The best (and not so great) Christmas commercials of 2024

About Patrick Severein

Patrick is a marketing and content strategist. Within iO, he is head of content marketing & video in our Utrecht campus.

But above all, Patrick is our CCO: Chief Christmas Officer. Patrick is a real Christmas fanatic, and is only too happy to combine his professional knowledge with his love for the holidays.

For several years now, he has been following and analysing, for Adformatie.nl and others, the various Christmas commercials broadcast on television in the UK, the US and the Netherlands.

Enjoy!

Will we be breaking free of the somewhat restrained atmosphere that dominated Christmas 2023? Will there be more creativity and daring in British Christmas commercials? Or will it be the same old same old all over again? A bit of the latter (and that’s a lot, by the way). Audacious displays of creativity, making mini-movies is a little less common (just look at John Lewis). Which makes commercial sense. And of course, the connection to the brand has to be more pronounced. That was often overlooked in the past. So this year it’s a little safer, more brand/products, but still giving us Christmas to the max. Using tried-and-tested recipes: being together, emotions, snow, a little bit of irony, animals, Christmas trees/baubles/men/tables, gifts, a lost celeb, old songs and above all… joy.

There’s sleighs full of beautiful, emotional, surprising commercials. And there’s enough disappointing, cringe-worthy and dramatic commercials too. Check out my (almost) complete overview of the highs and lows that are 2024’s Christmas commercials. I enjoyed watching them. As always. And hopefully you will too. And yes, it's a lot. Sorry.

The bah-humbug advertisements of 2024

Aldi

First the sour, then the sweet. So I'll start with the biggest disappointments of this year. You can skip over them. Or not, if bitter disappointment is your thing. Let's start with the worst commercial of the year. I was tempted to turn it off. And I never do that with Christmas commercials. That's what Kevin the Carrot brings out in me. Not funny. Boring. Enough. Stop it Aldi!

Morrisons

Singing oven gloves. One year was (a little) fun. Two years is less fun. But Morrisons don't care about that. There is a single positive. 26 Morrisons employees gave their voices to the choir and recorded the song at the legendary Abbey Road Studios. That's kind of fun.

Disney

An octopus stuck on boy's head in the Disney-Commercial. They become friends. Octopus leaves with Santa Claus via Christmas tree. I don't understand it at all. Epic fail of the year.

Very

You can always just wheel last year’s commercial out. Very did this with their pink flamingos.

TK Maxx

And TK Maxx are back on the Festive Farm. What a wasted opportunity.

Dobbies

There's Santa Claus. There’s Christmas trees. Dobbies. Next.

FatFace

Something about giving and family and atmosphere and conviviality. The FatFace commercial in a few key words. That's all you need to know.

Greggs

Greggs (the famous high street baker) with TV cook Nigella Lawson. Who is apparently a huge fan of these ubiquitous pastries. Is it believable? No, not really. I don’t buy it. Forgettable.

Smyths Toys

Kids are hypnotised when they hear the words 'Smyths Toys'. And then they are drawn to the store. Logical. Lacks Christmas spirit. Not very exciting.

Debenhams

Online shopping is 'the best'. That, at least, is the Debenhams message. And to deliver that message, they use stars like Elizabeth Hurley and Ellie Taylor. A supremely mediocre commercial.

British Garden Centers

Hopefully British Garden Centers are good at plants and flowers. Christmas commercials are definitely not their thing.

Michael Hill

Michael Hill put all their budget and creativity into the 2023 commercial. As a result, you are missing nothing if you skip their 2024 efforts.

The National Trust

Yes, it's a good cause. But The National Trust has made a not-so-commercial-commercial in every imaginable way. Mediocre script. A mouse with zero cuteness. Nobody needs this.

Macy's

Alison Brie (Community, GLOW) is Macy's Gift Guide. Far-from-funny-assistant included. She has a lot of gifts. Really, really a lot. So very many. Full stop.

Peter Crouch joins his much more famous and glamorous wife, Abby Clancy for a dose of good old fashioned British humour. With a nod to the Carry On films, the era defining lads mags of the 90’s and noughties, and the master of naughtiness himself, Benny Hill. They certainly understand their market. I suspect it costs a lot of money to make this Agent Provocateur ad look so cheap.

The best of the class of 2024

Etsy

'Where's Wally?' (or Waldo, it depends on the country). Etsy uses the world-famous Wally to make a point. Everyone shouts 'Where's Wally', no one asks 'Who's Wally'. "Only someone you really know can see who you are." Nice message. At last, a beautiful commercial. Beautifully made, great idea, beautiful images, good grading. Really great work.

Deutsche Telekom

'Connections begin when barriers break.' Finally, a Christmas commercial that is in touch with the zeitgeist. It (literally and figuratively) is about connecting, without making it too obvious. With a genuine Christmas atmosphere, a creative storyline, two excellent actors (who want to play together and decide to destroy the snow globes/bubbles they live in). Beautifully shot, this ad from Deutsche Telekom is one of the best of the year.

M&S Clothing & Home

Another snow globe at M&S Clothing & Home. This time it’s Skylar Blu, (from Britain's Got Talent), giving a magical Christmas snow globe a good shake. This is a high energy commercial. With a great song ('I believe in miracles'). And thankfully there was still some snow left at the end.

M&S Food

M&S Food has been performing at a consistently high level for years. And now, with Dawn French again. Not only giving the fairy a voice, but also 'in person'. And she does a really great job. Hilarious. Well acted. Festive. Extra plus for Elton John in the background (Step into Christmas).

O2

Free data for the people who need it most, O2's Christmas campaign. Commercial is nice. The seven-year-old song by Ingrid Michaelson (Snowfall) is a gem. Matching atmosphere. Christmassy enough. Well done (the only negative: those SIM cards that fall from the sky like snow, that's too tacky for me).

The Perfume Shop

I really like the commercial for The Perfume Shop. Not grand and compelling, but very recognisable. Santa Claus works very hard (overcomes small problems such as almost getting spotted, standing on squeaky toys, a barking dog, and a parking ticket), comes home absolutely exhausted to find something waiting for him. A very special gift. From Mrs. C. Aaaaah. Sweet! Nice commercial.

Waitrose

Waitrose goes on the mystery tour with an old-fashioned whodunnit, with a gripping cliffhanger. Starring Matthew Macfadyen (Pride & Prejudice, Succession), Sian Clifford (Fleabag) and Joe Wilkinson (After Life). The Waitrose Red Velvet Bauble Dessert is gone! Was it Grandma? Uncle Phil? Anyone else? Waitrose extends the campaign to the store (including t-shirts) and to new commercials (who did it?). Truly brilliantly acted. 'This isn't a game, it's a crime!' Great creative approach. A little too much focus on food, but that's what all supermarkets do. One of the best ads of 2024.

Ray and Anita are cashing in! 2 Unlimited is in the Lego commercial! Including the introduction of a new superhero – Cataclaws – who will make the whole world play (I’ve already seen it in the window of the Lego shop in Utrecht). Great story, better than last year, traditional and beautifully made.

High level, almost top

Sainsbury's

Sainsbury's plays the nostalgic card, with Roald Dahl's Big Friendly Giant. The good news: they're finally (kinda) back. It's nowhere near the quality of their previous Christmas ads, but it's beautifully made! A little too much product pushing and they’ve over egged the emotion pudding, but other than that it's great.

Football club Chelsea

Football club Chelsea has a promotion (warm clothes for those in need) and makes a very cool Christmas commercial. With entertaining cameos from Madness singer Suggs & Chelsea hero (and Dutchman) Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. And a lot of football stars, like Cole Palmer. Chelsea turns out to be a warm hearted club after all. 'That kid nicked my jacket'. Big question: is the joke scripted or unscripted?

Liverpool

Incidentally, Liverpool have also made one, and it’s embarrassingly bad compared to Chelsea.

Harvey Nichols

Harvey Nichols' ad is just so cool. It could hardly be otherwise when you collaborate with the exhibition 'The World of Tim Burton'. Latest an 11. Story wafer-thin. Slightly predictable but still good.

Boots

Mrs. Claus arranges Christmas for Boots, while Santa sleeps. Mrs. Claus is played by... Adjoa Andoh (Lady Danbury from Bridgerton!). Striking! Great commercial, stylish, but not too stylised (like Dior), nice pace, Christmassy, fitting for Boots.

Amazon

Delicious! Amazon has got the right vibe. Nice, simple story (caretaker turns out to be able to sing, colleagues give him a stage), a bit of emotion, familiar (somewhat chewed-out) music. Innovative? Uh-huh. Brilliant? Neither. Just a good Christmas commercial (although that lip-syncing could have been a little better).

Tesco

Tesco goes full throttle for tears. Construction worker Gary misses Grandma. After a visit to grandpa, everything turns into a gingerbread Christmas world. And Gary is going to party (to forget; we know that, Gary doesn't know that yet). The fake world crumbles (thunders) when he thinks of grandma. He stops running from his emotions and returns to Grandpa, making a gingerbread house, just like in the old days. Classic quality. Well made (real life combo with animation gingerbread). Good song (Gorillaz!). It didn't quite make me cry.

Just good, that's all

Shelter

A little less of a lump in the throat at Shelter this year. Still beautifully made, still an incredibly important subject (homeless children), but I don't feel it. Father and daughter create a magical world, because real life is disappointing. No tears. No lump in the throat. The magic of the Shelter commercials is gone.

John Lewis

Of course, John Lewis' commercial is well made. Without a doubt. But where is the magical Christmas spark? Woman Seeks Gift For Her Sister And Relives Their Shared History In Her Mind. Nice. But it lacks real emotion (I was waiting for that for two minutes). But hey, Richard Ashcroft! For that reason alone, an extra point.

Cadbury

The commercial is nothing special, but the 360 campaign was great. So a spot in the list after all. Cadbury chooses Advent theme. And there are posters all over the country with British Christmas traditions. Recognisable, intimate, familiar.

McDonalds

Lightly. Millions of lights. Sickening lights. Car drives down the street. All the party lights will be switched on. They end at McDonalds. Big compliments for the choice of music (Benny Benassi with Satisfaction), which has nothing whatsoever to do with Christmas, but works extremely well. Commercial is meh.

Carib Beer

Carib Beer opts for a very bad song (I'll be home for Christmas in a Sky Radio version). Other than that, not bad. Bus driver's son comes home unexpectedly. Is delayed, but doesn't want to ruin the surprise. Recruits the whole island to help him to get there on time.

Barbour

A tried-and-tested animation formula returns for Barbour, with Shaun the Sheep. Shivering in the cold while singing Christmas carols. The solution? The warmth of Barbour scarves, of course (and the warm, satisfying glow of gift-giving). Baa-Bour. High quality. Beautifully made. Once again, absolutely brand appropriate.

IGA

IGA does it again with animation. And it worked out well. Two sisters quarrel, reconcile through cooking and eating. Son/nephew gives them a nudge. Aren't those the classic ingredients for a successful commercial?

Dan Murphy's

Short Australian trip with Dan Murphy's (wine and booze), too much fun not to mention. 'Extra bottle for unexpected guests?' Mother thinks about who her son might bring. Nice parenthesis. Simple. Good job.

Yankee Candle

A piece of brand storytelling at its best. Yankee Candle founder Mike Kittredge put together a Christmas present for his mother (a candle) in 1969. A moment he often thinks of. And that is the theme of the 2024 commercial: 'turn moments into memories'.

Kroger

A 1974 classic by America (Lonely People). Yummy. Furthermore, Kroger is going for animation again. Share your food, share your heart. Little boy shares food with lonely neighbour. They all end up together at the table. Fine, but not memorable.

Not good enough (aka mediocrity)

Freemans

Good Christmas atmosphere. Sophie Ellis-Bextor. Nice pace. Also interchangeable, this one from Freemans.

Starbucks

Christmas is chaos! Until... you walk into Starbucks. This mix of animation styles (nicely done!) is rather flat in terms of content.

Argos

What a start! Screaming guitars! Argos rocks this Christmas with '20th Century Boy' by T. Rex (played by... a toy T.Rex...). Other than that, nothing special. But that music!

Lidl

A slight revenge for Lidl UK this year. Nicely made commercial, good casting, nice approach (Christmas wishes). And, of course, the link with the inevitable charity. OK then.

Lidl

But... there's more from Lidl. Holidays are coming... under budget. Includes a Freeway Cola Truck. Precise. A very, big, fat nod to Coca Cola (and more fun than the other Lidl commercial).

Heathrow Airport

The same bears as 6 years ago, now older. They arrive at Heathrow Airport. Oh no, bears turn out to be real people. I don't understand it either.

Greater Anglia

Hello Fart. Christmas lights aren’t working. Family needs to experience some real Christmas spirit. Let's get on the train to London. Travelling with Greater Anglia (public transport company) of course. OK-ish. That's all.

Kohl's

Little boy buys present for teenage sister who ignores him. That's it for Kohl's this year.

Dior

Versailles stars in the Dior commercial. With Anya Taylor Joy (again). Stylish, atmospheric, beautiful décor. Not enough real emotion.

Matalan

A British nod to Matalan. The most wonderful time of the year. Not. Everything that can go wrong, will go wrong. But luckily we can buy stuff from Matalan. Not bad. Not nice either. A little bit in between.

Hobby Lobby

Single woman crafts something Christmassy for single neighbour. Neighbour then crafts something beautiful for neighbour. And it goes on and on. Until they finally ring each other's doorbells and celebrate Christmas together. Neighbours across the street (older couple) looks on happily, they too made things for each other once. Add snow to that and you have the Hobby Lobby Christmas commercial.

A (sometimes unsuccessful) attempt to renew

Urban Outfitters is taking a sentimental journey, especially for Gen-Z. Is it a traditional commercial? Far from it. But that's actually fun. Good pace. Nice music. With a cameo from Dutch icon Miffy.

Asda's

The A-team! With garden gnomes! Need I say more? Driving gnome for Christmas... Shall we just say that Asda's commercial is 'a little different'?

Flannels

The nineties are back at Flannels. 'The party is on'. Dance floor. Hip people. Music. Dance. No Christmas. No Christmas spirit. Not a Christmas commercial.

Who will win the 2024 Christmas commercial race?

You could already read part of the conclusion of 2024 in my intro: a few innovators, a few standouts, a few surprises, a lot of (just) good and a few very mediocre. The British Christmas commercials are generally always at the top level, and it is noticeable that the brand is becoming more and more visible. Time for the winners.

Let's start with the winner of the best Christmas commercial song (who will be the successor to Val Doonican?). As far as I'm concerned, the song of Christmas 2024 is Snowfall by Ingrid Michaelson. What an undiscovered gem! I think I've already listened to it 15 times. I’m putting Benny Benassi at 2, Richard Ashcroft at 3.

Apart from the music, there are also a few other clear winners. I have two personal winners of 2024. The first one is from Etsy. This commercial is great, on all levels. On a creative level. At the brand level. At the production level. Recognisable yet innovative. And my second winner is the one from Deutsche Telekom (just like last year). Very creative and aligned with the brand. Waitrose and M&S Food are also standouts this year. With honorable mentions for Urban Outfitters, Chelsea, Sainsbury's and The Perfume Shop.

I really enjoyed this year’s Christmas ads. But UK Christmas commercials need a disruptor in 2025. Someone to shake it up. One that does things completely differently. And which annoys me to death, because it's not traditional. So that's it. I can’t wait to see what they bring.

Merry Christmas everybody!

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