacing, you can just order some replacement matchsticks online and they come with an extra striker pad." C. Ailis at the market (32s): "Hi, I'm Ailis, the founder of Pott... you only need one candle Pott for the rest of your life... I launched the business four years ago from the kitchen table, and we've since grown to now be stocked in John Lewis and Selfridges."

Primary Text

P1 · Recommended: everything you need, three sizes Testing: content lane EditedRevised since your edit

Everything you need for your first Pott, in one box. A handmade Pott, your first candle refill and a MatchPott full of matches. There are three sizes, Petite, Standard and Grand, depending on where you'd like it to live. When the candle's finished, simply pop in a new candle refill. The Pott and the MatchPott stay with you for years.

We have revised this line since you edited it.

P2 · Alternative: New to Pott? Testing: content lane EditedRevised since your edit

New to Pott? It's a handmade candle Pott you keep, with a candle refill inside. Choose your size and your scent, and when the candle's finished, simply pop in a new candle refill. The Starter Pack has everything you need: the Pott, your first candle and a MatchPott full of matches.

We have revised this line since you edited it.

Headlines and description

One line from the caption plus two headlines already running on your ads, the same across the test. The description (D) shows under the headline on some placements. Call to action: Shop now.

H1 Refillable Candle Starter Pack Edited

We have revised this line since you edited it.

H2 Everything you need, in one box Edited

We have revised this line since you edited it.

H3 Buy The Pott Once. Edited

We have revised this line since you edited it.

D Pott, candle refill and MatchPott in one box Edited

Description

We have revised this line since you edited it.

Ailis on the Telegraph articleNormal ad

Runs as a normal ad with the Test C caption once that is approved, not inside the A/B test.

Sends to /products/refillable-candle-starter-pack

It has no like-for-like version without the press, so it cannot sit in the comparison. One line to look at before it runs: the video says "Diptyque uses paraffin", while the Telegraph text on screen says a vegetable and paraffin blend. It also says Pott started six years ago, and the market video says four.

Ailis on the Telegraph piece (69s): "The Telegraph... has just done a long article comparing us to Diptyque... they're comparing us in quality to Diptyque but saying that actually we're a more budget-friendly option..." This one has no like-for-like pair, so it would run as a normal ad rather than inside the test.

Uses the Test C caption and headlines once approved. Nothing extra to approve here.

Holly gift-box creator videoNormal ad, Gifting campaign

Our suggestion: run it in your Gifting campaign with the gifting text you approved in October, instead of inside the Noël test.

Sends to /collections/the-christmas-collection

It names no scent and opens on the present, so it would not tell us anything about Noël. In the Gifting campaign it is a natural fit.

D. Holly gift-box creator video (28s): "You know those presents you'd quite like to keep for yourself? This is one of those. A handmade pottery candle, a matching match pot and your first refill, all together in one lovely box... A little Christmas ritual that carries on long after the decorations come down." It names no scent, and it opens on the gift, so we would rather run it in your Gifting campaign than in this test.

Uses the approved Gifting text. Nothing to approve here.