Grab a hot chocolate, get cozy under a blanket and immerse yourself in this year’s hotly anticipated Christmas ads.
We have some familiar faces making a reappearance this year as well as a very different approach from the heavy hitters. It’s make-or-break season for retailers, so who came out on top this year according to the Rooster team? The scores are in, and here are the highlights. Enjoy!
Asda
Feel good and light-hearted, with gnome puns a plenty. Who knew we needed to see three garden gnomes doing a shimmy over some mince pies! 9/10 (Emma)
I didn’t feel any kind of personal connection to the brand, or the characters/gnomes used in the messaging. With the flood of holiday-themed ads, it just doesn’t stand out as special. 4/10 (Cait)
Funny advert and didn’t make it all too complicated! I’m sure to pop into Asda for some mince pies before I go gnome I MEAN HOME. 6/10 (Charlie)
AVERAGE SCORE: 5.9/10
M&S
Doesn’t feel like it gets into the Christmas spirit enough, way too many muted tones. Did it really have to be that boring and weirdly formal? 4/10 (Emma)
Yes yes yes. They’ve turned a corner with the clothing range this year, and this advert is a real celebration of that success. It’s cinematic, upbeat and makes me want to dress up and get in the festive spirit for sure! 8/10 (Arabella)
A fabulously slick and stylish ad. Totally aligned with M&S’ brand refresh as a cool retailer, which I put to the hiring of Topshop’s former head buyer in 2022. Do yourself a favour and don’t look at the YouTube comments on this – the people of Normal Island (UK) can’t stand anything a bit different! 10/10 (Will)
AVERAGE SCORE: 5.9/10
Disney
I think Disney did a great job of tying the ideas of Christmas and friendship together. It’s long so I would almost consider it a short story rather than an advert and I love the use of ‘Part of Your World’ as the background track. It ties into the messaging really nicely and has a nostalgic element which I personally look for in a Christmas advert. 7/10 (Cait)
A collection of randomly cobbled together Disney references with a first snowfall and a fir tree tagged on at the end posing as a heartwarming Christmas short. However, I’m sure zealous Disney adults will enjoy creating video essays which explain every Easter egg as if they were supposed to be subliminal references. 4/10 (Will)
Classic Disney: “child bonds with cute animal”. Tried and tested and a nice execution here – loved the bobble hat with eyes cut out for the octopus. Full of heartwarming moments and a reminder that you can make a connection with anyone, regardless of who they are or where they’re from. Not sales-y at all either which is always a thumbs up from a PR. 8/10 (Dylan)
AVERAGE SCORE: 6.2/10
M&S Food
I’d say this was reasonably impressive. Absolute icon, Dawn French brings this to life, but I feel like it was cut a bit short. 6/10 (Emma)
Dawn French IRL finally!!! I’d been getting a bit bored of the fairy, so I’m relieved to see this year’s ad going back to basics by reminding everyone of the key message: M&S food is a party-pleaser. It echoes the brilliance of the Vicar of Dibley with random people knocking on her door. Yes, the French fairy still features, but it works. 7/10 (Yaz)
Return of the Dawn French Christmas fairy… Very product-led which I don’t always like but M&S food is hard to resist, and I finished watching wanting an M&S pork pie! 7/10 (Dylan)
AVERAGE SCORE: 7/10
Boots
YES,YES,YES – 10/10. Without a doubt. Did we ever think it was all him….never!!! (Emma)
Something a bit different, felt very modern. I’m sure many people out there will hate it. 8/10 (Annie)
Does a really nice job of tying together pop culture, female empowerment, product placement, and Christmas. 8/10 (Cait)
It seems like major retailers may be intentionally sparking controversy among right-wing audiences to generate media buzz around otherwise unremarkable campaigns. It exposes marginalised stars to harassment and draws unrelated scrutiny, such as the Standard’s references to Adjoa Andoh’s 2023 comments on the King’s coronation. 5/10. (Will)
AVERAGE SCORE: 7.4/10
Sainsbury’s
Are we saying the BFG is food Santa? I LOVE the BFG and I understand the link about “going big” but I think this was a ‘bang, fizz, flop’ for me! 4/10. (Emma)
BFG always creeped me out as a child (still does), so it doesn’t sit well with me. Plus, with how much many households are struggling this Christmas I think the “go big at Christmas” message is a bit tone-deaf. 2/10 (Yaz)
Definitely my favorite of the bunch. The childhood magic of The BFG is so well done, and it tells the story of produce and the community and people behind them beautifully. It also pushes an important message of connection, reminding us all that over this busy and often hectic season to remember that people are at the heart of it. So, I will definitely be making a mental note of the people behind the till at my local supermarkets and saying thank you! 10/10 (Arabella)
AVERAGE SCORE: 5.7/10
Tesco
This one had me SOBBING. So moving yet sensitive. “Feed your Christmas spirit” is the perfect message this year particularly for those struggling, or those that will find Christmas particularly difficult this year. It’s not flashy and doesn’t promote overspending which is difficult to achieve for a retailer. Classily done Tesco, nice one. 10/10 (Yaz)
On the fence with this one. It definitely made me emotional, but nothing made me feel that Tesco was the answer. Just a lot of ginger bread men biscuits, which I could get anywhere. 3/10 (Arabella)
Initially I felt like 3 minutes is very long for an advert, but after watching I understood why. I don’t think you can miss when you attach your advert to the feelings of loss / family but there is an art to doing it any leaving your audience feeling emotional yet still upbeat which I think Tesco nail here, whilst also promoting their product range without it feeling overpowering the sentiment. Love it. 9/10 (Dylan)
AVERAGE SCORE: 7.7/10
Waitrose
Such great storytelling and casting. You’ve got to love a good ol’ whodunit. Love the spin-offs that I’ve seen with the Line of Duty cast, very cool. I’m enjoying the Christmas advert episode trend that started a couple of years ago and seems to be big this year. It’s obviously key with this one to build suspense and a conversation-starter in their social media campaign. Audience interaction has been key with this one also, such as sponsored Instagram story polling for guesses. 10/10 (Yaz)
Excellent, great cast. Out does John Lewis, clearly this is where the partnership budget has been spent… 9/10 (Annie)
Very different to the rest which helps it stand out along with some well-loved actors and comedians featuring. I enjoyed the little narrative however I’m unsure if it served a purpose though and made me want to buy food from Waitrose… 6/10 (Dylan)
When I saw Matthew Macfadyen was in this, I knew it was going to be good. But A TWO PART ALL STAR WHODUNIT THRILLER? Outstanding. Smashed it out the park. Who do people think it is? I think it must just be everyone à la Murder on the Orient Express. 10/10 (Charlie)
AVERAGE SCORE: 8/10
Barbour
Mainly for the Ardman animation but I didn’t really get the tie into the brand and it wouldn’t make me think to shop with Barbour this Christmas. Extra point for the Baa-bour pun though. 6/10 (Eesha)
I had no idea they did Christmas adverts. It doesn’t feel overly in keeping with the Barbour brand. Cute enough, but doesn’t make me want to drop hundreds on a coat 6/10 (Annie)
This is a strange partnership in my opinion. Shaun the sheep feels too low brow for the brand in my opinion, but the commercial came together nicely enough. 5/10 (Cait)
Wasn’t a big fan of this, not the kind of silliness I’d expect from Barbour which is a reasonably high-end clothing brand. I feel their brand is more aligned to human-led, emotion-provoking content and something along these lines would’ve worked better. 3/10 (Dylan)
AVERAGE SCORE: 5.7/10
Lidl
Or should I say Leedel? OK, you got me. Feels like the only one this year that really focused on Christmas giving and not just receiving. 8/10 (Emma)
I like the message with this one and it was heartwarming but it didn’t feel very memorable. 5/10 (Eesha)
It was only on the third watch did I actually follow what was happening. Largely it looks like lots of constipated angry people around a table, rather than people trying to make a wish. As adverts go, it’s too long and a bit all over the place. How many grown women wish for a gigantic gingerbread man outside of their apartment? 2/10 (Arabella)
I like the contrast of those who want and those who give during the holidays. I don’t think either is wrong, but it’s a sweet reminder that kindness is a superpower. 7/10 (Cait)
AVERAGE SCORE: 6.6/10
John Lewis
This is my favourite Christmas advert this year. It made me bawl my eyes out as that bond between sisters / siblings is so special. I also appreciated that they showcased the products really well but not in a pushy way. In my opinion it’s JL getting back to their best when it comes to Christmas ads, heartwarming, seasonal, product related but also with a strong story. 10/10 (Eesha)
This is not to its usual standard in my opinion. Although JL have been getting a bit of a backlash for their recent Christmas ads not being as good as previous one, so perhaps a smart move by them doing something that NO one expected. 2/10 (Annie)
John Lewis always knows how to pull the heart strings – as the only boy growing up with two sisters, I have seen this dynamic firsthand, and they capture it perfectly. The spirit of Christmas is definitely in this one. 9/10 (Dylan)
AVERAGE SCORE: 6.8/10
Aldi
I’ve never been a fan of Kevin the Carrot but ‘fake bottom’ got me this year. Great comedic writing in this one! 6/10 (Yaz)
This advert is fun, but I like that they’ve kept Kevin the Carrot, it makes it memorable and they even have him featuring in their special buy merchandise this year. It was memorable and probably will make me pop to Aldi this Holiday season. 7/10 (Eesha)
Kevin is back, and I am pleased! Great cinematic ad with brilliant characters. But it’s an advert for children, and doesn’t impact my Christmas shopping decisions as it should. 10/10 for creativity, 5/10 for impact. (Arabella)
I like the story vibe of it, but again, the detective, crime, action adventure at Christmas time just isn’t for me. 5/10 (Cait)
AVERAGE SCORE: 6/10
Morrisons
It’s not bad but it’s not very memorable and wouldn’t make me shop at Morrisons. 4/10 (Eesha)
Catchy tune, and they’ve stayed true to their focus on produce. A simple tactic, but one several supermarkets missed a beat on. 8/10 (Arabella)
Random choice of song… however, I don’t hate it. 6/10 (Annie)
I am a huge Bugsy Malone fan, so this is slightly biased! But it brought a smile to my face when I heard those opening chords, and I think it’s a good ad overall! 6/10 (Charlie)
AVERAGE SCORE: 5.2/10
Coca Cola
Eeeesh… AI marketing here we are. So much to unpack here. I wonder how much credit the designers get for creating this through AI? On the one hand it enables Coca Cola to be featured in ‘impossible’ scenarios without paying big bucks for animation or CGI… on the other… I just don’t resonate with it and AI within artistry still gives me the ick. 5/10 (Yaz)
Iconic brand… boring advert felt very generic 3/10 (Annie)
The Coca-Cola polar bear is such a classic and an automatic win in my opinion for the nostalgia and brand tie in CC has developed over the years at Christmas. 9/10 (Cait)
Awful AI slop. With £1.11bn in 2024 half-year profits, Coca-Cola should pay real creatives. 0/10. (Will)
AVERAGE SCORE: 4.5/10
Overall Winner
While Tesco and Boots put up a good fight, Waitrose emerges as Rooster’s best Christmas ad of 2024!
We were blown away by its uniqueness, star-studded cast, and how it left us wanting answers straight away! Luckily, the second part has now been released and the thief has been revealed as… well we’re not going to tell you, watch it for yourself!
