Our Favourite Christmas Adverts of All Time!

IT’S CHRISTMAAAAAAAAAAS…!

There are so many things to love about Christmas: food, music, decorations, parties, presents, spending time with friends and family, and so much more. However, we’d be lying if we said we didn’t let out a squeal of excitement at the thought of all the festive Christmas adverts.

From the anticipation of the iconic John Lewis and Coca-Cola ads to the surprise early ad that comes out in October, Christmas adverts form a very important part of our overall Christmas experience.

There have been hundreds of hilarious, emotional, memorable and just fantastic ads over the years; we couldn’t possibly choose a favourite… but we’re going to try!

So, pour yourself some mulled wine, pop the Christmas tunes on and get ready for our list of the best Christmas adverts of all time, with some special shoutouts to our favourite ads of 2023.

The Best Christmas Ads of 2024

#1 Sweet Suspicion - Waitrose 2024

Following the mystery of the missing Red Velvet Bauble Dessert, Waitrose’s unique take on the traditional Christmas ad is refreshing, intriguing and a worthy winner of the best Christmas ad of 2024!

With an all-star cast, including familiar faces such as Joe Wilkinson and Sian Clifford, the ad stands out amongst the competition as it subverts the usual Christmas tropes of using heartwarming, emotional stories centered around one person, and instead turns to humour and mystery. 

The genius of this advert is that Waitrose released it in two parts, keeping audiences waiting to find out who stole the delicious dessert. By ending the first advert on a cliffhanger, Waitrose used a psychological principle known as the Zeigarnik Effect, which is the idea that people better remember things that are left unfinished than those that are fully complete.

Sweet Suspicion captured people’s attention and allowed them to get involved at home, trying to guess alongside the detective. Waitrose even took the interactivity to a whole new level by running a poll on their website so audiences could see other people’s guesses. Spoiler alert - it wasn’t who I thought it was!

Ultimately, the Christmas mystery did a fantastic job of showcasing a selection of Waitrose's mouthwatering Christmas range while capturing the attention of armchair detectives up and down the country.
 

#2 Midnight Opus - Amazon 2024

Up next is a more traditional Christmas advert that stole our hearts and made us feel warm and fuzzy this year. 

Midnight Opus from Amazon is set at a local theatre and tells the story of a janitor who has a passion for singing while he works. When his colleagues notice his talents, they come together to set up the stage and surprise him with the opportunity to perform, with a little help from Amazon, of course! 

Why do we love Amazon’s festive ad?

• The ad focuses on one main character, using the Identifiable Victim Effect to create a connection with the audience. From the way he quietly goes about his work to the nostalgic photos in his locker, the ad allows audiences to learn a lot about him in a short space of time, driving an emotional response when he finally has the chance to sing.
•  Amazon isn’t the star of the show, the community is. While Amazon still features, and highlights its speedy service, it isn’t until over halfway through the ad so audiences have already built a connection with the characters. This subtle but brilliant approach champions storytelling over product selling!
• It’s a heartwarming ad that will stand the test of time. With many brands this year subverting norms and moving away from tradition, it leaves space for some classic ads like this one to cut through the noise.
• With so much division happening around the world and in the news, it really lifts the spirits to see an advert centered around a community celebrating one its beloved members.

#3 MakeMagic - Boots 2024

Rounding out the top three Christmas ads of 2024 is the festive feelgood #MakeMagic campaign from Boots.

Whether it’s an advert, Digital PR campaign or social post, at Reflect, we love to see brands levelling up their marketing efforts, being brave and stepping away from tradition. That’s exactly what Boots have done this year!

Starring the wonderful Adjoa Andoh as Mrs Claus, the ads flips the usual narrative and instead shows Santa Claus with his feet up by the fire while Mrs Claus and her elves take charge of Christmas.

The visuals are bright, bold and beautiful, showcasing many of Boots’ products along the way.

Amelia Miles, SEO Executive, says: “It’s a fresh, relatable take that celebrates the unsung heroes of Christmas.

“The tagline highlights teamwork beautifully which nudges you to have a more holistic view of the teamwork that was involved.

“The ad’s diversity and inclusivity also shows Boots’ commitment to representing everyone.

“It’s clever, heartwarming and a joy to watch!”

Our Favourite Christmas Ads of All Time

#1 Holidays are Coming Campaign - Coca-Cola 1995-Present Day

Our first festive favourite has been running for over 25 years, and we bet you can hear the ‘Holidays are Coming’ jingle in your head already!

Every year, the sound of Coca-Cola’s iconic Christmas trucks makes us feel like Christmas is well and truly on its way. Simple but incredibly effective, Coca-Cola nails their ad year after year.

Hannah Welsh, Senior Growth Marketing Manager, says: “Once you hear that song, Christmas is coming. 

“I remember when I was younger watching X Factor and hearing that song on the adverts, you knew Christmas was just around the corner. 

“It is so nostalgic, and the fact they don't need to change anything in the ad year after year shows how powerful it is!”

What we love about the Coca-Cola Christmas ad is that the brand goes one step further by combining it with out-of-home marketing to create anticipation, excitement and all-around Christmas magic. Every year, the infamous Coca-Cola truck goes on a tour, and in the past has been through locations such as Wembley Park in London, Bluewater in Kent and Dublin in Ireland.

Many say that seeing the bright red, twinkly truck is the beginning of their countdown to Christmas, and despite being over 25 years old, it proves to be popular year after year, with ‘Coca Cola Christmas truck’ receiving over 39,000 searches in November, according to Google Trends.

#2 Monty the Penguin - John Lewis 2014

When you think about Christmas adverts, your mind probably wanders to John Lewis pretty quickly. From dragons and snowmen to penguins and animated hares, John Lewis has released some memorable ads over the years.

However, there’s one that’s stuck with our team for almost a decade! In 2014, John Lewis released ‘Monty the Penguin’, which follows a young boy and his penguin best friend. As the young boy realises Monty is lonely, he surprises him with a girlfriend of his very own and makes his dreams come true.

By focusing on Monty the Penguin for the majority of the ad, rather than having a wide range of characters and people, John Lewis uses the Identifiable Victim Effect to their advantage. This is the behavioural nudge that suggests that having one individual who is described at length will evoke much deeper emotions than a group of anonymous individuals.

Hannah says: “Everything about this advert was perfect to me, from the music to the storyline, it was utterly heartwarming and exactly what I needed to see. 

“It was also a genius move by John Lewis as you could purchase Monty and bring the advert to life.”

This Christmas advert pulled at people’s heartstrings and was a complete commercial success, as John Lewis reported a ‘4.8% increase in like-for-like sales across the five weeks to Christmas’. Want to learn how to take a leaf out of John Lewis’ book? Read our blog on how to increase conversions at Christmas.

As John Lewis have had so many brilliant Christmas ads over the years, we couldn’t leave without mentioning their 2011 ad ‘The Long Wait’. Hannah says: “I adored this because it’s all about pure excitement. Not for opening presents, though, but excitement at giving his parents a gift that he chose himself. This is something that sat so well with me, and I resonated with massively!”

#3 1914 - Sainsbury’s 2014

This emotional and powerful Christmas ad was chosen by several of our team as one of the most memorable Christmas ads of all time.

What does Team Reflect think? “Thinking back, the Christmas advert that stays in mind for me is the Sainsbury’s 2014 centenary of the 1914 WWI ‘Christmas Truce’ where the soldiers laid down their weapons, rose from the trenches of No Man’s Land, to exchange Christmas greetings, rations and a game of football.

“The Sainsbury’s advert portrays this beautifully – complete with a dusting of snow, a Christmas carol, suspense, drama and ending with a warm sense of feel-good emotions.

“What I particularly loved about this Christmas campaign was the vintage design of the chocolate bar, reminiscent of the era. This certainly nudged me and many others into buying a few bars as gifts, which raised around £500,000 for The Royal British Legion Charity.

“Christmas is all about sharing!”

#4 The Big Night - Sainsbury’s 2018

Sainsbury’s is a true festive force to be reckoned with when it comes to Christmas adverts, with their 2018 ad also being a firm favourite amongst the team. Proving they can go from one emotional extreme to the other, ‘The Big Night’ is a stark contrast to ‘1914’, with a Nativity-esque depiction of a school’s Christmas show.

So, why does this make the list? It’s simple really. This Christmas ad appeals to everyone:

• It’s relatable to children, who may be putting on their own school Christmas shows
• It’s nostalgic for young adults, who can reminisce back to their school days
• It’s emotional for parents and families, who know what it’s like to wait nervously in the audience for their child to perform

This Christmas ad has also given us one of the greatest moments of the 21st century: ‘Plug Boy’.

The stage is filled with students dressed as shining stars, snowflakes, baubles, turkeys and… a plug. That’s right, affectionately named ‘Plug Boy’, the advert sees a student dressed as a plug take a running jump into a giant socket on the wall. Behind him trails a line of students dressed as Christmas lights, whose costumes light up when plugged in.

Brilliantly bizarre, ‘Plug Boy’ has been the topic of many conversations and is still being talked about today, giving us no choice but to put ‘The Big Night’ on our list of the best Christmas ads of all time. Well done, Sainsbury’s!

#5 Have your Elf a Merry Christmas - Asda 2022

If you’ve seen this advert, you won’t be surprised that it’s made our list of the best Christmas ads of all time. Asda exceeded all expectations with their ad, which sees Buddy the Elf from the 2003 Christmas Classic ‘Elf’ working his first shift at the supermarket chain.

It takes iconic moments from the film and integrates them into locations around the supermarket, making for hilarious but wholesome encounters with colleagues and customers.

We see key elements of the nostalgia effect at play here, with the idea that people place a higher value on social connectedness than on saving money. By using a well-loved character and replicating someone’s first day at a new job, people are left reminiscing about their own experiences watching the film for the first time and their first job.
Cheerful, festive and full of laughs… Asda elevated the Christmas ad game in 2022!

Key Takeaways

After reminiscing about all our favourite Christmas ads over the years, we truly wish it could be Christmas every day!

So, what have we learnt about what it takes to be crowned the most iconic Christmas ad the world has ever seen?

• Show your understanding of human behaviour by incorporating the Nostalgia Effect into ads, playing on childhood memories such as classic films and memorable milestones
• Emotion is the key to Christmas success, whether you make your audience laugh, cry or both!
• Brand plays just as important a part as the video itself - Coca-Cola’s Christmas truck has become part of their brand identity
• 1 memorable moment can go a long way - ‘The Big Night’ may not have made the list if it wasn’t for ‘Plug Boy’

Are you looking to compliment your seasonal ads with marketing from other channels? Come and chat with us about Paid Media, SEO, Digital PR or Customer Experience. We can help you supercharge your marketing strategy to elevate your business above your competitors. Get in touch with us today!