Christmas adverts have become as big a part of the festive season as Santa Claus and tinsel on the tree.
Retailers competing to attract shoppers have become more imaginative in their advertising campaigns in recent years: during the past four decades, marketers have increasingly tried to tug at the heart strings by telling an emotive story.
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This is a significant change from the 1980s, when Woolworth’s famous adverts were simply a star-studded parade showcasing the latest toys and other Christmas gifts.
Woolworth’s – Have a Crackin’ Christmas (1981)
In 1981, the Christmas advert most viewers looked forward to seeing was the Woolworth’s musical extravaganza that lasted for more than two minutes. Largely unheard of at the time, the high street retailer took a gamble by filling up almost the whole ad break!
The Christmas spectacular featured glamorous female dancers, Beefeaters and lively Cossacks forming a human pyramid. Actress Anita Harris and Bill Oddie and Tim Brooke-Taylor, from comedy group The Goodies, were the stars who presented each gift idea.
No expense was spared in this jolly Christmas commercial, where the singing and dancing was accompanied by a musical narrative urging viewers to “have a crackin’ Christmas”.
John Lewis – The Long Wait (2011)
Department store John Lewis’ Christmas advert took viewers on a nostalgic trip back to their childhood in 2011 with their advert, The Long Wait.
It drew inspiration from how long the wait for Christmas seemed when we were children. It featured a little boy who was looking forward to the festive season all year round, showing him in various scenarios, in all kinds of weather, looking out of the window, playing in the snow and gazing at the clock as he waited impatiently for Christmas Day.
There was an interesting twist at the end, when he awoke on Christmas morning to find plenty of presents at the end of his bed. Viewers discover he has been excited about the joy of giving, rather than receiving, as he runs down the landing carrying a large gift for his parents.
Sainsbury’s Christmas Truce 1914 (2014)
One of the most famous adverts of all time, Sainsbury’s Christmas Truce in 2014 commemorated the centenary of the temporary truce between British and German soldiers in 1914, at the height of World War I.
It captured the moment when around 100,000 troops fighting on the Western Front in Europe spontaneously downed their weapons and held an unofficial cease-fire over Christmas, leaving the safety of the trenches and socialising with each other on Christmas Day, even playing football, singing carols and exchanging small gifts such as chocolate bars from their rations.
Sainsbury’s released the advert in collaboration with The Royal British Legion. The supermarket donated the profits from the sale of £1 chocolate bars to the charity, which offers support for Britain’s military veterans and their families.
Marks & Spencer – Christmas with Love from Mrs Claus (2016)
High street giant M&S takes a different approach with its behind-the-scenes look at all the hard work put in by Santa and Mrs Claus to make everyone’s Christmas special.
Mrs Claus is seen packing a hot water bottle and cheese and pickle sandwiches for her hubby before he sets off to deliver presents in his sleigh to children all over the world.
The 2016 advert has a modern twist, as once Santa has set off, Mrs Claus hops into a red helicopter to give him a helping hand! She makes it home to the North Pole just in time to welcome Santa as he arrives back with the reindeer from a night of hard work.
Asda – Michael Bublé (2023)
Asda has teamed up with iconic singer Michael Bublé for its Christmas advertising campaign this year – and isn’t it a corker!
Renowned for his festive crooning, the superstar has released plenty of Christmas records, such as Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, over the years.
His latest collaboration for the Asda Christmas advert features Bublé starting a new job as the chief quality officer. After requesting a “clean-up on aisle five”, he sits back in his chair ready to assess the Christmas wares.
From compiling an extra special Christmas cheese board to sampling pigs in blankets and truffles, the singer throws himself wholeheartedly into the festive fun.
The advert ends with Bublé leading a choir at the shop front for a lively rendition of Walking in a Winter Wonderland to get shoppers in the mood.
Tesco – Become More Christmas (2023)
While most Christmas adverts today are sophisticated with a tale to tell, spare a thought for supermarket chain Tesco, whose latest offering has been dubbed “possibly the worst festive advert in history”.
Opinion is divided on the weird and wonderful advert, where ordinary people suddenly turn into Christmas trees, giant snow globes, sentient Christmas puddings and freaky snow people as they “become more Christmas”.
One critic commented, “It’s enough to frighten children,” as people suddenly ping into giant fir trees with clumsy branches for hands.
Seldom has there been a creepier sight than a mum picking up a plate of mince pies, while spontaneously morphing into a snow woman, with a huge face of white make-up that would put a zombie film to shame.
Eventually, her cynical son gives in to pressure at the end of the ad and turns into a Christmas tree like his dad, with pine needles suddenly erupting from his arm, like a scene from a festive horror film. The jury is still out on this one.