It’s that time of year again. The Christmas adverts are rolling in, and we’ve rounded up the best so far. From John Lewis to Marks & Spencer, brands have gone all out this year with musical releases and heartwarming storylines. Read on to see how this year’s biggest brands are bringing the Christmas spirit to our screens.
M&S – The Home of Christmas
Few Christmas adverts are as eagerly awaited as M&S’s, and this year it has delivered a fan favourite. James Norton and Lucy Punch play Mr and Mrs Claus, in this star-studded campaign, which opens with Santa shaving off his famous beard to reveal a Father Christmas we’d barely recognise. Incognito, he leaves the North Pole to experience Christmas the way the rest of us do, discovering the joys of a festive picky-bits spread and a family game of charades before ending his journey at “The Home of Christmas”: Marks & Spencer. From a marketing point of view, it’s a smart balance of humour, a warm, uplifting story and plenty of product placement, with every scene quietly showing off something you can pick up in store. This is definitely a favourite of ours.
John Lewis – Don’t Give Up On Giving
John Lewis’s advert is always one of the most anticipated of the season, and this year it takes a lighter, more playful approach with the tagline ‘Don’t Give Up on Giving’. The three-minute film stars Dame Kristin Scott Thomas as Gloria, a grandmother who nearly gives up trying to find the right presents for her grandchildren and resorts to filling their cards with cash, until her old toy dog Pickles springs to life and sets her on a magical gifting mission across London, ending up, of course, in John Lewis. Pickles is the real star of the show, bringing plenty of comedy, and he’s sure to become a sought-after toy this Christmas, though perhaps more with adults than children. However, the advert doesn’t quite live up to the high expectations that come with John Lewis at Christmas, with the story feeling out of touch and the grandchildren coming across as quite spoilt, which takes some of the warmth out of the message. It’s also surprising that, for an advert about the joy of giving, we never see Gloria choose a single gift from John Lewis, with the big reveal seeming to be a room full of decorations instead, which feels like a missed opportunity.
Sainsbury’s – The Big Delivery
Sainsbury’s has brought back Roald Dahl’s BFG (Big Friendly Giant) for the third year running, risking the idea of starting to feel a little too familiar. However, this year the story moves to his world instead of him coming to ours, and it proves to be the answer. The BFG is struck down with a terrible cold and resigns himself to missing Christmas, until Sainsbury’s colleague Annie is determined to set off across Giant Country with a van full of festive treats to bring the festivities to him. It’s a lovely touch that Annie is played by a real Sainsbury’s colleague, Annie Ferguson, who returns for a second year. It’s a two-minute film that really pulls on the heartstrings, capturing the kindness and sense of community that makes Christmas so special, I feel it is the standout advert so far.
Tesco – The Wrong Address
Tesco is another retailer to go down the storytelling route, with a three-minute film that stars Roisin Conaty as Polly and Anna Maxwell Martin as Lizzy, an old school friend who accidentally sends her Christmas order to her old address. It’s a story built on female friendship and small acts of kindness, with Tesco’s delivery service placed right at the centre. Anyone who has watched Motherland will agree that the casting is spot on, as a chaotic Christmas mix-up is perfectly in character for Anna Maxwell Martin. The plot is predictable, but that’s part of the appeal, positioning Tesco as a reliable retailer that goes above and beyond for its customers.
Asda – All of Christmas at Asda Price
Taking an unconventional approach to its Christmas advert, Asda has delivered a high-energy 30-second video, with a sharp transition to Martin Garrix’s ‘Animals’ to convey the feeling of shopping at Asda over the festive season. With the first direct product feature being a plate, followed by cheese and then clothing, it appears Asda has tried to capture the breadth of its product range. However, condensing all of this into the first 15 seconds feels rushed and disorientating. Followed by the rodeo-bull inspired Christmas cracker in the second half, it ultimately feels incredibly confusing. Perhaps not the strongest approach from Asda.
Barbour – Wallace & Gromit x Barbour
After last year’s success, Barbour has reunited with Wallace and Gromit for another Christmas film. The quintessentially British pair are enjoying Christmas Day when Gromit unwraps a Barbour jacket from Wallace, and the two head out for a walk before Gromit can hand over his own gift. True to form, Wallace’s latest invention, the “Walk-o-Matic”, causes chaos along the way, but Gromit’s present arrives just in time to save Wallace from the cold. It’s warm, cosy and full of laughs, with gadgets that have a mind of their own, exactly what fans would expect from the duo. It’s also a smart move from Barbour, using two of Britain’s best-loved characters to remind everyone of its authentic British roots.
Boots – Give It Some Boots
Boots has gone for laughs this year with “Give It Some Boots”. The advert opens on Christmas morning, with families swapping gifts and the recipients clearly delighted with what they’ve unwrapped. It then follows those gifts through the year as their new owners become slightly obsessed with them, from an LED light mask that’s worn everywhere (family portrait included) to a Dyson Airwrap that absolutely isn’t up for sharing. It’s funny and smart, and every laugh is built around a product you can actually walk in and buy, which is exactly where a lot of Christmas ads lose their way. Consider us convinced to “Give It Some Boots” this Christmas.
Dogs Trust – Kira Needs A Happy Place
Dogs Trust may not be high on your Christmas advert watch list, but after this year’s offering, it certainly should be. Jack, a young boy, campaigns to find Kira, a Dogs Trust dog, a home in the run-up to Christmas. January arrives and Kira still doesn’t have a home, but Jack’s hard work pays off, and his mum adopts her for him. It’s a heart-warming, cosy advert that reminds us a dog is for life, not just for Christmas.
Argos – Tales of Argos Past
Inspired by A Christmas Carol, toy mascots Connie and Trevor stage an intervention for Richard Ayoade, playing a Scrooge-like character who dismisses Argos as just a toy shop when searching for a present for his mum. It’s a brilliant casting choice, as Ayoade’s deadpan nature is perfect for the reluctant gift-giver who needs a lesson in festive cheer. Building on its recent campaigns showing there’s more to Argos than toys, the advert also takes a nostalgic trip back to the days of circling the Argos catalogue.
LEGO – The LEGO Holiday Workshop
LEGO partners with Daft Punk to take the viewer on a journey this Christmas. The duo’s minifigures leap through a secret door and are transported into the LEGO workshop. The focus then shifts to a single brick moving through the workshop, taking on different roles within builds before being launched into a party of minifigures to the sound of ‘One More Time’. The brick departs and the video moves to a family home, where LEGO gifts come to life in the living room. The advert places emphasis on the product’s ability to go further than being received as a gift, instead presenting it as an opportunity to bring people together. By blending the imaginary with the real, it demonstrates the endless possibilities of LEGO and the shared enjoyment of the brand across generations.
Lidl – Lidl Christmas Everybody
Lidl features Shaun Williamson in its Christmas advert this year, which opens with him discovering a vinyl of Slade’s ‘Merry Xmas Everybody’. His parody of the song provides the soundtrack, with cuts to his performance throughout. It shows him delivering Lidl’s festive range to his neighbours, with celebrities joining in along the way, ending with a festive street party bringing the community together. Compared to other Christmas adverts, it feels lengthy and somewhat repetitive.
Debenhams – Christmas. For Everyone
Debenhams pulled out all the stops to claim the title of first Christmas advert of the year, and it certainly made an entrance. The retailer opted for a four-minute romcom featuring Emily Atack and Mathew Horne, two faces audiences will instantly recognise. Singer Gabrielle also adds a dose of 90s nostalgia, with her turning up to sing Dreams in the film’s big finish. That nostalgia theme runs throughout the advert, with it set at a Christmas village hall party. Now that Debenhams operates purely online, it’s a clever way of reminding audiences of the warmth and familiarity its name has always stood for.
