Ten Christmas ads to get you feeling festive
Altogether now with your best Slade impression... “It’s Christmaaaaaaaaaaaaaas!”
Or at least, it is on television!
Yes, it’s the time of year when the big guns (and the big productions) are out, all duelling for your attention and ultimately the pound in your pocket, like a family scramble for the last chocolate in the tin of Roses! From cute fire-breathing dragons to misty-eyed scenes of Christmas cheer, no heartstring has been left untugged... so grab a mug of mulled apple juice (or something a little stronger) and join us on the sofa as we count down with ten of this year’s seasonal ads, created for Christmas by the brands you know and (probably) love!
10. Boots
Introducing Bootiques by Boots. #GiftLikeYouGetThem
At number ten we’re looking at you ‘Bootiques’, and the approach has definitely shifted from 2018 when it was a more sentimental celebration of the mums in our lives. This year, Boots want to solve all our choice-fatigue woes. The ad sings to that inter-generational mystique and claims to offer solutions for those who might be a little bit clueless in the gift-giving department! We’re watching how it plays out in-store but to be honest, who doesn’t love a good 3 for 2?
9. M&S Food
This Is Not Just Food... This Is M&S Christmas Food | Christmas Advert 2019
If there’s one thing we love, it’s looking forward to what M&S will be cooking up for us all every Christmas and this year, Paddy McGuinness and Emma Willis take us on a tour of the M&S Christmas market. There are cameos from their very own product developers which is a nice touch and it’s a great way to showcase the new key items in this year’s range. They had us at Brie En Croûte!
8. Wallace & Gromit X Joules
Who needs Paddy and Emma when you have another iconic duo waiting in the wings? This one’s a favourite in the tickety boo camp, as Joules (and Wallace & Gromit) give us Christmas at the click of a button, which ties in with their collective 30th Anniversaries. Seeing Joules’ festive offering recreated in stop motion clay animation makes their socks, sweaters and stocking fillers even more covetable somehow - clever move teaming up with a beloved eccentric, cheese-loving inventor and his dog. We’d be surprised if other brands (especially the foodies) aren’t kicking themselves, as it could’ve been just as easily applied to a feast with all the trimmings. Don’t forget the Wensleydale!
7. IKEA – Silence the Critics
Is there anything more universal than the anxiety of incoming guests over the festive period? It seems that as the big day creeps ever closer, we all cast a critical eye around our houses and spot the cracks, crumbles and flaws with newfound clarity. Enter IKEA and their unique take on the Christmas ad, which definitely makes you think about what very very very very very very unacceptable really means! ;) With a little imagination though, and if you can face a queue that could likely take up much of your free time from here to December 25th, all your critics will indeed be silenced. Especially that sassy teapot.
6. Sainsbury’s - Nicholas the Sweep
Sainsbury’s - Nicholas the Sweep
And now for something altogether different. Sainsbury’s give us a dark and Dickensian retelling of the origin of one Nicholas Claus, no doubt to tie-in with their 150-year anniversary. The full BBC period drama treatment is laid on thick, complete with townspeople who are in the late stages of scurvy! Saying much more will give the whole game away, but signature orange plays a supporting role throughout. We’re just not sure if the final ‘twist’ fully pays off.
5. Tesco
Not to be outdone, Tesco also have a centenary to celebrate. Their ad takes in the last 100 years, showing the galivanting adventures of a delivery van through the decades, in one magical night. The nostalgia goggles are tinted rose throughout, in this entertaining romp with cameos from everyone from Winston Churchill and the Queen, to 90s ravers after a bit of post-midnight sustenance.
4. Mariah Carey for Walkers
From the epic and nostalgic, to the downright bonkers. Who’d have thought that 90s siren Mariah Carey (the undisputed voice of Christmas for many) would be such a good fit for Walkers crisps? It’s a glimpse ‘behind the scenes’ at what happens when Mariah and a Christmas Elf extra, fight over the last bag of Pigs in Blankets crisps. Needless to say, Mariah unleashes her secret weapon – whistle tone. She also wins the award for the ‘daintiest bite of a crisp ever’.
3. Aldi Christmas Launch #KevinTheCarrot
Aldi Christmas Launch #KevinTheCarrot
Stand by for death-defying feats (performed by trapezing tomatoes), thuggish Brussels sprouts (aka, Leafy Blinders), big tops and Kevin the Carrot giving us The Greatest Showman, with Robbie Williams providing the soundtrack in lieu of Hugh Jackman. It’s impressive stuff and unsurprising that according to Marketing Week, this has been the most effective of all the Christmas efforts... winning big prizes like ‘Most Emotional,’ ‘Brand Building,’ and ‘Differentiation’.
2. John Lewis & Partners and Waitrose & Partners
Christmas 2019 Ad | John Lewis & Partners and Waitrose & Partners
The script for Excitable Edgar had crossed John Lewis desks before, at least in some form, and interestingly, they’ve said they couldn’t make the ending of it work until they partnered with Waitrose for a joint ad effort this year. We imagine this as a nod to the ‘& Partners’ rebrand, because this story is all about magic and friendship - and in true iconic cover song mode, Dan Smith from Bastille gives his rendition of REO Speedwagon’s ‘Can't Fight This Feeling’. True to form, it’s closer to a full-blown animated film with production to rival Pixar, than an ad for the telly!
1. Boden – Party for EVERY body
Boden – Party for EVERY body
We’re finishing off our countdown this year with a campaign that’s really warmed our hearts. There’s no big production here, but what you will find is a human approach by clothing brand Boden, as they raise a glass to ‘the real stars of Christmas’, by throwing a party for people on our healthcare frontlines. As the brand says, “when you’re a nurse on nights, Christmas Day isn’t your usual turkey, tinsel and too much TV” and as far as Christmas celebrations go, this authentic thank you from Boden definitely puts the feelgood into the festive season for us!
Whichever ad is your favourite this year, we hope this rundown has made your day merry and bright!