‘Tis the season…when there’s a chill in the air and the sleigh bells start ringing! When a quick hot chocolate stop on your present-buying excursions turns into glittered balls, mulled wine and office parties!
So sit in front of the fire and get cosy, as we discuss our favourite Christmas ads…
Coca-Cola: Holiday’s Are Coming
It seems fitting to begin with the classic Coca-Cola advert, a signal that Christmas is coming! When you hear the familiar Holidays Are Coming jingle, you know you really ought to start your Christmas shopping…
The familiarity of the snowy scene and the red ‘Christmas caravans’ have become festive icons! This advert is a great example of how you can use your brand and create a simple but memorable ad. The iconic red of Santa’s suit and of Coca-Cola’s brand, make for a perfect aesthetic pairing!
M&S: ‘This Isn’t Just Christmas’
…This is an M&S Christmas…
Food is at the heart of Christmas, with families gathering around the table for their prawn cocktail, turkey dinner, cheeseboard and Christmas pudding! M&S, luxury food retailer, laucnhed their iconic ‘this isn’t just…’ tagline to capitalise on the Christmas food market. This continued way beyond the Christmas of 2006 and became a recognisable tagline to promote their opulent offerings.
Sainsbury’s: 1914
Perhaps one of the most memorable and heartwarming adverts of the 21st Century is Sainsbury’s 1914 ad, where they partnered with the Royal British Legion to celebrate the centenary of WW1. The ad shows a snowy battlefield and the soldiers holding a ceasefire to play football on Christmas day, making for an emotional and uplifting scene.
This is a wonderfully inspiring ad, with Sainsbury’s receiving lots of praise for recognising love and loss, and the emotional undercurrent of Christmas.
John Lewis: The Long Wait
Every year, viewers eagerly anticipate the John Lewis advert, to see what emotional theme they’ve gone with this year.
In 2011, ‘The Long Wait’ advert shows a young boy counting down the minutes to Christmas, where he’s seemingly excited for his visit from Santa. There’s a sentimental twist at the end, and the pang of emotion strikes the viewers.
John Lewis adverts have become somewhat iconic. The ‘Man on the Moon‘, ‘Bear and the Hare‘ and ‘Edgar the Dragon‘ ads deserve honorable mentions, although it is simply too difficult to choose a favourite! The emotional propensity of their ads cements John Lewis as festive ad experts!
