Our top 10 Christmas ads of 2019 (so far)
Dig out that festive jumper, dust off the light-up reindeer and get sharpening the Turkey knives, the Christmas ads have arrived!
November marks the beginning of the Christmas season in Adland, and what a start to the month it’s been! Like snowflakes, once one falls, they all begin to arrive in a flurry.
While the John Lewis ad hasn’t made an appearance just yet, there’s plenty to keep us entertained so far.
In this week’s top 10, you’ll see the return of the Queen of Christmas herself, and the resurrection of the ‘Book of Dreams’.
Also, keep an eye out for the return of everyone’s favourite animated carrot and a new animation from The Snowman’s Raymond Briggs.
We’re running all these ads, as well as the new one from John Lewis, through our emotional targeting and testing tool, UnrulyEQ to see what emotions they evoke. Keep an eye out for the results and our ranking of the most emotional Christmas ads of 2019.
Enjoy!
1 – Very – Get More Out of Giving
First up on our list is an ad from online retailer Very. It follows its animation style from previous years and features a street coming together at Christmas. The backing track is performed by a Margate-based choir that was set up to bring people together from the community. The ad also includes characters from past Very Christmas ads. Do you recognise them all?
2 – Argos – The Book of Dreams
Imaginary drum sticks at the ready! Argos’ latest spot is the first time the retailer has used a Christmas ad to promote its catalogue (renamed ‘The Book of Dreams’) in 10 years! Back before the age of internet shopping, for many kids the Argos catalogue signalled the start of Christmas. It’s great to see Argos returning to its roots with a nod to Christmases of yesteryear.
Fun fact: The phrase ‘The Book of Dreams’ was coined for the catalogue by comedian Bill Bailey, who features in Argos’ Christmas social campaign.
3 – Amazon – Holiday 2019
Amazon this year continues its singing boxes theme from last year’s Christmas ad. This time around, however, the ad follows an Amazon worker’s journey while delivering boxes for Christmas and then coming home to her kids. This ad seems to have gone down well with audiences, with The Sun labelling it ‘the best ad seen on TV so far’.
4 – Walkers – All Mariah Carey wants this Xmas
Snack brand Walkers this year replaces Gary Lineker with the queen of Christmas herself, Mariah Carey. The ad shows Mariah on set filming for a festive video. During the break, she gets into a fight with an elf over (you guessed it) a bag of Walkers!
Fun fact: Mariah was apparently paid $11 million to star in the ad.
5 – Asda – Let’s Make Christmas Extra Special
Following on from the success of last year’s ad, Asda has chosen to use another young girl as their protagonist. But this time around they’ve swapped out the comedic stampede for a moving story. With the help of her grandad’s walking stick, the girl catches and shares Christmas magic with her neighbours.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZnSLNld5Mc
6 – Iceland – #MagicOfFrozen
Iceland teamed up with Disney’s ‘Frozen 2’ — expected one of the biggest films of the holidays — for its festive fare this year. The ad focuses on the Christmas meal, and how you can get everything you need for the perfect lunch from Iceland. Someone needs a pat on the back for the clever-yet-cheesy tagline, ‘Discover the magic of Frozen this Christmas’.
7 – Visa – #WhereYouShopMatters
Visa has carried on its #WhereYouShopMatters campaign with an ad that shines a light on independent high street retailers. Following on from the success of last year’s ad — which featured independent shopkeepers singing along to Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You — its ad this time shows shopkeepers warbling along to Queen’s ‘Somebody to Love’.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=158H4tam4aY
8 – Aldi – Christmas Launch Advert 2019
In the UK, Aldi’s Kevin the Carrot has become the unofficial mascot of Christmas. And this year he returns in his biggest adventure yet. If you’ve ever wondered what Peaky Blinders characters would look like as sprouts and what Robbie Williams would look like as a singing carrot, wonder no more…
9 – eBay – #HolidayChill
This clever ad from eBay, which came out in September, plays on the fact that Christmas arrives earlier and earlier each year. The ad is called ‘Christmas Creep’, which for those of you not sure is a term used when retailers introduce their Christmas merchandise early.
10 – Barbour – 125 Years of Blooming Barbour Christmases
The king of Christmas animation, Raymond Briggs, returns and swaps ‘The Snowman’ for an Alcoholic Father Christmas! His Bad Santa was created back in 1973, and this year he brings him back for Barbour’s latest spot. The ad follows him on his Christmas rounds over the years, each time sporting the same Barbour jacket.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=108&v=cZaK4eWqBgA
