M&S appoints actress Gillian Anderson as first-ever 'Chief Compliments Officer'

Marks & Spencer has today announced the appointment of actress Gillian Anderson as its first-ever "Chief Compliments Officer", a playful new role created as part of the retailer’s latest ‘Love That’ campaign.

It coincides with the launch of the retailer's new Spring 26 womenswear collection, and celebrates the “power of compliments and the joy of fashion”.

Posting on her LinkedIn account Anderson said: “I’ve taken on a new role – Chief Compliments Officer at Marks and Spencer. Not a title you see every day. Which is rather the point.​​

“Compliments may seem small, but when they’re genuine, they tend to stay with us. A simple “Love that” can change how someone feels and how they carry themselves.​​

“I’m looking forward to exploring what happens when we take that seriously… without taking ourselves too seriously.​​

“More soon. 💚​​”

Sharry Cramond, Marketing Director for Fashion, Home & Beauty at M&S, said: “Welcoming Gillian Anderson as our first ever Chief Compliments Officer is a major moment for M&S. She’s here to showcase our brilliant womenswear, spark joy and champion the power of a great compliment – and we couldn’t be more excited!

“With this campaign, we are reinforcing our new fashion, home and beauty brand line – ‘Love That’. We launched a weekly ‘Love That’ social series last year, showcasing our viral ‘must have’ lines. It has already been viewed 20 million times, as customers really want to know what we are loving so they can add it to their wardrobe too, as well as add to all the compliments they will be getting!

“This new campaign launching today with the incredible Gillian Anderson takes ‘Love That’ to a whole new level, and we have lots more in the plan for the rest of the year too. M&S is transforming from a brand we have always lived with, to one we simply cannot live without.”

Gillian Anderson added: “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.

“Having spent my career playing women in positions of power, complexity and contradiction, I’ve become very deliberate about how I dress so when someone pays me a compliment it means a lot. Not necessarily because it’s about how I look, but because I dress in a way that feels honest to who I am and when someone recognises that it is affirming.

“Hearing something genuinely nice, especially about what you’re wearing, can change the way you carry yourself, whether you’re on a red carpet or doing the school run. And that boost shouldn’t be rare.”

A new ad launching tomorrow, 11 March, will feature Anderson on the first day in her new role giving style compliments to women wearing the new Spring 26 designs, set to the track of ‘Oh Yeah’ by Yello.

That will be followed by a content series showing an assistant working hard behind the scenes to encourage as many ‘Love That’ comments to be shared as she can.