Mariah’s busy slipping her sable under the tree this month, so it feels only right on the first day of ‘silly season’ to give my rundown of the Christmas ads that have hit our screens this year…
Aldi
Our orange pal Kevin The Carrot is back – in England, because his family have forgotten him whilst they jet off on their holiday trip to Paris. It’s very reminiscent of one of my all time fave Christmas movies, but my main takeaway from this advert is…how did they get a CGI carrot to look so much like Catherine O’Hara?
ASDA
Staying on the iconic Christmas film theme, ASDA have spliced Will Ferrell as Buddy The Elf into an undisclosed store, where he’s on a trial shift as a seasonal temp. Props to the video editors, because the footage blends seamlessly…but might it have been quicker to just slap ASDA over the actual store in the film, and show a minute and a half of that?
John Lewis
“The Beginner” is about a grown-up man who just can’t quite get to grips with skateboarding. He tries, time and time again; he fails, time and time again and you’re left wondering why a grown man would even think to take up since a ‘youthful’ hobby. But then the doorbell rings and you see why it’s all worth it: because their new foster child, Ellie, nervously stands on the other side, clutching her skateboard.
McDonalds
I love the artistic flair that this little boy threw at his list – there were so many different papers, colours, glitters and mediums on it, he really gave it his all. But, fickle age that he’s at, all of that is forgotten as soon as he bites down into a crispy golden fry.
Lidl
The Lidl Bear Story is cutesy, and a little bit meta: at the end, the narrator says “big hug, tasty food, narrative complete”, which is a Christmas advert brief if ever I’ve heard one!
Marks & Spencer
French is the fairy and Saunders is the duckie, and together they’re plotting a pal’s Christmas. That’s pretty much the story.
Sainsburys
Alison Hammond was a genius casting for this – and I loved the use of ‘bab’ at the end, adding that level of familiarity. I do wonder why they chose a vaguely orchestral version of Teenage Dirtbag as the soundtrack at points, though?
And the award goes to…
I have to say the highly coveted* Belle + James award for best Christmas ad this year goes to John Lewis – I love that they’ve teamed up with Action for Children and Who Cares? Scotland to support children in the care system, and this shines a light on the great work they do and gives a platform for these two amazing charities.
However, generally, I’m putting it out there: I think the festive ads this year are representative of the mood of the nation – poor and a bit disappointing!
What do you think? What’s your fave? Are there any I’ve missed? Let me know!
*It’s not really.
