The countdown to Christmas is almost on…
Now that Halloween and Bonfire Night are done and dusted, we turn our attention to Christmas! As we step into December, it’s time for our annual rating of this year’s Christmas adverts. Big time retailers like Waitrose, M&S, Tesco, Aldi (amongst others) are once again throwing their hats into the ring to win the prestigious title of “Best Christmas Advert of the Year” but who will take the crown? In no particular order, let’s dig into part 1, shall we? Grab a glass of something nice, sit back and enjoy.
Sainsbury’s |BIG Christmas
For their 2024 advert, Sainsbury’s have opted for a somewhat familiar face to star in their video this year; any guesses as to who it could be? It’s none other than Roald Dahl’s BFG because that just screams Christmas, right? If like me, you were unsure on the relevance of The BFG and Sainsbury’s, I did some digging and the common denominator is Sainsbury’s 2024 Christmas campaign slogan; “to create a Big Christmas for everyone.” Because of their slogan, Sainsbury’s partnered up with the Roald Dahl Story Company to create this “phizz-whizzing” advert.
When asked about their collaboration, Director of Global Product and Partnerships at the Roald Dahl Story Company, Natalie Hopkins said: “By collaborating with Sainsbury’s to bring Roald Dahl’s beloved BFG to life in a new story, we hope the nation is as captivated as we are to see two old friends back together this Christmas.” Don’t get me wrong, this is a very well made ad and far better than Sainsbury’s 2022 weird tudor-themed “Once Upon a Pud” but for me, BIG Christmas doesn’t quite take place on the podium. But hey, if big-eared friendly giants are your thing, you may just love this one!
Sweet Suspicion: A Waitrose Mystery
Waitrose have approached their advert a little differently this year and, I for one absolutely love it. Centered around a ‘whodunit mystery’, Waitrose’s delicious ‘red velvet bauble dessert’ gets stolen from the fridge on Christmas day – the horror! But who is the culprit? Your choice of suspects are an all-star cast including Succession’s Matthew Macfadyen, Sian Clifford, Joe Wilkinson, Rakhee Thakrar, Dustin Demri-Burns and Eryl Maynard (who appeared in Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple…coincidence?), 2 kids and oh, even the cat is a suspect.
The two-part mystery of the stolen dessert was created by advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi, directed by BAFTA winning drama director, Lucy Forbes. Saatchi & Saatchi’s Franki Goodwin, said: “When an idea is so good, and the brand is so loved, that actors we’re not typically used to seeing in ads show up and steal the scenes – and the pudding – you know you’ve got a Christmas treat on your hands.” One of the many great things about this ad is the audience interaction; what a genius idea to get people involved in the mystery case. Did you know you can vote on Waitrose’s website for who you think the pudding thief is? As of today, the results are all fairly close.
Sweet Suspicion: A Waitrose Mystery gets a big thumbs up from YouTube viewers with one saying “Please, please, PLEASE, give me a longer version, give me a film about this, I would like to see the whole story – and can’t wait for the second part!” But, there will always be those who don’t like something, right? “What a waste of 90 seconds.” and “Pathetic. The company is going downhill fast. Shame really.” Ouch, some pretty savage remarks there but pay no attention Waitrose; you get ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me. Bravo.
Morrisons |Christmas TV ad
Following on from their 2023 ad, Morrisons are back with their all singing and all dancing oven gloves for this year’s festivities. Set to the tune of ‘Give a Little Love’ by Bugsy Malone, the oven gloves come together to give a muppet-esque musical performance, whilst of course, showing Morrisons’ delicious range of Christmas food. The 60-second advert was again created by global advertising agency, Leo Burnett. The ad has gained relatively mixed reviews from viewers; “I absolutely love this. Once the tune is in your head, it’s staying. Such great fun. Well done Morrisons!” and “Sorry to say – it looks CRAP. Maybe they ran out of advertising budget? Does not inspire to shop at Morrisons!“.
Although it’s a fun advert, I’m a little bit disappointed, Morrisons. This year’s ad feels a bit like a copy from the 2023 one, as opposed to a step up from it. Where’s the creativity guys? Compared to last year’s #GloveOke, the singing oven gloves this year are voiced by a choir of 26 Morrisons employees, who got to record their version of the song at the iconic Abbey Road Studios in London. Don’t get me wrong, this was a nice touch but it doesn’t quite save things for me… Better luck for 2025, guys. #Disappointed.
M&S | Christmas Food 2024
The lovely Dawn French returns as Fairy for the third year in M&S’ 2024 Christmas food ad. This time, she makes her onscreen debut as herself along with also voicing Fairy. French plays a stressed hostess, overwhelmed with the prep, until Fairy comes to her rescue and waves her magic wand. She give Dawn French a makeover, a brand new outfit (probably from M&S!) and sets the table with a selection of delicious M&S food, all before the guests are due to arrive – impeccable timing!
When asked about her role, French said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be fluttering back this Christmas, and oh my wings, do we have a twist for you! Meeting Dawn French (yes, me!) on screen was a surreal, magical moment.” The advert perfectly exudes the feeling of Christmas (the excitement and anxiousness of hosting the festivities) and makes us all wish we had a Fairy to prep and get everything sorted for the big day, right? M&S Food Marketing Director, Sharry Cramond shared “Last year, Fairy added that extra sparkle to Christmas, and this year, we’re going even further! Dawn French joins us in the campaign, and together, she and Fairy bring the magic to a whole new level.” Take note Morrisons, this is how you follow on from your 2023 advert.
Aldi | Get into the Christmas Spirit with Kevin The Carrot
Kevin the Carrot is back with another classic Christmas advert. This time, he is joined by his wife, Katie, to save the Spirit of Christmas before it’s too late. Matched with the lovely voice of the legendary Jim Broadbent and a cleverly cheeky script, (“it’s a booby trap”) the lighthearted and amusing 90-second advert perfectly sums up the festiveness and joy of Christmas. For a relatively short advert, the production level of this video is truly wild.
This year’s ad was created by advertising agency McCANN UK, directed by Psyop’s Todd Mueller and Kylie Matulick. McCann UK’s Chief Creative Officer, Dave Price said: “This year’s ad is a bit of a blockbuster, as Kevin goes on a quest to rescue the Christmas spirit. We think Kevin’s got a good few assignments to crack yet.”
Kevin the Carrot has become a Christmas icon. One YouTube user went as far as saying “It wouldn’t be Christmas without Kevin the Carrot!” and I honestly, couldn’t agree more. This advert also gets my vote; it’s lighthearted and amusing – just as Christmas should be, right? Christmas commercials don’t always have to tug at the heart strings, or do they? People need happiness and cheerfulness at this time of year. If you love Kevin the Carrot, or this advert in particular, you can get your hands on a range of different plush toys from the video.*Immediately adds Kevin to basket.* Well played Aldi, well done! Check out the video below.♥️
Stay tuned for part 2 coming soon!
What did you think of part 1’s entries? Keep an eye out for part 2, where we deep dive into Tesco’s, John Lewis’, Boots and more! See you soon.
Ana x
