‘Tis the season where High Street shops and supermarkets slowly start to reveal their long-awaited Christmas ads to the world.
Halloween has come and gone, Bonfire Night was sweet and bright, and now with the freezing weather, people have begun coming together.
The heating is on high (for those who are lucky enough to have it on), those who turn to hibernation in the winter months will be beginning to see the attempts of corporations to lift the spirits of the nation with their business boosting ads.
Every year there is a fight for which advert will be the most creative as peoples expectations get higher and issues facing the world worsen.
Last year saw a heavy focus on the topical cost-of-living crisis, this year we have the war in Gaza bringing so many people down.
Companies try to raise hope, with love and humour; the focus being on togetherness, accepting others and sharing this time of year.
Aldi’s William Conkers chocolate factory
This year we see Kevin the Carrot embarking on his chocolate factory adventure with his grate Grandpa.
The advert has received praise for its humour, featuring the greedy gravy eating grape and the spoilt sprout, who gets hoisted away by his trousers, Wonka style, to Kevin’s shock: “I can see his plum-crack!”.
The tagline of the advert is “Christmas is a time that’s sweeter when you share”, and not be like the mischievous kiwi who “didn’t know Christmas wasn’t all about me me me”.
The hilarious advert is ended with Kevin receiving the ‘cheese to the factory’ for his selflessness, where he exclaims “Wow! That’s huge Willy!”…and not a single laugh was spared in the room.
Lidl’s Christmas saving raccoon
The lonely outcasted raccoon watches a family celebrating Christmas through their window, and witnesses their son’s dismay for a broken monkey ornament at the hands of racoon’s enemy, the family dog.
The boy’s mother buys him a replacement toy monkey but she loses it.
The raccoon helps to return his Christmas toy, reminding people of the importance of small acts of kindness this giving time of year.
The raccoon and the dog settle their disagreements, and both enjoy Christmas dinner scraps together outside in the snow.
Lidl shares the message: “Gift a toy to Lidl’s Toybank and share the magic” wanting every child to experience the joy of a toy for Christmas.
The choice of the cute depiction of the scavenger has lead to the advert receiving praise from viewers, warming the hearts of the country.
Amazon’s sledging ‘In my life’ joy ride
The heartfelt ad shows three older women reminiscing while they watch the young sledgers enjoying the snowy hill in front of them.
One of the friends decides they should join, with help of an amazon product they get to relive their childhoods together.
The song choice of the Beatles ‘In my life’, with Amazon saying “the track was chosen as it is one of the Beatles’ most well-loved songs as well as an ode to enduring friendships and shared memories, which marries perfectly with the core theme of the ad.”
They have the tagline “Joy is shared” continuing the sharing theme amidst the current cost of living crisis facing many peoples loved ones, reminding us that sharing, is what makes others feel loved and included.
John Lewis’ snapping Christmas tree
We see John Lewis doing what they do best, giving us one of the most original and unique takes for their advert this year.
A little boy attempts to grow his own tree, but what emerges instead is a lot more hostile than imagined.
Forming a loving relationship with his tree, they work through their differences and we end with a celebration of the fact they were able to come together.
Similar M&S this year, John Lewis have the tagline “Let your traditions grow” they show the importance of our ever evolving nation of families having their own traditions and embracing individuality.
Some critical review saw watchers on X not being overly impressed, saying the attempt was: “Pathetic.”
Another said: “Not very Christmasy for me.”
One being: “So disappointed”.
However the advert had good production, a song by Andrea Bocelli and it brought a smile to my face by the conclusion.
Asda’s Incredibublé Christmas
The well-known face which we all know and love, Mr Bublé, the Christmas man goes around the Asda store helping the staff prepare for Christmas time.
“I heard that someone tried to push mackerel again for Christmas dinner this year… Barry” and the camera pans to the stores fishmonger looking embarrassed.
Bublé picks the perfect fifth cheese for the board and is humblé chuffed with himself: “I’m so talented.”
He gives the best quality control, with Asda only wanting you to have the very best this Christmas.
No one screams Santa just like Bublé!
Marks and Spencer’s un-traditional Christmas
This star-studded advert shows that Christmas doesn’t need to follow old tradition, it shows celebrities destroying their least favourite parts of the festive season.
M&S have received some backlash on this, as some Christmas patriots and defenders are feeling outraged.
Britain’s strictest headteacher Katharine Birbalsingh wrote a letter which she posted in a tweet where she calls out the supermarket, saying: “when our nation is on its knees, trying to keep our spirits high, this is not the time for you to encourage people to ignore the inspirational spirit of Christmas of self-sacrifice, gratitude, giving ones time and finances to help ones fellow man, and instead tells is ‘to do whatever we want for ourselves’.
She is strict for a reason, but from her reaction, it seems she needs some of the relaxation that Tan France, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Hannah Widdringham show towards Christmas, which can be a really stressful time of year for some.
They feature the song ‘I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)’ by Meatloaf, which ties together the whole advert perfectly.
Disney’s a wish for the holidays
With a multicultural take on the Disney song ‘A dream is a wish your heart makes’, the advert promotes Disney’s new movie ‘Wish’.
They show families from around the world where everyone is united by a universal wish to be together with their loved ones during the holidays.
With the tagline “Make your wishes come true” and in support of Make-A-Wish foundation, the advert has made watchers get a bit emotional, missing those who they cant be with.
Coca-Cola anyone can be Santa
Here we see Coca-Cola’s display of Santa’s in the city living their lives as regular Santa’s all looking out for one another, as you’d expect.
One can be seen skateboarding, and another is seen being Santa’s benching spotter.
A Santa gives his clone the last Cola in the machine when it runs out, we see again the Christmas sharing theme.
The scene fades to regular city life as we connect the Santa’s being all of us, helping each other out.
One man lending a carrot to a group of snowman builders, a parcel shop worker holding his shutters for a late comer wanting to send off a gift (take that London bus drivers) and a man returning to his family bearing gifts bringing joy to them all after being dropped off in the iconic Coca Cola Christmas truck driven by the man himself.
Sainsbury’s Santa’s dinner
Sainsbury’s showcase a little girl broadcasting on the shop tannoy: “Hey Sainsbury’s, what does Santa eat for his Christmas dinner?”.
The advert features the never-giving-up Rick Astley asking, “how about some cheese?”, to the response “C’mon Rick, cheese before pudding, you know the rules” and another sings “and so do I” in a taunting manner.
Sainsbury’s pay ode to their workers all over the country as they are the main stars of the ad, as well as promoting their taste the difference range for families Christmas dinners this year, whatever the budgets or tastebuds.
Waitrose’s only the good stuff
One of adverts this year that doesn’t have the most warming of messages, Waitrose promote their top quality Christmas produce during a rowdy Christmas party.
However, as someone who doesn’t have the largest of families for Christmas gatherings, the advert which has a rather opulent gathering of numbers of people, the advert gave some Christmas fomo.
There is a Graham Norton cameo, which seems quite fitting as I recall a number of times in my youth seeing him visiting the Waitrose at Canary Wharf, the patriot that he is.
Yet they are successful in advertising their quality Christmas products, their target audience is probably those more in the upper echelon.
