2023 Christmas Ad Tracker

The Christmas ads have started to roll in and we’re feeling the festivities and excitement even more than before! Big brands have been dominating the Christmas ads space for years and people are always so excited to see what they will come up with. 

Will it make us laugh? Cry? Smile? Christmas ads have become much more popular and for reasons more than just for making sales, Christmas ads make us feel nostalgic and often tell heart warming stories which gets us right in the mood for Christmas!

Let’s take a look at some of the holiday campaigns that have hit our screens so far:

Aldi Christmas Advert 2023
With the new ‘Wonka’ movie on the horizon, Aldi have introduced Willy Conker! Every year Aldi brings us a classic Christmas movie which gets viewers right in the mood for the festivities. As Kevin the carrot moves through the chocolate factory we see some iconic scenes from ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ played out by our favourite Christmas foods!

Argos: Dancer

Giving a nod to films such as Toy Story, this year shows Argos’ products come to life. The star of the show, Connie, shows some serious moves as she gets Trevor the T-Rex to shoot some content for her in the hopes of going viral. Modern and relevant- good job Argos.

Asda – Pop the Bublé! It’s Officially Christmas

Hate him or love him, what’s a Global emblem of Christmas? Michael Bublé, who also happens to be the grand reveal in this years Asda Christmas ad. Bublé aside, Asda’s ad is funny and amusing with the leading roles of the ad’s doing a stellar job at being a sense of wonder, and craic, to you this year.

Baileys 2023 Christmas Advert Featuring Hannah Waddingham
Choosing celebrities to suit your Christmas ad can be a tough task but we think Baileys nailed it with this one! Hannah Waddingham conducts a choir to sing a Baileys inspired tune, while they create the perfect Christmas drink. BAILEYS!

Barbour – Shaun the Sheep

During the holidays, we all have our family favourites when it comes to Chistmas movies. Barbour has brought the characters at Mossy Bottom Farm back to the big screen to help solve Farmer’s problem this winter. A cinematic ad interwoven with innovation and humour, this one is sure to hold your attention.

Boots- #GiveJoy

Boots cleverly encourage viewers to #GiveJoy and show their appreciation to others in this witty and fun ad. A Mum and Daughter go on a magical adventure and ‘give back to the givers’ who have helped them on their way. Warm, festive, and a reall good jingle, Boot’s did a great job this year.

Capital One – Holiday Night Fever

John Travolta takes us back to the 70’s in this nostalgic and cheerful Christmas ad twist. It’s a playful commercial that shows the bright lights of Christmas moving into a new disco direction. Modern and glitzy and a good performance by Travolta, too.

Charlie’s Bar, Co. Fermanagh

This little gem of a Christmas ad really came out of the woodworks. Charlie’s Bar in Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh released a meaningful ad that follows an elderly Irish widow and the people he meets along the way. With the location and Irish symbolism steeped throughout, this was a real winner here in Ireland. The slogan from Irish poet Yeats summarises it up really,‘There are no strangers here, only friends you haven’t yet met’. 💫

Coca- Cola: The World Needs More Santas

What does Santa Claus represent? In this touching ad, viewers learn that anyone can be Santa this year, and that people’s ‘inner Santa’ can be brought to life through acts of generosity and goodwill, closing with the line: ‘The World Needs More Santas’. Emotional, festive and nostalgic with traditional Santa’s parading around the streets drinking the original coca-cola bottles, this ad covers all bases on what makes a great Christmas ad.

Disney – May Your Wishes Come True

This year’s Disney ad, in support of Make-A-Wish, showcases the spirit of Global togetherness that Christmas brings. The holidays doesn’t look the same for each culture and Disney portrays this meaningfully with their ad this year that celebrates and embraces diverse festive traditions throughout different cultures around the Globe from Diwali to Hot Pots. Ultimately, the ads goal is to show that we are all united by a universal wish to be together with our loved ones during the Holidays.

Duracell – Bunny Saves Christmas

This ad is filled with familiar and quickly recogniseable figures from Santa, Rudolf, and the Duracell bunny. Like Duracell batteries promise to quickly save the day, this short and snappy ad embodies this brand message with the much-loved Duracell bunny kicking into action to save Christmas.

John Lewis- The Perfect Tree

The one we have all been waiting for. The star of this years ad is.. a carnivorous venus-fly trap plant! Don’t be alarmed though because this heartwarming tale featuring a child and an unusual friend will be sure to spike your emotions and get you giggling. Also shout out to Andrea Bocelli for the banging vocals in the ad’s music this year!

Lego – Play Is Your Superpower: Holiday

This ad is all about the power of play and how it can ignite everyones imagination, from young to old. Recognisable characters such as Yoda and Olaf make special appearances as they are brought to life in this playful ad. You gotta love the seasonal feelings evoked throughout, with children out playing in the snow, wearing their festive gear, and jingling music playing in the background, too. It’s extra special with the addition of their heroes playing alongside them, too!

Lidl – A Magical Christmas

Get the tissues out. This one is all about giving the gift of generosity to those around you who may be in need of a little bit of extra care. The racoon may be the arch nemesis of those who have had their bins raided but no doubt will the lonely racoon who takes the lead role will make you want to invite them in. Lidl’s subtle branding and great storytelling rates this ad high this year.

McDonald’s

This year, McDonald’s ad is all about escaping those not-so-glamourous moments throughout the holiday season such as cancelled flights and brash nativity plays to grab a Maccy D’s. It also gives a nod to Love Actually at the end with a repeat of the infamous doorstep moment where the protagonist professes his love over cue cards, but this time one hopeful holds up cards beginning ‘Fancy A…’- the title of the ad is Fancy a McDonald’s?.

Microsoft

Microsoft took a unique and modern twist this year with their entry to the annual run up of seasonal ads. They used ai in Microsoft Designer to turn personal stories into masterpieces. This one is a stand-out for the concept alone- but what makes it stay with you is how well it delivers it’s message of merging technology and storytelling to evoke emotions that are what the holidays are all about; connection, sentimentality, and joy. Kudos for the diversity in traditions that were shown across the ad, too.

Morrisons Christmas Ad
Morrisons have used a kitchen staple as the star of their Christmas ad, an oven mitt! The oven mitts give us a stellar performance of ‘Nothing’s gonna stop us’ while showcasing all of the amazing Christmas food that can be purchased in Morrisons. It’s safe to say, we won’t be taking our oven mitts for granted this year!

M&S – The Mittens
This star-studded ad features Hollywood superstars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenne as two lost mittens. M&S do a wonderful job showing off the high-caliber Christmas food they provide that would make anyone start counting down the days until they can indulge until their hearts desire.

Peroni Nastro Azzurro – Live Every Moment, All Year Round
This ad is all about placing the heritatige of the beer at the centre of the ad- Torino, Italy. It shows the hero of the ad going through great lengths for the product as he heaves through the winter snow with the tag-line of the ad being ‘Live Every Moment, All Year Round’. A nice reward at the end for his efforts, too!

Sports Direct – Dare to Dream Big

A time of the year where dreams are conjured by millions of people across the world, the little girl who is the star of this years Sports Direct ad is no different as she looks back at some of the most affluent sports stars in Britian across history with the hope of being like them one day. This ad shows her dreams come true as she beats boxers, racers, and footballers from start to finish. The incredible anthem “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” By Tears for Fears brought festive joy throughout, too.

Smyths: We Really Wanna Go To Smyths

I think most of us remember a time of really wanting to go to Smyths so that ad quickly resonates with a lot of people. An ad that is aimed more at younger viewers, we see Smyths position it’s toy store as a land of excitement, fun, and the very best toys. From Barbie to Spiderman this film did a great job at bringing Smyths to life.

TK Maxx – Festive Farm

This ad encourages you to get your glad drags out this Christmas season, just like our farm animal stars featuring an alpaca, geese and other friends did. Added bonus for the song choice of “Let Me Blow Ya Mind” by Eve for further comedic gold.