It’s Not Even December Yet?! Ranking This Year’s Christmas Adverts

What Makes a Great Christmas Advert? A Ranking of This Year’s Best

Christmas adverts are annual brand films released by UK retailers each November to drive festive sales and emotional engagement. The best Christmas adverts combine storytelling, nostalgia, and product placement to cut through the seasonal noise. This guide ranks four of this year’s most-talked-about Christmas adverts — from McDonald’s to John Lewis — so you can see what works and what doesn’t.

Christmas adverts are one of the most competitive arenas in UK advertising. Emotional storytelling is not always the right approach — as McDonald’s discovered after withdrawing a controversial bereavement-themed ad — and simplicity can often outperform ambition.

McDonald’s Christmas Advert: Does Going Back to Basics Work?

McDonald’s Christmas advert “Carrot Stick Christmas” is a return to simplicity after a difficult year for the brand’s festive campaigns. The ad features a young girl saving her last carrot stick for one of Santa’s reindeer, tying the warm storytelling directly to the launch of McDonald’s Christmas menu. After their previous campaign — which depicted a child bereavement storyline — drew widespread complaints and had to be withdrawn, this lighter, gentler approach is a deliberate course correction.

• Simple, child-friendly storyline with broad appeal
• Directly promotes the McDonald’s Christmas menu
• Avoids controversy by steering clear of heavy emotional themes
• Short runtime keeps viewers engaged

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hlfrEzKLMc&t=1s

M&S Christmas Advert: How Did Paddington Bear Become the Most Engaging Ad of the Year?

The M&S Christmas advert “Paddington and the Christmas Visitor” is a tie-in with the theatrical release of Paddington 2. Paddington Bear intercepts a burglar and, in true Paddington fashion, helps him return every stolen item to its rightful owner — saving Christmas through kindness rather than conflict. According to a facial-tracking study, this advert was among the most engaging Christmas ads of the year, outperforming many higher-budget rivals on emotional response.

• Cross-promotional tie-in with Paddington 2 cinema release
• Redemption narrative with wide family appeal
• Ranked among the top Christmas ads for viewer engagement
• Subtle product integration without hard-sell tactics

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

Tesco Christmas Advert: Can a Simple Message About Diversity Stand Out?

The Tesco Christmas advert “Turkey, Every Which Way” is a series of short films celebrating the many ways British families cook their Christmas turkey. Rather than a single emotional narrative, Tesco’s approach emphasises diversity and inclusion — making the point that Christmas looks different for every household, while positioning Tesco as the go-to destination for turkey this festive season. The campaign’s tagline, “Everybody’s welcome,” is timely and straightforward.

1. Launch a series of ads rather than a single hero film, targeting different audiences.
2. Centre each spot on a different way families prepare their Christmas turkey.
3. Reinforce diversity and inclusion as brand values throughout the campaign.
4. Anchor all executions to the same clear tagline: “Everybody’s welcome”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSUkAURUU1I

John Lewis Christmas Advert: Does “Moz the Monster” Live Up to Expectations?

The John Lewis Christmas advert “Moz the Monster” is a two-minute short film following the friendship between a young boy and a monster who lives under his bed. Set to a cover of the Beatles’ Golden Slumbers, the ad sits firmly in the tradition of Christmas storytelling — carrying the idea that the Christmas spirit is powerful enough to transform even the most fearsome characters, echoing figures like Ebenezer Scrooge. The nation has come to expect a tear-jerking Christmas ad from John Lewis, and this year’s entry meets that brief.

• Two-minute runtime allows for genuine narrative development
• Beatles Golden Slumbers cover adds instant emotional resonance
• Classic Christmas transformation story with broad cultural references
• Continues John Lewis’s established tradition of character-led festive films

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jw1Y-zhQURU

Christmas Adverts: Frequently Asked Questions

What makes Christmas adverts effective for brand marketing?

Christmas adverts are effective when they combine a clear emotional narrative with subtle product or brand integration. The strongest examples — such as M&S’s Paddington ad, which According to a facial-tracking study ranked among the most engaging of the year — use storytelling to build brand warmth rather than leading with direct sales messages.

Why did McDonald’s change their Christmas advert approach?

McDonald’s changed their Christmas advert approach after their previous campaign, which depicted a child bereavement storyline, received a high volume of complaints and was withdrawn. Their replacement ad, “Carrot Stick Christmas,” returned to a simpler, lighter tone to rebuild audience goodwill while promoting the McDonald’s Christmas menu.

Which Christmas advert was rated most engaging?

According to a facial-tracking study, M&S’s “Paddington and the Christmas Visitor” was among the most engaging Christmas ads of the year. The Paddington Bear tie-in with the Paddington 2 film release helped the ad score highly on emotional response metrics.

What is the John Lewis Christmas advert tradition?

The John Lewis Christmas advert tradition is a yearly release of a high-production, emotionally driven short film designed to generate national conversation. “Moz the Monster” follows this format with a character-led story, a recognisable music cover, and a classic Christmas transformation theme.

How do Christmas adverts tie into product launches?

Christmas adverts frequently tie into product launches to maximise return on campaign investment. McDonald’s “Carrot Stick Christmas,” for example, was released in conjunction with the rollout of the McDonald’s Christmas menu, linking the emotional storytelling directly to a commercial call to action.