Who's the sexiest Santa? Portsmouth agency settles the festive debate
With James Norton turning heads in this year's M&S Christmas advert, a Portsmouth-based marketing agency has investigated which famous Father Christmas really deserves the crown.
James Norton may have set pulses racing in this year's Marks & Spencer Christmas advert, but new research from a Portsmouth-based marketing agency suggests another Hollywood star deserves the title of sexiest Santa.
Digital marketing agency Koozai has analysed the facial proportions of 10 actors who have played Father Christmas in films and adverts to discover who comes closest to the so-called Golden Ratio.
And despite the attention surrounding Norton's appearance as Santa in the new M&S advert, it was Hollywood actor Kurt Russell who came out on top.
Russell, who played Father Christmas in Netflix's The Christmas Chronicles, scored 81.07 out of 100, narrowly beating Norton, who finished second with 80.99.
Portsmouth agency puts Hollywood's Santas to the test
The team at Koozai, which is based at the Fareham Innovation Centre at Daedalus, used a scoring system inspired by the Golden Ratio, a mathematical proportion sometimes associated with facial attractiveness, to compare some of the best-known Santas to have appeared on screen.
The research involved comparing selected facial measurements from photographs of the actors, with each receiving a score out of 100.
While Russell and Norton battled it out for the top spot, David Harbour, who played a rather unconventional Santa in the festive action film Violent Night, finished third with a score of 80.40.
John Travolta, who portrayed Father Christmas in a Capital One advert, followed closely behind with 80.33.
Meanwhile, some familiar festive favourites found themselves further down the rankings, including Tim Allen, best known for The Santa Clause, and Richard Attenborough, who played Kris Kringle in Miracle on 34th Street.
The 10 sexiest Santas revealed
According to Koozai's research, the rankings are:
Kurt Russell, The Christmas Chronicles (81.07)
James Norton, M&S Christmas advert (80.99)
David Harbour, Violent Night (80.40)
John Travolta, Capital One Christmas advert (80.33)
Paul Giamatti, Fred Claus (79.60)
Billy Bob Thornton, Bad Santa (79.48)
J.K. Simmons, Red One (79.24)
Jim Broadbent, Get Santa (79.10)
Tim Allen, The Santa Clause (76.76)
Richard Attenborough, Miracle on 34th Street (76.49)
James Norton's M&S appearance sparks festive debate
The findings come as Norton's appearance in this year's M&S Christmas advert has attracted plenty of attention.
The advert features Norton as a younger, clean-shaven Father Christmas, with viewers taking to social media to share their reactions to his transformation.
But while Norton may have become one of this year's most talked-about festive faces, Koozai's research suggests Russell has the edge, although there was just 0.08 points separating them.
The Portsmouth agency says the findings are intended as a bit of festive fun rather than a definitive scientific measure of attractiveness, particularly as factors such as camera angles, lighting and facial expressions can influence the results.
With Christmas fast approaching, the results are sure to spark some debate over which famous Father Christmas really deserves the crown.
The full findings can be found in Koozai's sexiest Santa research.