Table of Contents
Introduction
Today we take a look at our pick for the best Christmas ads of 2025. The criteria isn’t set in stone and is just an overview of what we thought worked the best this year.
Christmas ads are the pinnacle of the year when it comes to marketing. Every year brands collect and pour their best ideas, talents and the biggest budgets into creating the perfect ad, in the hopes that the audience positively connect their Christmas holidays with their brand.
Christmas ads in general are quite a bit different than regular ones that run throughout the year. The role of emotions is amplified in Christmas ads. Since the period is synonymous with family gatherings, coziness of warm winter fireplaces and gifts, they are supposed to hit your right in the feels.
Waitrose “The Perfect gift”
Waitrose’s 2025 Christmas ad stars Keira Knightley and Joe Wilkinson in a charming rom-com about finding love through food.
It features a romantic introduction at a cheese counter and a grand gesture involving a turkey pie. The ad positions food as the ultimate expression of love and celebrates their “home of food lovers” brand image.
The ad was created by Wonderhood Studios, and focused on humour and festive romance, with accompanying bloopers and behind-the-scenes content released as a follow up to the ad’s popularity and warm reception.
This ad works well, because it doesn’t sell the brand as something that it isn’t. You will often find brands creating Christmas ads that try to connect themselves with things that have nothing to do with them.
For a concrete example, look no further than the 2015 Sainsbury’s Christmas advert. The UK supermarket chain produced an animated short film titled “Mog’s Christmas Calamity,” starring a clumsy cat from a classic children’s book series. The heart-warming story about community had no logical connection to selling groceries, yet it perfectly illustrates how brands create festive narratives entirely unrelated to their core business to create an emotional connection with viewers.
While Sainsbury isn’t unique in this (lots of other brands do this) it’s a good comparison to Waitrose considering they’re both supermarket chains.
This is why we really liked Waitrose’s approach this year and why it makes our list for the best christmas ads of 2025. Because they’ve created something people liked AND kept true to what they are.
Morrisons: Year in the Making
Another supermarket chain, Morrisons decided to thank those who make the Christmas spirit and the whole holiday vibe possible.
“A Year in the Making” is a 90 second ad that tells the story of the people at Morrisons who prepare our Christmas food. It shows skill and hard work of farmers, bakers, fishermen, delivery drivers, and their colleagues. All year round, they work behind the scenes at Morrisons factories, farms, and stores to make sure customers have everything they need for their celebrations.
The film ends with a shot of Father Christmas knocking on a door, which then becomes a Morrisons driver delivering a festive shop. It closes with the message: “At Morrisons, we’ve been growing, making, baking and crafting all year long.”
The advertisement finishes with Morrisons’ well-known tagline: “More reasons to shop at Morrisons.” This highlights the company’s ongoing focus on fresh, local, and seasonal products, the dedication of its staff, and the community feeling that defines the holiday season.
The film was created by the agency Leo Burnett UK and directed by Aaron Stoller, who is known for his work on NFL Super Bowl ads and campaigns for brands like Call of Duty. It was produced by Biscuit Filmworks and features a new version of the classic song “Stop the Cavalry” by Jona Lewie.
Morrisons’ Marketing Director, Matt McLellan, stated that the advert “shows the year-round effort behind their festive products”. He emphasized the company’s focus on fresh food, which allows them to prepare for Christmas well in advance.
Mark Elwood, CCO at Leo Burnett UK, added that the advert attempts to show the care and quality that goes into every Morrisons Christmas item.
The campaign was planned and managed by Wavemaker UK and appeared on TV, in cinemas, online, on social media, radio, print, and billboards.
As said about the Waitrose ad, this one works because it tells a true story. Instead of creating a fictional tale, it shows the real work Morrisons does all year.
Barbour x Wallace & Gromit
Barbour is an English luxury and lifestyle brand founded in 1894. It’s famous for its durable, waxed cotton jackets designed for waterproof outdoor use.
It was created by the animation studio Aardman following two years of Christmas ads that featured Shaun the Sheep.
The animated video features Wallace’s new invention, the ‘Gift-o-matic’, wrapped in Barbour’s exclusive ‘Winterberry’ tartan.
In the story, Wallace presents Gromit with the ‘Gift-o-matic’, a machine with settings for gifting, wrapping, unwrapping, and pulling a cracker. After a chaotic cracker pull sends Gromit flying, Wallace gifts him a Barbour tartan scarf. In a twist, Gromit’s gift to Wallace turns out to be the same scarf. The ad ends comically when the machine ‘unwraps’ Wallace himself, leaving him in his underwear and wellies, clutching the scarf for cover. The final caption reads: ‘Barbour, we’ve got Christmas covered’.
Barbour said the film brings a light-hearted charm to their tartans and celebrates themes of generosity. Creator Nick Park stated that Wallace & Gromit’s warmth and humour are a perfect fit for Barbour’s festive storytelling.
As part of the campaign, Barbour is selling a limited run of Wallace & Gromit-inspired wax jackets, with all proceeds going to Oxfam.
We chose this ad because it’s effective and authentic. The warmth and humour of Wallace & Gromit make it instantly likeable, while the story naturally features Barbour’s products in a way that feels true to the brand’s heritage.
John Lewis: Where love lives
The John Lewis “Where Love Lives” ad works because it returns to the simple, emotional formula the brand is famous for, connecting directly with a very relatable human truth.
The ad shows a teenage boy giving his dad a vinyl record of the 90s house song “Where Love Lives” The gift triggers a nostalgic vision that helps the dad reconnect with memories of his son growing up, leading to a wordless and emotional hug.
The core message is clear: “If you can’t find the words, find the gift”. It’s highly effective for two key reasons:
- The ad thoughtfully addresses modern conversations about dad-son relationships and emotional connection.
- Data shows it’s the brand’s most emotionally engaging Christmas ad in years, generating strong feelings of warmth, nostalgia, and joy in viewers.
ASDA: A very merry Grinchmas
This ad works because it tackles a real holiday problem with clever twist. It uses the classic Grinch character, who hates Christmas and frames him as being grumpy about expensive market prices. His mood instantly lifts when he discovers Asda’s more affordable offers, dancing through the aisles to a Christmas song.
It connects by directly addressing the widespread anxiety about Christmas costs, a concern for 70% of families. While centred on budgets, the ad is intentionally upbeat and fun. It’s successful at making viewers feel love and holiday cheer. It’s a masterclass in aligning a character with brand identity; the Grinch’s green colour perfectly matches Asda’s branding.
We’ve included it as a vital counterpoint. Where other ads trade in pure emotion, Asda proves you can be highly effective by providing a practical, real-world solution. It stays completely authentic to the brand’s value proposition (better prices) while using a popular character to create a memorable story.
FAQ
1. What makes a Christmas advert successful?
A successful Christmas ad connects emotionally while staying true to the brand. The best ones, like those in our list, either tap into a genuine human insight (like John Lewis) or offer a real solution to a common festive problem (like ASDA). They avoid feeling like a disconnected, emotional shortcut.
2. Why do brands use famous characters or stories?
Using a well-known character, like The Grinch or Wallace & Gromit, is an efficient way to grab attention and tell a story quickly. It creates an instant emotional link with the audience, which the brand can then connect to its own products or message.
3. What’s the biggest mistake a Christmas ad can make?
The biggest mistake is creating a story that has no logical connection to what the brand actually does or sells. If the emotional heart of the ad feels borrowed from somewhere else, the brand message won’t stick.
4.Why are Christmas ads such a big deal?
They’re a major marketing event. Brands spend millions to capture the festive mood and customer spending.
5. What do all good Christmas ads have in common?
They create a strong emotional feeling, like warmth, joy, or nostalgia, that viewers connect to the brand.
