The Christmas ads of 2024: A huge sprinkling of magic, escapism and adventure

Christmas is a heightened and intense time for the ad industry. For one, they need to work hard to drive people to spend the lion's share of their Yuletide cash on their clients' brands. On top of that, the media nowadays pays special attention to each new commercial, reviewing and assessing them as if they were mini-movies—which, in many ways, they are.

We at Creative Boom are no exception. For five years now, we've been reviewing the best Christmas ads and helping set them into context for you, the reader, both in terms of how they were created and the social and economic environment they existed in.

Starting with the pandemic-altered festivities of 2020 we then progressed to the cautious optimism of 2021, and the careful navigation of economic challenges in 2022. Then last year in 2023, we saw a shift towards comforting escapism.

In short, Christmas advertising has reflected our collective journey through unprecedented times. And the journey continues in 2024's festive campaigns, the most prominent of which we review below. Then in the second half of our article, we bring you expert industry analysis to unpack the themes, techniques, and cultural significance of this year's advertising landscape.

Argos: Rockstar

While other brands try to make Christmas ads that ape big-budget movies and pull on the heartstrings, Argos wisely sticks to its lane and focuses on the prime task of helping people find presents their loved ones actually want. In recent years, it's done so via its brand mascots, Connie the doll and Trevor the dinosaur, a decidedly British take on children's playthings coming to life—a little less Toy Story, a little more EastEnders.

That doesn't mean there isn't some star power behind the scenes, though. This year's ad is directed by Golden Globe winner Michael Gracey, best known for directing The Greatest Showman. The narrative features Trevor living out his rockstar fantasy, performing T-Rex's 20th Century Boy (renamed 'toy') atop a mountain of Marshall speakers and a roaring crowd. He then awakes in his front room, where Connie gives him his Christmas present: a Bluetooth speaker shaped like a Marshall.

Brought to life through collaboration between T&P agency, ETC animation, and music producer David Kosten, it's got a great, fist-pumping soundtrack and hits all the right notes, both aurally and visually. Ultimately, this ad is not going to change the world or even be remembered past January. But it does do a good job of showcasing the retailer's range of Christmas gifts, and ultimately, that's what ads are for, right?

Sainsbury's: BIG Christmas

With audiences so fragmented these days, how do you make a splash that grabs everyone's attention? For example, two big brands used the brilliant Hannah Waddingham last year, but if you've never watched Ted Lasso or Game of Thrones, the star power may have been entirely lost on you.

This year, Sainsbury's has decided to solve the problem by basing its ad around a children's character everyone has heard of—the Big Friendly Giant from Roald Dahl's classic tale—and teaming him with a Sainsbury's colleague named Sophie in a magical culinary adventure.

The 60-second ad opens with the BFG's infamous snozzcumber before following the unlikely pair as they discover delicious festive foods from Sainsbury's Taste the Difference range. With the BFG seeking to make Christmas more "phizz-whizzing", they explore Sainsbury's trusted suppliers, gathering fresh produce including salmon, Brussels sprouts, and Stilton cheese. It all culminated in a feast laid out in the BFG's dream cave.

Directed by Sam Brown and featuring Stephen Fry's narration alongside a bespoke soundtrack recorded at Abbey Road with a 54-piece orchestra, the campaign extends across multiple channels, including TV, cinema, social media, and digital platforms. The ad reinforces Sainsbury's commitment to 'Good Food for all of us' while partnering with Comic Relief to distribute over five million meals to families experiencing food poverty this Christmas through their Nourish the Nation programme.

ASDA: The Gnome of Christmas

If you want to give people an instant feelgood feeling, choosing a kick-ass song will usually get you most of the way there. And that's exactly what Asda has proved with its 2024 Christmas ad. It's a big budget epic in which the garden gnomes sold by the store come to life, set to the theme tune to 80s action show The A-Team. And this cheesy but evocative score works with the frenzied animation in a way that effortlessly hits home with the viewer.

For its makers, of course, it wasn't effortless at all. Produced by Havas London and directed by Bryan Buckley, the ad took seven months to create and is built from 3,000 hours of animated footage.

The 90-second story follows two Asda employees worried about preparing their store during a snowstorm. They activate a signal that summons gnomes from across the country who help transform the store for Christmas. The ad introduces five main gnome characters: Max the adventurer, Gnicky the drag artist, Gnibbles the chef, Gnarla the surfer, and Gnorma the party planner.

It's not just an ad for the store, but also for the gnomes themselves, which have been a huge hit; selling over 100,000 in the past four Christmas periods. The campaign will appear across multiple channels including TV, social media and in-store displays.

Amazon: Midnight Opus

By now, most right-minded people realise that Amazon is a ruthless, monopolistic, money-making machine. So how do you translate that into a happy, cuddly Christmas message?

Well, in recent years, their ads have run with the idea that because Amazon is so convenient, it allows people to do good and help each other. For instance in last year's Yuletide spot, Joy is Shared, three frail elderly ladies sat on a bench at the top of a snowy hill, and one used her phone to order the other a seat cushion on Amazon.

This year, they've upped the ante with a film titled Midnight Opus, which the company describes as "capturing the spirit of workplace camaraderie and the joy of supporting others' dreams". The 90-second ad tells the story of a theatre janitor whose hidden singing talent is discovered by his colleagues. After overhearing his remarkable voice during his night shift, his coworkers arrange a surprise, transforming their theatre into a performance space and using Amazon to deliver a black tuxedo jacket for his moment in the spotlight.

It's soundtracked to the 1965 Bacharach-David classic What the World Needs Now, which the janitor performs in the culminating scene. Produced by Amazon's internal creative team and production company Hungry Man, the ad will run across multiple European countries through December, with a later launch in North America on 18 November. It will be shown across broadcast TV, video-on-demand, online video, cinema and social channels.

According to Amazon, the campaign aims to "celebrate everyday acts of thoughtfulness and their power to create meaningful moments". Yes, the company may be vigorously opposing attempts by its low-paid workers to unionise right now. But never mind that: look at the happy, smiling people.

Aldi: Kevin the Carrot's Christmas mission

Aldi's Kevin the Carrot is now on his ninth Christmas advertisement, so is he wearing thin yet? For our money, the answer is no, for three reasons.

Firstly, the character is wonderfully simple and appeals to everyone's inner child: who wouldn't like a talking carrot who just wants everyone to be happy? Secondly, the mere sound of Jim Broadbent's voice is enough to send most of us into paroxysms of nostalgia. And thirdly, because the production values on this year's animated epic are off the charts.

The story follows Kevin on a special mission from Santa to rescue the 'Christmas Spirit' from Dr. Humbug and her minions, who have stolen it from a festive village. Alongside his wife Katie, Kevin uses disguises and clever tricks to infiltrate the Humbug Headquarters and restore Christmas cheer.

The campaign, created by McCann, maintains Aldi's tradition of light-hearted entertainment (replete with boob and bum gags the little ones will love) while emphasising their commitment to offering quality food at competitive prices. The advertisement was brought to life through collaboration between McCann, Riff Raff and Psyop.

Boots: The Christmas Makeover

Boots ads often set out to make women feel empowered, and this year's Christmas ad is no exception. It stars Bridgerton actress Adjoa Andoh as Mrs. Claus, who runs a beauty-focused workshop, preparing Christmas gifts with her team of beauty elves, while Santa sleeps. If the feminist message was lost on you, then at the end she says to camera: "And you thought it was all him?"

Directed by Dave Meyers and soundtracked by Eve's song 'Who's That Girl', the ad showcases Boots' extensive beauty product range, featuring brands like Bubble Skincare, e.l.f, Sol de Janeiro, and Laneige. Alongside Adjoa Andoh it also features two renowned beauty social media influencers (here reimagined as "elf-fluencers"), @soph and @snatchedbywill.

The campaign as a whole will include Boots' first-ever targeting of male audiences across podcasts, social, YouTube and creator content. Other notable elements include integration with games like Candy Crush, expanded presence on Reddit, Pinterest, and Snapchat, and new YouTube sponsorships and partnerships.

Lidl: Make Christmas Magical

Caring for others has long been a go-theme of Christmas ads, and here's a decent example from Lidl. It's the work of Oscar-winning director Tom Hooper, best known for the 2010 movie The King's Speech, and weaves together themes of sharing and selflessness through the story of a compassionate young girl.

At the start of the ad, the girl notices a lonely boy watching other children sledging from the sidelines. We then switch to her helping a woman who's dropped her shopping bag, who then tells the girl to "make a wish when the bell rings".

Next, we're whisked to the girl's family home and a scene of Christmas wishes coming true; from giant gingerbread men appearing at doors to sprouts transforming into biscuits and back again. The magic builds to a touching moment when the little girl wishes to share her Lidl woolly hat with the cold boy from earlier.

In truth, though, the first time we watched this ad, it wasn't wholly clear what was going on. The lonely boy only appears for a split-second at the start, and by the time the girl shares the hat with him, you've forgotten who he is. Most people will probably work it out on repeated viewings, though.

And what, you might wonder, does any of this have to do with Lidl? Well the supermarket chain has just launched its Toy Bank scheme, aiming to donate over 100,000 toys to children who might otherwise go without presents this Christmas. So at least there's some meat on the bones there.

M&S Food: Dawn French's Double Act

Everyone loves comic and actress Dawn French, and over the years, she's made no secret of her love of sweet treats. So it seemed a perfect fit when in 2021, she appeared as an animated fairy in a Christmas ad for M&S.

The mid-market retailer has repeated the same trick year on year since, but in 2024 they've changed the game. This time, Dawn appears as herself, talking to her animated doppelganger. The press release describes this as "double the festive magic", although we just felt it was a bit confusing, to be frank.

We also were a little confused by the narrative itself. Dawn French comes home to find the fairy has invited the "near strangers" who live nearby for a party. Dawn panics. The fairy then magically dresses her and conjures up lashings of M&S Food. Problem solved, the dancing ensues. It's all beautifully directed but there's no real story here and you're left with an empty feeling of "what was the point of all that?"

We shouldn't completely rush to judgement, though, because this ad is only the first in a six-part series. Each installment will showcase different aspects of M&S's Christmas food range, from party favourites to show-stopping desserts. And the series will build to a special episode featuring classical singer Katherine Jenkins and a choir, adding an extra sprinkle of star power to the campaign. The next five ads will be titled Gifting (13/11), Party Food (20/11), Big Day (17/12), Dessert (also 17/12) and New Year's Eve (26/12).

M&S Clothing & Home: Christmas Starts Here

M&S's Clothing & Home division takes a very different approach with their own Christmas ad, telling a magical story through a child's eyes. Directed by Emmy nominee Elliot Power, it stars Skylar Blu, who competed as a dancer on Britain's Got Talent last year, as a mischievous young girl who discovers a magical snow globe.

When she tilts it, it transforms her ordinary family gathering into a gravity-defying spectacle as the laws of physics go nuts. Family members dance across walls and ceilings while baubles cascade down stairs, creating a dreamlike celebration of Christmas wonder to the tune of the Jackson Sisters' I Believe in Miracles.

With choreography by Corey Baker, best known for his work on Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, it's all executed brilliantly. And it's a clear sign that sparkly, shimmery clothing is back at M&S, after a few of relative staidness of the recent post-pandemic, recessionary Christmasses.

Waitrose: Sweet Suspicion, A Waitrose Mystery

Most of the Christmas ads this year run to familiar formulas. But Waitrose has decided to go out on a limb, with something a little more unusual; a comedy take on a classic whodunnit.

Sweet Suspicion, A Waitrose Mystery could have been cringeworthy, but thankfully it hits all the right notes and is actually quite funny. That's partly due to the directorial skills of Lucy Forbes, who's best known for helming medical comedy-drama This is Going to Hurt. It also features an impressive ensemble cast including Succession star Matthew Macfadyen, Rakhee Thakrar from EastEnders and Sex Education, comedian Joe Wilkinson, and Fleabag's Sian Clifford.

The story centres around the mysterious disappearance of a posh Waitrose dessert, with Matthew Macfadyen's amateur detective character investigating the crime. As the latter comically interrogates the dinner guests, the ad subtly showcases products across Waitrose's premium Christmas range, from their Reuben Rarebit to Brown Butter Mince Pies with Cognac. This ad is a two-parter, which will conclude in the coming weeks.

Morrisons: The Greatest Show at Home

Last year, Morrisons brought us one of our favourite Christmas ads based on a concept that was both simple and brilliantly original: singing oven gloves. This year they're back and mouthing the words to Give a Little Love from the musical Bugsy Malone.

Created by Leo Burnett and Greatest Showman director Michael Gracey, the ad transforms a family kitchen into a theatrical spectacular, complete with a choir of 26 real-life Morrisons colleagues. The "story", as far as it goes, follows a family preparing their Christmas feast, with the singing oven gloves providing commentary throughout.

It's not deep or clever, but then how many musicals are? This genre is all about providing colourful, feelgood vibes that don't trouble the intellect in any way. And that's exactly what this fun ad provides.

Tesco: Helping Feed Your Christmas Spirit

Tesco's latest Christmas ad, created by BBH London, brings a heartwarming message of togetherness and nostalgia to our screens this season. The three-minute film, titled Feed Your Christmas Spirit, follows the story of Gary, who rekindles his festive joy with help from his grandfather, a pack of Tesco Gingerbread Men, and a nod to cherished family traditions.

The campaign explores how life's ups and downs can impact our holiday spirit, highlighting that traditions, familiar foods, and time with loved ones are key to sustaining it. As Gary's Christmas spirit is ignited, his world transforms into a gingerbread fantasy—complete with gingerbread scooters, a Tesco till, and a snowy gingerbread market square. But his joy wavers as he recalls the absence of his grandmother, with whom he once built gingerbread houses. Inspired by cherished memories, Gary and his grandfather recreate this special tradition, crafting a gingerbread house that becomes a centrepiece of their holiday celebration, symbolising family bonds and festive comfort.

It's another touch of magic to the festive advertising roundup this year. But with a little more weight behind it, as Tesco will donate 10p from each sale of its gingerbread products to Trussell Trust and FareShare, supporting communities in need throughout the season.

John Lewis: The Gifting Hour

And finally, we have John Lewis. It's always the last of the big swingers to release its annual spot, and is therefore often considered to be the star at the top of the Christmas tree. But does this year's offering match up to expectations?

Created by Saatchi & Saatchi and the third in the trilogy this season, the ad celebrates the art of Christmas shopping and is based on the strapline: 'The secret to finding the perfect gift? Knowing where to look'. And, of course, that means John Lewis...and perhaps a dive back into happy memories.

Set to the backdrop of Richard Ashcroft's Sonnet, we meet heroine Sally, who has left it a little late to find the right gift for her sister this year and races into a John Lewis store at closing time. Falling through a rack of dresses, she enters a fantastical world. She then stumbles out of the wardrobe in the attic of her childhood home and from here we are taken on a whimsical journey through her memories as she searches for the ultimate present, against the clock.

John Lewis is renowned for its Christmas ads featuring cover songs. So for an extra twist this year, the retailer is offering aspiring musicians (and indeed anyone who wants to have a go) a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become the next John Lewis cover star. Partnering with BMG and Richard Ashcroft himself, they will launch a nationwide talent search from tomorrow, 15 November, on TikTok via a branded effect on the John Lewis page, using the hashtag #MySonnet.

The lucky winner, chosen by Ashcroft and a panel of judges, will record their own version of Sonnet, to be featured in a special Christmas Day airing of the advert on TV, with the track officially released by BMG and proceeds donated to the Building Happier Futures charity.

The industry verdict

So, which Christmas ads excelled this year, and which ones missed the mark? We asked some big names from the world of branding and advertising to share their opinions.

Kirsty Hathaway, executive creative director at Joan Creative, begins noting an overall theme of 2024. "It feels like telling a longer, episodic story is the direction of this Christmas ad season," she says. "When you think about it, it's kinda crazy we haven't seen this before, given Christmas ads are now hitting on the first of November."

Given how streaming has taught us all to consume our entertainment in multiple episode blocks, this trend is perhaps not surprising. Meanwhile, from the brand's point of view, adds Kirsty, "it provides new opportunities to build personalities of characters, really hone in on specific elements of what they're selling, or create emotional connections with the viewer, without the limitations of cramming this into one 30 second ad."

The most obvious example of this is Dawn French's series of six ads for M&S Food. But it can also be seen in the way characters and scenarios from Christmas ads past keep cropping up again and again this time around.

"I think the search for a recognisable asset is an interesting theme this year," says Cressida Holmes-Smith, CEO of Lucky Generals. "It's like we all finally woke up to the fact that one-off Christmas ideas don't get brand attribution.

"There now seems to be a trend towards building a consistent character, or set of them," she continues. "Kevin the Carrot. The M&S Fairy. Very's Flamingos. Morrison's gloves. TK Maxx's farm animals. The exceptions are the Sainsbury's and Waitrose, where the brand or product is the central 'character' that drives the plot, and the BFG or star-studded cast respectively are guest stars for the year."

Feeling inspired?

None of 2024's ads have attracted the kind of howling derision we saw with, for example, last year's controversial M&S ad Love Thismas (Not Thatmas). At the same time, Colin Montgomery, senior copywriter at The Leith Agency, feels a little uninspired overall.

"So much of this year's output has been Christmas wallpaper," he argues. "As though throwing sparkles, CGI or some celebs at something makes it work. It doesn't. It's like too much prawn mousse ring after a gallon of mulled cider; leaves you feeling out of sorts. As opposed to inspired, entertained or—dare I say it—sold to. After all, we're in advertising to sell stuff. Even if it's a message of hope or awareness."

At the opposite end of the scale, Colin notes how TK Maxx and Very have simply recycled last year's ads for 2024. "This probably nailed the theme for so many punters this year: we're skint and will make do," he says pithily.

James Clarke, head of design at Bandstand, doesn't see a problem with this. "Not only is this a smart move from a consistency perspective, it's also in sync with a nation increasingly tightening their belts," he argues. "In this climate, a splashy, no-expense-spared ad campaign can seem a little tone-deaf. And remember, in the ad world we might like to obsess other this festive bonanza. But in the real world, how many people are actually comparing one year's offering to another? People repurpose Christmas gifts; why not ads?"

However Jon Williams, founder and CEO of The Liberty Guild, believes that the fact brands can get away with recycling just highlights the lack of competition in 2024. "Honestly, with a few notable exceptions, pretty much everyone one could have saved a sleigh full of cash and just run last year's ad," he argues. "Everything feels a bit workmanlike. Going through the motions, like a cracker without a bang. Nothing's really fresh. Same old, same old.

"For the last few years, we've bathed in a post-COVID desire for celebration and togetherness," he continues. "That felt lovely. But now it feels like we've just kind of lost direction. We're marooned. Waiting for New Year to kick off. Pass the humbugs."

Magic over storytelling

For Lara Hallam, junior creative at Dark Horses, the main problem is that: "A lot of the ads seem to be overlooking telling real human stories, instead favouring the use of fictional and animated characters. It's not necessarily a bad thing if there's a creative twist, but a lot of brands seem to have forgotten to make one."

Fellow creative at Dark Horses Hannah Rendell agrees. "There seems to be a shift away from real human stories to lean fully into the bonkers and daft," she argues. "And we're all for the weird and wonderful, as long as it doesn't get repetitive.

"There's definitely a balance to be struck," she adds. "But so far we feel like there's an empty hole where the yearly tearjerker or pure heart-warmer should be. Amazon and Lidl are starting to touch on it, but we're still missing the story that truly hits home."

Zack Gardner, associate creative director at Collective, agrees that magical fantasy has been a major theme of this year's Christmas ads. "It's in multiple titles, hashtags and storylines," he says. "Maybe it's our collective response to how distinctly unmagical the world feels at the moment. But apart from the BFG, it's all magic within reason. Which again is probably an acknowledgement of things like cost of living, climate worries and so on."

But perhaps there's a broader question to be answered here. "Every year, I can't shake the feeling that these ads are made for the industry," says VJ Anand, executive creative director at VaynerMedia EMEA. So even though he personally loves the John Lewis ad, he wonders: "Will the public like it as much? Will the new generation of kids? Crucially, will people remember it?

"In keeping with the Christopher Nolan vibe, we don't actually see the gift," he points out. "It leaves that to our imaginations. The focus is on knowing where to look. Hopefully for John Lewis, enough people believe that is in their store this Christmas."

At the same time, all of the creatives we chatted to were enthusiastic about at least some of the ads. So to round things off on a positive note, here are some of their favourites and why they felt they worked.

The Winners

For James Clarke, he chose O2's Snowing Sims. "Christmas adverts always risk being a little self-indulgent, so it's great to see a company giving something back to customers who need it, as opposed to solely encouraging consumption.

"And this is more than an empty brand gesture; it has a material benefit to people. In execution, it's observed, and in parts touching, without being sentimental. And while those localised snowfalls threatened to tip it into cheesy territory, the reveal that each flake was a SIM card wrestled it back and made for a neat little pay-off."

Learn more in our article about O2's Christmas ad by VCCP offers a solution to data poverty.

Zack Gardner, meanwhile, opted for Waitrose: "Big bucks (fizz) on display here, and it pays off. The cast is great, the theme and format are recognisable but a bit off-beam and there's a cliffhanger too; all while showing the goods in a relevant way. Waitrose has already solved it, even before part two."

Lara Hallam agrees. "Waitrose takes the Christmas-spiced biscuit for me. The two-part murder mystery spoof is a fun and unexpected spin on the usual family stories, especially from a brand like Waitrose. Like a lot of ads this year, it draws heavily on movie references, such as 'Knives Out' and classic Agatha Christies. But it does it best by creating its own spin on a classic."

It was M&S Food's spot that did it for Hannah Rendell this year: "This ad has hit the sweet spot of having a returning element with its fairy, but making it feel fresh by adding a human story. Let's face it, us Brits love the Grinches and Scrooges of the world. It immediately made French's anti-festive character feel warm and relatable, all whilst having us laughing along with her."

But for Jon Williams, Sainsbury's won the top spot of festive ads. "I try to switch off the ad man in my head for these things. And just be a person. It's hard, though. For pure Christmas warmth The Big Friendly Giant from Saino's is great. Festive entertainment wrapped up with a giant pun." Colin Montgomery, meanwhile liked Asda's spot, saying "its gnome pun-fest buttered my parsnips the most. Pithy (gnomic, if you will), raised a smile, and well-made".

Finally, Kirsty Hathaway chose Barbour and its collab with Shaun the Sheep, saying it was an unexpected triumph. "Admittedly, this totally passed me by last year but the campaign is back bigger and better. Featuring Shaun the Sheep and his flock—a family favourite and an instant win—Barbour has leaned into humour to create a memorable ad.

"But they didn’t just stop there, they’ve also made sure to make a real, positive impact by creating limited-edition Shaun the Sheep-inspired jackets, with the proceeds going to Oxfam. And building on their fun and light-hearted campaign, only 20 jackets are available across random Oxfam locations in the UK; a brilliant idea to bring their campaign to life."