Top 10 Christmas Adverts

As the release of 2022’s Christmas advertisements has commenced, and the Christmas markets are a go, we thought it would be the perfect time to reflect and share our top 10 Christmas adverts.

Christmas has bought some of the most iconic and tear-jerking adverts of all time and has reacted to lots of important topics along the way. Amongst the deep and meaningful have also been some of the humorous and comedic alternatives that we have equally enjoyed.

So, without further ado, here are our top 10 Christmas adverts.

1914 – Sainsbury’s 2014

At No.1 we have ‘1914’ by Sainsbury’s. What makes this advert so successful is both its tone and its nod to a familiar true story. It is well known that during the world war soldiers stopped to play football on Christmas day. This tear-jerking ad is tasteful, not in your face with the marketing of its brand and very thoughtful in its message that Christmas is for giving.

The Journey – John Lewis 2012

John Lewis never misses the mark when it comes to Christmas adverts and this iconic one is no exception. It tells a short tale of a Snowman’s journey to get their other half a Christmas gift. Snowman encounters many obstacles along the way and it is quite the quest indeed. Despite all of this, the importance of finding the perfect gift for their loved one is so high that they prevail. The music is beautiful and blends well with the advert’s message of care and protection (the gift is a pair of gloves to keep Mrs Snowman warm and safe). All the clever freezeframes of the Snowman’s journey are well thought out, amusing and wholesome. This is a top-tier advert from John Lewis.

The Big Night – Sainsbury’s 2018

Coming in 3rd place is another excellent ad by Sainsbury’s. This one has the cuteness-comedy ratio down to a T. Starting very organic and familiar, then with an encouraging nod from Mum, it takes off. Our favourite moment has to be the child playing the part of the fair lights plug, that’s one hell of a leap of faith.

Have your Elf a Merry Christmas – Asda 2022

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnW1TWqAXYs

This advert incorporates a Christmas classic into its campaign with Buddy the Elf taking on a role as Asda’s newest member of staff. The nostalgic element of this advert utilises elements from the star’s movie. Its humorous and wholesome nature brings a smile to viewers’ faces while very clearly marketing the store as its primary location without pushing the promotion of its products.

Buster the Boxer – John Lewis 2016

At No.5 we have John Lewis’s Buster the Boxer. This endearing man’s best friend shows a series of emotions, desire, envy and joy. The advert sees a family’s pet dog get the gift of his dreams through the daughter of the family’s Christmas present, despite the gift not being intended for him, the smile on his face is undeniable.

Mogs Christmas Calamity – Sainsbury’s 2015

This humorous and hectic advert is all about people coming together at Christmas time. With a series of unfortunate events unfolding one after another resulting in what first appears to be the Christmas day from hell, neighbours come together to make this Christmas extra special despite all adversities. A true classic.

Feast of Football – Aldi 2022

A football team, a Christmas Carrot and a missed flight. Cleverly using the names of well-known football stars combined with fruit and veg names, this smart and witty advert honours everyone’s favourite players humorously and uniquely. The final scene shows Kevin the Carrot has missed his flight as his wife/mother screams “Kevin”, as per the Christmas classic, Home Alone. The message behind the film is that sometimes you don’t have to travel far to have a great Christmas, being at home is just as good and Aldi can help you do it properly.

Tesco However You Do Christmas Series 2018

This advert is a great one to make everyone feel included and a great marketing tactic. It targets a wide audience range and has something for everyone. This is precisely the point of the advert, to encourage people to shop at Tesco as their one-stop shop because it has something for everyone. It has a bit of humour in some of the things people do, drink or eat at Christmas, in contrast to your classics. This advert does a great job of subtly showing some of the brand’s products throughout the advert without coming off too strong.

Coca-Cola Commerical 2020

Following a father’s journey to post his daughter’s Christmas list to Santa while away for work, we see him get washed up, lost and endure all sorts of conditions on his quest to post the letter. Following the iconic Coca-Cola Christmas truck dropping the Father home, the ending to the advert displays text reading “This Christmas, give something only you can give”. This is a nod to the daughter’s Christmas wish just for her Dad to come home for Christmas. This heartwarming and wholesome advert makes us grateful for those around us during the festive season.

The Lonely Bounty 2021

Finally, making the list of our top 10 Christmas adverts, The Lonely Bounty. This humorous advert pays homage to the ever-unfavoured and forgotten Bounty. This ironic and emotional ad pulls inspiration from the infamous Christmas classic ‘Love Actually, with a loving scene between a sprout (also ever-unfavourable at Christmas time) and a Bounty. This advert very obviously advertises a box of celebrations but in a light comedic way that even makes us pity the Bounty and potentially even want to buy a box so we won’t leave him behind.

So, there it was, our top 10 Christmas adverts, and what a list it was! What makes a successful Christmas advert? Well, If you play one of 3 cards; humour, emotion or nostalgia, you are most likely guaranteed success. To execute this successfully you also need to be considerate, have balance and don’t come on too strong. Coming on too strong in your marketing or your approach can result in an advertisement that is too salesy, too unprofessional or too unserious. Use your wit and imagination and try to be inclusive with your approach.