Who Won the Battle of the Christmas Adverts?
Christmas adverts have long been a staple of British festive culture. Which feels like a very odd thing to say! But if you ask most people, they will say it doesn’t really feel like Christmas until the Christmas adverts start. Sometimes a very specific advert *cough* Coca Cola Truck *cough*. The John Lewis ads have been bringing tears to our eyes for years, and what started as a bid to be festive has transformed into companies competing over who can put on the best Christmas advert each year. Who doesn’t love a bit of friendly competition? So the big question is, who won this year?
The Contenders
Thousands of companies will have made festive adverts this year, and we couldn’t possibly talk about them all in one blog. We’d be here until next Christmas! So instead, we’re focusing on the heavy hitters – the supermarkets and big retailers. They’re the ones who are really involved in the Christmas advert battle and the one-upmanship it brings. So let us introduce the contenders:
John Lewis: Searching for a present for her sister in a John Lewis shop, Sally pushes through a clothes rack to find a passageway to the past, full of memories of her sister, giving her inspiration for the perfect gift. It’s full of that John Lewis character, beautifully directed, tearjerking music and putting out a very clear message – only you know your family.
Tesco: Tapping into Christmas as a time of loss as well as celebration. This year Tesco shares the story of a grandson and grandad and absent grandmother. The taste of gingerbread ignites memories of her, and soon the whole world is a sweet, gingerbread treat. Happy moments crumble at the edges with grief, but they come together to celebrate her life together with a gingerbread house from – where else?
Sainsbury’s: The BFG is back! Sainsbury’s is setting out to make Christmas ‘a bit more Fizzwhizzing’ with the help of our favourite big friendly giant. Designed to showcase the freshness of their produce and tap into that pure nostalgia, this ad really does feel like someone bottled up the excitement and magic of Christmas dinner. And it delivers on their bigger brand promise of making good food available to all, which is a nice touch!
Morrisons: The singing oven gloves are back! And if you’re a millennial, you probably recognise the feel-good finale song from Bugsy Malone. Definitely appealing to anyone who thinks Christmas is a big production coming together in a performance on the 25th. It’s got a lot of warmth to it, but it does feel a little product-centric compared to the rest.
M&S Clothing and Home: One of the stranger Christmas ads, where a little girl experiencing a dull Christmas spots a snow globe and uses it to fill her home with disco music and magically tilting floors. People are walking on the ceiling; glitter is in the air and there’s disco music to spare. It feels a tad disjointed, and we’re not really sure what the message is?
Aldi: Kevin the Carrot returns once again, and this time he’s chasing down criminals that are stealing Christmas spirit. He’s a consistent and recognisable brand mascot, and this ad is full of jokes and pop culture references that takes you for a wonderful ride through Mission Impossible (the oven), complete with nostalgic commentary.
Lidl: This year Lidl is focused on its Toy Bank appeal and embracing the season of giving. It’s a moving tale of a little girl gifted with a magical wishing bell, who turns sprouts into biscuits and brings her sister’s toy raccoon to life, before wishing her gifts away to other children. It’s got a big message, and it isn’t ‘buy from us’.
Asda: With roads snowed under, an Asda worker calls in gnomes to get the store ready. This ad captures the feeling that organising Christmas can sometimes feel like a military manoeuvre, where you need a troop of helpers to make it a success. It’s a fun, whimsical ad chock full of gnome puns with a sprinkling of Christmas magic.
Waitrose: Sweet suspicion! A star-studded cast find themselves at the ‘crime scene’ of a missing pudding, and one family member determined to solve it. It’s an enjoyable whodunnit that captures some of the politics of Christmas with the family, and a very clever way to showcase all of the products at the same time. It captures the reality of Christmas much more than the spirit! The best part? There’s a part 2, so you get the mystery and the solution!
Boots: This one’s been causing a lot of discussions this year, and we love it! Mrs Claus taking charge of the ‘werksop’ while Mr Claus snoozes, masterfully gathering the elves to prepare presents. It’s a Santa’s workshop full of contemporary energy and swagger, featuring a star-studded cast and designed to appeal to the broad demographic of Boots customers.
Honourable Mentions
Before we get into who won, first we want to do some honourable mentions.
First, to Tesco, for acknowledging that Christmas isn’t all fun and singing and laughter. For many people it’s a tough time, but it can be navigated with the right attitude and support. It’s rare for a Christmas ad to follow the thread of grief, but this was very well done.
Second, to Boots, for their very pointed efforts to include absolutely everyone and anyone. Inclusivity is important for any brand, but even more so for one in the beauty industry, and they have made their stance of ‘we don’t care who you are, if you like beauty, you’re welcome here’ very clear.
Lidl also gets an honourable mention for being the only advert on this list with a charitable message. It’s sweet, and encouraging even children to think of the joy of giving and those less fortunate.
And The Winner Is…
Waitrose!
Who couldn’t love this masterpiece of scripting, direction and filming, packed full of starts that make you say ‘oooh its whatserface and whatshisface! It’s him from Succession, and is that Joe Wilkinson?’ And it even leaves you on a daring cliffhanger. Detective mysteries have always been a mainstay of British culture – from Sherlock Holmes to Poirot, Miss Marple and Inspector Morse. With ‘cosy crime’ dominating the charts thanks to Richard Osman and writers like him, Waitrose have been smart to ride the wave, and have pulled it off perfectly.
It’s safe to say that Waitrose wins the Christmas advert battle on all fronts this year. But which was your favourite?
