John Lewis and M&S ‘most associated’ with festive ads: The Marketing Week Christmas blog 2025
Welcome to Marketing Week’s Christmas Blog, a place to find all the latest festive advertising news in one place.
16 December: John Lewis and M&S most associated with Christmas advertising, study finds
John Lewis and M&S are the brands most associated with Christmas advertising, with Coca-Cola following closely behind, according to the latest data from brand health tracking platform Tracksuit.
Some 61% of the 7,965 respondents associate John Lewis with Christmas advertising, with M&S scoring the same score. Coca-Cola is in second with a score of 59%, followed by Tesco (44%) and Sainsbury’s (42%).
Aldi follows at 36%, Asda at 35%, Waitrose at 29%, Argos at 27%, Morrisons at 24%, Lidl at 23% and Very at 12%.
When analysed in relation to demographics, the same top three brands dominate Christmas advertising associations. However, within the ‘Boomer’ cohort, Sainsbury’s replaces Coca-Cola in the top three.
Gen Z doesn’t positively over index on any of the brands, yet younger people are more likely to associate Coca-Cola with Christmas advertising.
Millennials are significantly more likely to associate Coca-Cola with festive advertising compared to the national average, with a score of 66%. By contrast, Gen X are more likely to associate M&S and John Lewis (both at 68%) and Coca-Cola (64%).
Females are more likely to associate Aldi with Chirstmas, with a score of 39%, as well as M&S (67%), John Lewis (66%) and Waitrose (29%). Males are significantly more likely to associate Tesco, with a score of 47%.
In terms of income, those who feel comfortable with their financial situation, are significantly more likely to associate Tesco or Waitrose with Christmas, with those who don’t feel financially secure more likely to associate Coca-Cola or Very.
In terms of what people want from Christmas ads, the top three emotions audiences crave are heart-warming (56%), nostalgia (53%), and humour (51%).
Gen Z are significantly more likely to look for excitement (55%), togetherness (48%) and integrity (27%), while Gen X and Boomers are more likely to look for humour, at 54% and 58% respectively.
4 December: Apple’s swap to storytelling leads to highest predicted effectiveness score
Apple’s 2025 Christmas film, ‘A Critter Carol’, has achieved the brand’s highest-ever effectiveness score, earning 5.4 stars from System1, classed as “exceptional” and well above this year’s UK Christmas ad average of 4.5.
System1’s star rating measures predicted long-term brand growth through audience emotion; a score above 5 stars is rare. The film also scores a 1.49 spike rating, signalling strong short-term sales potential which is nearly double that of Apple’s recent, more product-centric work.
The creative, which nods to The Muppet Christmas Carol, follows a band of woodland animals who discover an iPhone 17 Pro in the forest and use it to record a version of Friends by Flight of the Conchords.
“Apple has always been the master of functional, minimal communication, but this new film shows they can do rich, emotional storytelling too,” says Jon Evans, chief customer officer at System1. “No close-up product, no megapixel count, no headline message — just long-form festive storytelling. It’s their strongest holiday ad to date.”
4 December Uswitch uses generative AI to turn speed into strategy for first Christmas ad
Uswitch has launched its first-ever Christmas TV campaign, produced using generative AI. The advert, titled ‘Free Christmas Day Electricity’, promotes an offer giving consumers eight hours of free electricity on Christmas Day if they download the Uswitch app and connect their smart meter.
The campaign, created with production studio Particle6, was developed in just five weeks, with AI used throughout concepting, testing and editing. The result is positioned as both a creative milestone and a practical response to rising household energy costs, which reflects the brand’s wider strategic platform: ‘We Put U First’.
Running across TV, digital and social from 4 to 21 December, the work marks Uswitch’s 25th anniversary and its first major festive brand play.
The decision to adopt AI wasn’t purely technical, the brand says. It was framed as a means of accelerating delivery, testing multiple executions, and adapting the creative more efficiently than a conventional production cycle would allow.
“Using AI let us create an asset quickly and fluidly,” says Charlotte Nunes, brand communications director. “At this time of year people need all the help and savings support they can get. This gesture reinforces the heart of our brand platform: We Put U First.”
3 December: EE extends Christmas platform with real-world endorsement from Lorraine Kelly
EE has expanded its ‘Hosting & Guesting’ Christmas campaign with a PR-led partnership featuring Lorraine Kelly and her daughter, Rosie Smith. The content focuses on how the pair are navigating what EE calls ‘The Great Christmas Shuffle’, the increasingly common reality of splitting time between multiple households during the festive period.
Rather than a new hero film, the activation uses behind-the-scenes lifestyle content to reinforce the central idea of the campaign: connection is now core to how people organise, experience and share Christmas.
Supporting research from EE highlights the scale of the behaviour: 64% of people prioritise staying connected to as many friends and relatives as possible, while 53% say a reliable broadband and mobile network is now as important as having a working oven on Christmas Day. Half of respondents use video calls throughout the period, while travel between celebrations — sometimes over several hours — remains a norm.
“Christmas looks different in every household, but feeling close to the people who matter most is what keeps the season special,” says Kelly Engstrom, brand and marketing communications director at EE. “As plans stretch across several homes, EE’s reliable broadband and mobile network plays an essential role in helping families share the little moments that bring them together.”
2 December: Waitrose extends festive campaign with Gavin and Stacey stars in new mini-series
Waitrose has launched a new festive mini-series to show viewers ‘How to Say It With Food’ this Christmas, starring Gavin and Stacey stars Joanna Page and Mathew Horne.
The new six-part series follows on from its four-minute hero advert, ‘The Perfect Gift’, starring Keira Knightley and Joe Wilkinson, and sees the beloved Gavin and Stacey co-stars answer common Christmas food quandaries.
The episodes also feature a range of Waitrose food, including the No.1 Festive Turkey Pie, No.1 Golden Mince pies with Limoncello, and No.1 Hazelnut Crème Panettone.
The campaign was created by Sophie Crean, with the films directed by duo CHIPS, made of Jonathan Brooks & Mat Laroche. Social cutdowns were produced in-house at Wonderhood Makers.
The first episode launches today (2 December) across Waitrose’s online and social channels, with new episodes dropping every Tuesday and Friday until 19 December.
On the series, Emily Angliss, senior social marketing manager at Waitrose, says it is a “funny compilation of seasonal scenarios” that “inspire our customers to say it with food”.
“As a duo that are synonymous with family, friendship and love at Christmas across the UK, Mathew and Joanna were the perfect fit,” she adds.
2 December: Cartier’s baby panthers save Christmas and revive brand identity
Cartier launched its festive ad campaign two weeks ago, featuring five adorable panthers running around its flagship store in Paris.
The advert highlights Cartier’s brand identity by focusing on the panthers, as the animal is a house code for the brand, with its ‘Panthere’ collections being a key part of its perfume, watches and jewellery lines.
The social ad has earned an exceptional 5.2 star rating with creative effectiveness platform System1, significantly higher than the 2.1 average for luxury brands.
“By refusing to sand down its identity, it has optimised the brand properly. It leads with story and warmth, lets the product sit back, and puts its assets front and centre: the red, the panther, the logo. The panther is real category cut-through, and proof that in luxury, charm and emotion can work as hard as status,” said System1 chief customer officer, Jon Evans.
27 November: Kevin serenades Katie in final part of Aldi’s festive trilogy
In the final part of Kevin and Katie’s wedding saga made with McCann Manchester, Aldi is uplifting viewers’ spirits through a musical finale showing that love is all around.
The festive trilogy so far has seen the pair encounter struggles on the way to their big day – including Kevin’s stag do adventures leading to him getting lost in Lapland. Though he made it back in time for the wedding, and Katie makes her walk down the aisle with the bridesmaids, groomsmen, Cauli Dog and their three children, Jasper, Chantenay, and Baby Carrot, another obstacle is set to get in the way.
Best man Kelvin receives a phone call from the ‘veg-istrar’ who is in ‘a bit of a pickle’, and cannot make the wedding. To lift Katie’s spirits, Kevin breaks out into song with a magical performance, serenading his wife-to-be. The ad ends with the phrase ‘if you love Christmas, you’ll love Aldi’.
Kyrsten Halley, marketing director at Aldi UK, says the grocer is “excited to welcome viewers to celebrate this milestone” and “witness the twists, turns, and triumphs of their final challenge on the path to their happily ever after”.
The campaign has been running with a range of activations. This will also include a social media series where Kevin will ask real life couples for their advice on having a long-lasting relationship.
The final instalment also extends the ITV partnership with another breaking-news-style ‘Tasty Gossip’ TV ad, hosted by TV personality Scarlett Moffatt, and offers additional print and digital activations.
26 November: McDonald’s enlists Grinch for festive ad and menu
McDonald’s festive plans are set to be “sabotaged” by The Grinch, as the fast-food chain launches a themed menu and campaign around the Dr Seuss character.
‘McDonald’s Christmas Grinched’ has been teased since earlier this month, with the campaign itself launching today. The campaign shows The Grinch’s sabotage mission across all channels, including out of home and social.
The campaign is led by a 30-second TV spot, which shows The Grinch plotting to sabotage the menu.
“They will truly despise gherkin seasoning on fries,” the character says.
This sets the stage for the introduction of The Grinch Meal, available this festive season in McDonald’s. Each meal comes with McShaker gherkin-flavoured fries, as well as a pair of odd socks.
Other menu items outside of the meal include a Grumble Pie, a Mischief McFlurry and a Frozen Grinch lemonade.
The campaign will also come to life digitally, including in McDonald’s own app, as well as in map apps like Citymapper, with icons showing The Grinch in McDonald’s restaurants.
24 November: Google Pixel launches ‘Love Actually’ inspired festive ad
This Christmas, Google Pixel is tapping into ‘Love Actually’ for its festive campaign showcasing the Google Pixel 10.
‘It’s Pixel, actually’, developed in partnership with WPP Media Futures Group, stars original ‘Love Actually’ cast members Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Martine McCutcheon.
It harks back to well-loved moments in the film, including Brodie-Sangster’s drum solo, and starts off with the actor sat on the bench featured in the film. The advert highlights Google Pixel 10’s Pro Res Zoom technology in a humorous way to show how the phone can offer cinematic detail in photos.
Eileen Mannion, VP of marketing at Google UK, calls the campaign a “perfect blend of nostalgia, innovation and pure festive joy”. It follows Google search trends data highlighting that ‘Love Actually’ is the most searched Christmas film in UK history, according to data from 31 October and 3 November 2025.
It will run across social, digital and SVOD in the UK and US, featuring a long-form film and different cutdown assets. Social and influencer activations will also run throughout late November and December.
19 November: Molton Brown launches festive campaign in UK airports
Molton Brown is using travel retail as a key outlet for its festive efforts this year, partnering with Avolta-owned World Duty Free.
Its campaign, ‘You know them. We know gifting’, celebrates the human connections and memories that shape Christmas. It looks to spotlight the brand’s services such as gifting consultations and complimentary fragrance bottle engraving at Heathrow terminal five.
The campaign features content creators sharing their festive gifting stories, including Victoria Magrath and Isaac Hudson. It also spotlights the brand’s new festive product range. For travel retail, this includes updated Christmas crackers including miniatures of limited edition products.
Within airports across Manchsester, London, Bristol, Leeds and the East Midlands, ‘beauty stations’ and ‘must have tables’ will showcase the festive range and campaign.
19 November: Centrepoint launches winter installation to highlight youth homelessness
For its Christmas campaign, UK youth homelessness charity Centrepoint has launched a ‘Winter Wanderland’ installation at London’s Outernet. This is to spotlight its prediction that 23,500 young people aged 16-24 are at risk of facing homelessness in England this season.
Close to Winter Wonderland itself, the installation invites passers-by to a typical, festive winter setting, and depicts the stories of young people who have experienced homelessness, showing objects which helped them survive, ranging from a teddy bear to a shirt.
Visitors will be urged to donate or sponsor a room through the charity. Paul Brocklehurst, senior manager of the Centrepoint Helpline, says that “thousands will be reaching out for support this winter because they don’t have that safety or stability”.
17 November – Vodafone brings back its 2024 Christmas ad
Vodafone has relaunched its 2024 Christmas ad, “Connecting you at Christmas,” for 2025 to tap back into nostalgia.
The ad the audience through decades of Christmas moments, showing although our ways of communicating have evolved, the feeling of reaching out to loved ones is still powerful over the festive period.
The multi-channel campaign — spanning TV, radio, YouTube, social media and video on demand — launched on Friday 14 November, starting with social content.
The TV advert will air from 3 December, premiering during the Liverpool vs. Sunderland Premier League fixture, followed by prime spots in the ‘I’m a Celeb’ finale and Gogglebox.
Maria Koutsoudakis, Chief Brand Officer, VodafoneThree said: “The ad struck a powerful chord with audiences last year, reminding us that some stories don’t need retelling – they simply need to be shared again. By bringing it back, we’re honouring a nostalgic, heartfelt narrative we hope will bring joy once again to people across the UK.”
12 November – EE’s first Christmas campaign grounds connection in reality
EE has launched its first Christmas campaign ‘Hosting & Guesting’ focused on the fact many families attempt multiple Christmases in one day.
Created by Publicis Groupe UK’s cross-agency team, the 105-second film, ‘Christmas Double’ follows a mother managing two family visits in one day. Think motorway calls, broadband-fuelled chaos and a brief, quietly observed moment of inclusion when a child signs ‘Merry Christmas’ to his cousin who is hard of hearing.
As they brave the roads, the mum uses EE’s mobile network to locate the house using maps, while the young boy video calls his Nana in the back seat.
The film launched via a 30-second spot on 12 November, followed by a 60-second edit on 14 November during ITV’s Coronation Street and the Big Brother Final on ITV2. The 60-second film is supported by two 30-second spots, as well as cinema, radio, online video, OOH, DOOH and social.
DOOH and OOH creative showcase two Christmas Days – one hosting, one guesting – in a split screen format with contextual audio tailored to different environments and travel periods to reflect festive journeys. There are also custom festive billboards across London, Birmingham and Manchester aimed at bringing the campaign to life.
Sitting across Meta, TikTok, YouTube, Reddit and Pinterest, the social activity will follow the same transition between hosting, guesting and gifting using 30-second spots.
“Our new campaign shows how EE does more to keep everyone connected across the Christmas period; whether hosting friends and family, or travelling the country to visit loved ones, the speed, reliability and power of EE’s mobile network and broadband technology mean our customers can make the most of the magical festive chaos,” says EE brand and marketing communications director, Kelly Engstrom.
12 November – The Big Issue turns the lens on disconnection
The Big Issue’s 2025 festive campaign ‘Issues We Face’ was filmed in a single take on London’s Oxford Street.
The creative tells the stories of three real vendors, who share the relatable life circumstances that led to them selling the magazine – told as shoppers pass by barely noticing them.
The film ends with a voiceover from Big Issue ambassador Christopher Eccleston, urging the public to stop and talk to vendors as well as support them, if they can.
The campaign is based on research from global insights agency Kokoro, revealing a steady erosion of social interaction. Some 63% of respondents believe people engage less with strangers than they used to, while 54% of Big Issue vendor approaches are ignored. The call to action is direct — Stop, talk and support.
“This film shows how easy it can be to fall on hard times and reminds us of the importance of human connection, especially at Christmas,” says acting marketing director at the Big Issue, Jack Humphreys.
“Our vendors show up every day, often in cold and wet conditions, to earn an income with honesty, energy and resilience. We’re incredibly grateful to them for sharing their stories so openly in this film.”
11 November – The Perfume Shop finds warmth in familiar tension
The Perfume Shop’s new Christmas film from Trouble Maker builds on its ‘Merry Spritzmas’ platform with a story about difference and reconciliation.
Taking light inspiration from the film Wicked, the spot follows a mother and teenage daughter who only find common ground when a gift – perfume – bridges the gap between them.
“This year’s Christmas advert beautifully highlights the power of perfume as the ultimate Christmas gift and its ability to create meaningful connections with our loved ones,” says The Perfume Shop customer director, Karen Harris.
“It also serves as a heartwarming reminder that our dedicated perfume experts are here to help you discover the perfect scent for any occasion.”
The campaign spans TikTok, Meta, YouTube, Snapchat, display and connected TV.
10 November: Sky draws on ‘iconic’ movie moments in festive campaign
Sky is celebrating the “timeless joy” of festive films this Christmas with the launch of its 2025 Christmas campaign to support Sky Cinema’s ongoing partnership with Vue.
At the heart of the campaign is ‘The Little Girl’, inspired by iconic movie moments from classics like Elf, The Holiday and Wicked. The advert follows a young girl, who, moved by the magic of Sky’s festive film line-up, finds the courage to invite a friend to the cinema.
The ad is supported by a large-scale campaign, including OOH advertising across the UK, complementary clip-based AV spots alongside radio, digital and social.
This year’s campaign builds on the success of Sky’s 2024 ‘Movies Make Christmas’ campaign, which also celebrated the power of iconic movie moments. The advert was subsequently included in System 1’s top ten Christmas adverts with a 5.9-star score and helped to drive uplift in brand consideration and demand for Sky.
7 November: Kevin the Carrot sees stag do drama in part two of Aldi’s Christmas trilogy
Following Kevin the Carrot’s proposal to girlfriend Katie in its initial teaser, the second part of Aldi’s Christmas trilogy, developed with McCann, shows the duo’s stag and hen dos ahead of the big day.
The 50-second advert shows Kevin getting lost on his stag do and finding himself strapped to the North Pole in nothing but a mankini. At the same time, Katie is seen at the spa on her hen do, and is serene until best man Kelvin phones her to inform her it has gone “pear-shaped”.
The humorous film shows the stags frantically retracing their steps to find the groom, and getting a lift on the Christmas Express to make it to the wedding in time. All will be revealed as to whether Kevin makes it back in time in the third and final film.
This year marks 10 years of Aldi using Kevin as its festive brand mascot. The adverts are supported by a wider integrated campaign, including a number of ad takeovers across ITV, Channel 4, and Sky Media, as well as DOOH roadblocks with Bauer during peak hours.
7 November: O2 spotlights shared experiences with Priority in Christmas campaign
O2’s ‘Give Time’ campaign, made in partnership with VCCP, focuses on the shared experiences its customers can gain from being Priority members this Christmas.
The ‘Feel It All’ advert follows a family over the course of a year from Christmas to Christmas as they share experiences together, from theatre shows to concerts to ice-skating, and the emotions that they feel during the process.
The integrated campaign will involve an in-person experiential activation in Leeds, and will also run nationwide across various channels, including out-of-home, TV, social media and cinema. Over the campaign period, O2 will also be giving away thousands of experiences and rewards to customers via Priority.
The advert was based on research from O2 finding 40% of people prefer experiences to physical gifts at Christmas – rising to 55% for millennials and 53% for Gen Z.
“This Christmas, we wanted to go beyond the usual festive gifting story and remind people that the best gifts aren’t wrapped – they’re experienced, together. Whether it’s a concert, a weekend away or a simple shared moment, those memories last long after Christmas Day and our customers can find thousands of them on Priority,” said Rachel Swift, director of brand and advertising at Virgin Media O2.
6 November: Barbour teams up with Aardman again
English fashion brand Barbour has teamed up with famous stop-motion animation studio Aardman for a third year, this time deploying Wallace and Gromit in its festive ad.
For the last two years, Barbour has used Aardman’s Shaun the Sheep in its Christmas ads, but this year it is teaming up with Wallace and Gromit. The ad introduces Wallace’s latest invention “the Gift-o-Matic”, which is a tartan-wrapped robot designed to make gifting effortless, the machine can gift, wrap, unwrap and even pull a cracker.
The creative is designed to shine a light on Barbour’s tartan, something that has taken centre stage in its recent brand campaign ‘Ode to Ayrshire’ and which the brand made sure continued to be centred here.
The ad sees Wallace and Gromit each gift each other a Barbour tartan scarf. However, in true Wallace and Gromit style, Wallace’s invention goes awry, accidentally “unwrapping” more than a gift, but its inventor himself, leaving him clad in just his new tartan scarf.
Barbour has also created a limited-edition run of re-loved Wallace and Gromit inspired wax jackets, with all proceeds going to Oxfam, to accompany the campaign.
5 November: John Lewis achieves ‘exceptional’ brand building score on System1
John Lewis & Partners has achieved an “exceptional” brand building score on System1 with its festive campaign, its highest since 2019.
System1’s ‘Test Your Ad’ platform predicts the brand building potential of advertising by assessing emotional reactions. The platform scores ads out of a maximum 5.9 stars for brand building potential, with anything over five being deemed “exceptional”.
John Lewis is famous for its Christmas advertising, with the likes of ‘Monty the Penguin’ (2014) and ‘Excitable Edgar’ (2019) among some of the most memorable festive ads. While these ads both broke the five-star barrier, John Lewis’s efforts have not consistently scored well.
This year’s ad, ‘Where Love Lives’, scored 5.1 stars, according to System1’s platform. The 2025 campaign, created with Saatchi & Saatchi, is the first time John Lewis has produced an ad that has scored five stars or above since 2019’s Excitable Edgar.
Last year’s ad, ‘The Gifting Hour’ achieved 4.6 stars, while the year before ‘Snapper’ scored 3.6. In 2022, ‘The Beginner’ scored 3.3 stars on System1’s effectiveness scale. In 2021, ‘The Unexpected Guest’ achieved 3.1 stars. In 2020, the brand scored 4.4 stars with animated montage ‘Give A Little Love’.
Whether the 5.1 star rating for Where Love Lives will be enough to put the brand in System1’s top Christmas ads for this year remains to be seen. Last year six ads scored the highest possible brand building rating of 5.9 stars, demonstrating the level of competition during the festive season.
READ MORE ABOUT THE JOHN LEWIS 2025 CHRISTMAS AD HERE
5 November: Greene King enlists Greene Santa
Pub chain Greene King is celebrating shift workers this Christmas, as it puts Santa Claus back in his original green garb.
The brand is pledging to serve thousands of free meals to people working shifts on Christmas Day through its alternative festive celebration ‘The Big Christmas Shift’. There will be plenty of workers across the UK who must work Christmas Day; from nurses to chefs, delivery drivers and carers.
The festive advert is filmed and set in Bury St Edmunds, where the Greene King brewery has been crafting beers since 1799. The ad invites Santa, who Greene King terms “the original festive shift worker”, to launch the initiative.
In line with its brand colours, Greene King is also putting Santa back in his original green outfit. Santa Claus has only consistently worn red in the last 100 years and is said to have worn green in the 17th and 18th centuries.
“It’s time to celebrate people who don’t just work at Christmas, but who make Christmas work,” says Santa in the ad.
4 November: Arsenal FC launches first Christmas campaign
Arsenal FC is looking to score this festive season as it reveals its first-ever Christmas campaign, ‘Make Arsenal Dreams Come True This Christmas’, to the soundtrack of ‘Our Day Will Come’ by Amy Winehouse.
The ad follows the journey of a young Arsenal fan who finds himself locked in the club’s store after closing time, before enjoying an “unforgettable” night at the Emirates.
From holding a press conference to exploring the hospitality suites and scoring a goal on the pitch, the boy makes the most of his time at the stadium before falling asleep in the home changing room. When he wakes up, his hero Bukayo Saka is stood in front of him.
The ad supports Arsenal’s festive retail offering launch, which includes Christmas jumpers and scarves. To “make some Arsenal dreams come true” this festive season, the club is continuing to make some men’s team tickets available to the local community for free.
4 November: NSPCC highlights the sad reality too many children face at Christmas
NSPCC is breaking an unsettling truth this festive period that, for many children, Christmas can be the most dangerous time of year.
The advert, made in partnership with GOOD Agency, is inspired by the true story of a young woman who was abused by her father, and follows the staggering stat that, last winter, almost 3,000 children contacted Childline about abuse.
The emotive advert features ‘Ring Christmas Bells’, sung by Finchley Children’s Music Group, who also appear in the film, with the protagonist, Sarah, saying ‘ring, ring’ throughout as a comfort. The advert ends with her ringing Childline after returning home for the school’s winter break, to escape her abusive father.
The campaign will feature out-of-home, radio, email and social, with 30 and 60 second cutdowns.
Caroline Appleton, head of individual supporters at NSPCC, said the brand hopes to “not only shine a light on the dangers some children face at Christmas” but also “inspire much needed financial support from the public” as it brings together “brand and response in such a compelling way”.
4 November: Morrisons shows the journey to Christmas in heart-warming ad
Morrisons’ ‘Making More of Christmas’ 90 second advert captures the story of the retailer’s colleagues, farmers and food makers on the year long journey to making Christmas special for customers across the country.
In line with upcoming LHF changes, Morrisons focussed less on the range of food available, and more on the work going on behind the scenes to bring the grocer to life for the festive period.
The film, directed by Aaron Stoller and made by creative agency Leo UK, builds upon Morrisons’ recent campaigns demonstrating the quality of its food, with the advert closing on the line “At Morrisons, we’ve been growing, making, baking and crafting all year long”, before the well-known tagline “More reasons to shop at Morrisons”.
According to Matt McLellan, Morrisons group customer, data and marketing director, the advert highlights the grocer’s “unique capabilities” in fresh food.
The marketing mix for the campaign includes TV, cinema, digital, social, radio, print and outdoor, with a series of shorter edits rolling out across November and December.
4 November: Lego brings play back to life for Christmas
In an advert representing a playful twist on Lionel Richie’s ‘Hello’, Lego’s ‘Is it Play You’re Looking For?’ holiday campaign looks at the magic of creative play for families.
The advert follows 12-year-old Eddie, who’s forgotten how to play until an army of Lego figures from across the brand’s ranges with Star Wars, Wicked and more bring fun back to life for him and his sister, and guide him to enjoy Christmas with his family.
The advert, directed by Steve Ayson and produced by Our Lego Agency, features over 97,000 Lego bricks and 220 animated minifigures. It also features the brand-new Lego holiday choir, backing the advert with humorous lyrics.
It coincides with Lego’s annual Build to Give initiative, encouraging people to build a heart out of Lego bricks and share with #BuildToGive, with the initiative also bringing the gift of play to children in hospitals, children’s homes, and vulnerable communities worldwide. Since 2017, the initiative has reached more than 11.2 million children.
4 November: Boots brings a dose of magic to the festive season
Boots is highlighting the power of gifting and the in-store experience in its beauty-based Christmas campaign, developed in collaboration with WPP agency The Pharm.
Using the beloved ‘Puss in Boots’ character as its protagonist who seeks gifts for his fairytale friends in-store, the retailer is looking to “spark joy and nostalgia, set against a really modern and fresh Boots environment”, according to its interim marketing director, Laura Gooday, who has taken a fully integrated approach to this year’s campaign.
3 November: Coca-Cola launches new AI version of ‘Holidays Are Coming’
Last year, Coca-Cola made headlines when it created an AI version of its classic ‘Holidays Are Coming’ festive ad, which then ran on TV over the Christmas season.
This year, it has had another run at creating an AI version of the 1995 ad. Indeed, it has created two versions of the ad, with one exclusively for the US market. Coca-Cola says the new ads “push the boundaries of technical precision, cinematic storytelling and production quality”.
3 November: Lidl reflects on the power of Christmas to bring people together
Lidl has reiterated the roots of what makes Christmas magical in its 2025 festive campaign.
The advert looks at gift giving and the meaning of Christmas through a child’s eyes, and the joy of sharing during the festive period. A little girl watches the world around her, wondering why people love Christmas so much, and acknowledges how the festive period brings people together.
Joanna Gomer, marketing director at Lidl GB, said the advert “shows how wonderful the festive season is and challenges us all to bring that spirit every day”, as, everyday, the retailer makes “customers’ lives a little bit better by delivering the best quality products at market-leading prices”.
The advert coincides with the return of Lidl’s Toy Bank scheme in stores nationwide, which has seen over 250,000 gifts donated since its launch, and is running till 15 December.
3 November: Dawn French returns to celebrate Christmas with M&S Food
M&S Food is bringing back Dawn French for a fifth year as the brand’s Christmas fairy, in an ad which sees the fairy transform an M&S delivery truck into the ultimate Christmas party.
For a second consecutive year, French also appears as herself to showcase a spread of M&S Christmas dishes, including handmade paella bites with black tiger prawns and chip and pea bites.
In the advert, French is stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic as she begins singing along to the Chris Rea Christmas classic ‘Driving Home For Christmas’, before her fairy alter-ego turns a food truck into a party, filled with M&S Food dishes and invites those stuck in traffic to join.
The ad ends with a special cameo from chef Tom Kerridge, marking his on-screen M&S Food Christmas debut.
System1 rated the M&S Christmas advert 5.9 stars for the past two years running, placing it in the top 1% of all UK ads ever tested, and Kantar named it ‘Best New Ad’ of 2024.
3 November: Schuh celebrates the power gifting and nostalgia at Christmas
Schuh is tapping into nostalgia with its latest Christmas campaign, inspired by Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and directed by Henry Dean.
‘Past, Present(s), Future’ features a protagonist, Cazzie, feeling unbothered about Christmas, and then transported into the festive spirit once encountered with happy memories about being gifted shoes throughout the years, brought to her by spirit guide, Marley.
The advert is part of a 360 marketing campaign, forming a segment of the retailer’s wider ‘Same But Different’ creative platform which launched in November 2024. The 30 second advert is live across social channels, and will be on broadcast channels from 10 November.
As well as broadcast and subscription services, it will run across YouTube, YouTube Shorts, VEVO, Reddit, Twitch and socials. The brand is also running strategic podcast sponsorships, connecting with Gen Z and family audiences through tie-ups with Saving Grace, The Girls Bathroom, and Parenting Hell, all ranked within Spotify’s Top 100.
There will also be an out-of-home activation in Manchester and creator-led storytelling.
3 November: Shelter spotlights families in temporary accommodation
Homelessness charity Shelter is putting a spotlight on families trapped in temporary accommodation this Christmas in its festive ad.
‘Earworm’ features a schoolboy as its protagonist, who is shown humming the tune to Bonnie Tyler’s classic hit ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ throughout his day. Later he ramps it up and is shown belting the song, both in the school loos and in the canteen in front of classmates.
The ad has a heart breaking twist, with the boy eventually shown returning home (still singing the Bonnie Tyler song), when the reason he has got the tune stuck in his head is revealed. His mum is shown on speakerphone to accommodation services, with the hold song being Total Eclipse of the Heart.
This is designed to show the immense frustration of families stuck in temporary accommodation trying to leave their circumstances. Shelter estimates this year a total of 84,240 families in England will wake up on Christmas Day in insecure temporary accommodation. These can often be small hotels and B&Bs, where families are cramped into unsuitable quarters.
Shelter and its creative agency Don’t Panic worked with people who have lived experience of temporary accommodation in order to present the reality of what families are facing this festive season.
The film was directed by Michael Gracey, award-winning director of global smash hit ‘The Greatest Showman’ and recent Robbie Williams biopic ‘Better Man’.
2 November: Sainsbury’s brings back the BFG
Sainsbury’s is bringing the BFG back for Christmas 2025 in an advert focused on helping others over the festive season. The ad continues the BFG campaign, part of Sainsbury’s long-standing creative platform ‘Good Food for All of Us’.
The campaign, created in partnership with New Commercial Arts, shows real-life Sainsbury’s colleague Annie helping the BFG on a mission to capture a 48-foot hungry giant who has just devoured all the Christmas food inside the supermarket’s delivery van.
1 November: Argos aims to be seen as more than just toys
Many people will have fond childhood memories of leafing through the Argos catalogue and looking at toys to put on their Christmas list. However, the retailer is keen to emphasise it’s a gifting destination for more than just toys in its 2025 festive campaign.
The campaign sees the return of Argos brand mascots Connie the doll and Trevor the dinosaur, in the retailer’s latest iteration of its ‘There’s More to Argos’ platform, running since 2023.
This Christmas, the brand mascots are joined by actor Simon Bird, known for roles in The Inbetweeners and Friday Night Dinner.
The hero ad sees Bird’s character, Tom, doing some last minute shopping and wondering where to get a gift for his sister. He dismisses Argos stating that it “Only sells toys”. The scene is gatecrashed by Connie and Trevor, who threaten to teach Tom “a lesson”.
That “lesson” sees Tom being persuaded to drive into a warehouse, with Connie and Trevor saying he’ll “get what [he] deserves”. That turns out to be a warehouse full of Argos gifts, from coffee machines to headphones. In the end Tom comes to the revelation that “There is more to Argos”.
The campaign was developed with Argos’s creative agency T&P. The creative aims to shift perceptions of the brand to make customers better aware of the range of premium products it sells.
1 November: Asda recruits the Grinch
Asda is putting the Grinch at the heart of its 2025 festive campaign, as the supermarket reflects on a year of resets and ‘rolling back’ to its roots.
The Grinch’s starring role in the Asda ad coincides with the 25th anniversary of the animated film – and as the brand says, his fur is the “right shade of green” to reflect the Asda colours. The creative is set to a bespoke rendition of ‘Let It Snow’.
The advert follows the Grinch in the family – the dad – who as he goes around the store and sees items from Asda and George discovers the magic of Christmas at a good price, eventually turning back into his ‘normal self’.
31 October: M&S clothing and home ditches hero ad for ‘mini content drops’
Marks & Spencer says it wants to take a “more modern and more relevant” approach to its 2025 clothing and home Christmas campaign, switching from a single hero ad to a series of “mini content drops”.
Live from October to December, the short films focus on different aspects of the festive season, from hosting to gift giving. The idea is to meet customers “where they are”, the retailer explains, whether that’s through social, streaming or in-person shopping.
30 October: Debenhams enlists celebs for festive campaign
Online department store Debenhams has enlisted the help of celebrities for its Christmas campaign, with the aim of positioning the retailer as “Britain’s online destination for effortless festive shopping”.
The ‘Debenhams Delivered’ campaign features presenter, podcaster and former Love Island star Olivia Attwood, former footballer, podcast host and pundit Peter Crouch, and comedian and presenter Judi Love. The celebrities feature in a Christmas parade, showcasing Debenhams’ products across different categories, from shoes to electronics.
“This year’s ‘Debenhams Delivered’ campaign captures the moment when the magic of Christmas quite literally lands on your doorstep,” says Debenhams Group CEO Dan Finley.
The campaign was produced by independent creative agency Exposure. It’s a multichannel campaign spanning broadcast TV, streaming services, out-of-home, radio, digital, social media and press. Key placements will include placements during ‘Wicked: For Good’ in cinemas and an Oxford Circus takeover.
14 October: Not On The High Street spotlights customer gifting stories
Online marketplace Not On The High Street is choosing to highlight customer gifting stories in its Christmas campaign ‘With Love’.
The campaign features a collection of films positioning Not On The High Street as the home of gifts the recipient will love.
Each ad features a voice message from a recipient of a gift from the retailer, thanking the giver. The three stories feature authentic camera roll footage and show the meaning behind each gift chosen.
The campaign was created in-house by Not On The High Street and will go live on video-on-demand channels from 8 November. The campaign will also run on YouTube, paid social channels and through Not On The High Street’s owned ecosystem, including on its website and CRM.
Not On The High Street brand and creative director, Rachel Wells, says the campaign highlights gifts “created with real care and genuine love”.
“It’s a powerful reminder that behind every Not On The High Street gift is real person, from a small business, making their product with the utmost love, care and attention – something you definitely won’t get from every other cookie cutter high street retailer this Christmas,” she says.
