Christmas Advertising 2024: The Best Ads of the Season

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! 🎄The holidays are here, and so is the magic of Christmas advertising. It’s that time of the year when brands go beyond mere promotions creating heartwarming stories. Stories that tug at our heartstrings, make us laugh and remind us what this season is all about. Time to talk about Christmas advertising 2024!

Over the years, Christmas advertising has evolved and become a crucial festival tradition, one that most people look forward to. Brands have continued to use this occasion to connect with their customers through warm stories and beautiful messages. 

Each year we have ads that grow beyond the “commercial” status and become cultural movements. We see Christmas ads setting new trends, initiating conversations, and boosting brand reputation. 

With the 2024 Christmas fast approaching, it’s time to take a moment to appreciate and learn from the best Christmas ads from brands around the world. As we start our countdown to Christmas, let’s take a look at the standout campaigns that have captured our hearts this holiday season. And try to understand what makes them special. 

Christmas Advertising 2024 – Ads That Bring the Festive Cheer 

1. Apple – Heartstrings

We would say that this campaign has been named accurately. For the short video definitely pulls at your heartstrings! 

Building on a single feature in focus, the ad highlights the joy of a father who is finally able to hear his daughter’s voice thanks to the Hearing Aid feature on AirPods Pro 2. 

Instead of forcefully placing the product, this one subtly plugs it in. Moreover, this ad does not dilute the idea by focusing on too many details. Instead, it highlights a single feature and shows what difference it can make. In other words, this ad focuses on the value the brand creates and how this can be relevant to the festival season. 

Apple recently went viral for their ad titled Crush and it was not for the right reasons. Therefore, this heartwarming Christmas ad definitely feels like redemption. This ad demonstrates how with thoughtful messaging brands can turn things around. 

2. Deutsche Telekom – Bubbles 

MUW Saatchi & Saatchi came up with a gem of a Christmas ad for Deutsche Telekom. Take a look at the ad here. 

To begin with, this ad demonstrates that you do not always need words to communicate the message. Silent yet impactful campaigns like this one can be a powerful way to reach audiences across the world without language barriers. This is what make this one of the best examples of Christmas advertising 2024.

The idea here is to represent a brand that “connects people” and it’s crystal clear in the depiction. What stands out is that the ad uses a metaphorical representation of physical barriers and how the brand helps overcome them. This adds to the emotional depth of the ad and its memorability. 

To know more about such layered representations in advertising, check out our blog on visual metaphors. 

3. Amazon – Midnight Opus 

The warm Amazon ad here demonstrates the power of community. It shows how little warm gestures can make a difference in someone’s life, in someone’s holiday. Here it features a theater janitor and the rest of the staff making small efforts to recognize his hidden talent. And it highlights how Amazon fits into the picture. 

In short, this commercial celebrates the idea of brands and people embracing the holiday spirit for Christmas advertising. 

Here again, the brand does not jump into promotions. Instead, it seamlessly builds the story and makes the viewers smile.  

Finally, the ad also evokes nostalgia by incorporating the classic song, “What the World Needs Now Is Love”. It thus underscores the power of audio in advertising. 

4. Etsy – Waldo Anthem 

Etsy’s Christmas commercial features the iconic character Waldo from the “Where’s Waldo?” series. It features people looking at the protagonists but not all of them actually making him feel seen. Eventually, it leads to Waldo feeling seen and loved upon receiving a customized gift from a friend. Thus the commercial tells the story of thoughtful gifts making holidays like Christmas feel extra special and how Etsy plays a role in this. 

In addition to holiday storytelling, this commercial also shows the power of tapping into fandom. This concept works particularly well with young audiences like Gen Z. According to Google, 86% of Gen Z are fans of something. Identifying this “something” helps you build meaningful and relatable campaigns that set your brand apart in Christmas advertising. 

5. Mercedes-Benz – Happy Holidays with Love: The Journey

Mercedes-Benz launched a chic and catchy commercial for Christmas advertising 2024. 

The distinguishable trait of this commercial is its clear messaging. It is a celebration of “journeys that bring us closer together” during festivals like Christmas. 

The distinct monochromatic color scheme in this commercial maintains the elegance of the brand and also lets the story and the emotions in the ad take center stage, without distractions. 

Moreover, the ad is just over 30 seconds long and still manages to deliver the message clearly and impactfully. Despite being short, it also subtly plugs a clear CTA into the ad depicting the power of short-form videos in advertising. 

Keeping the message simple also helps Mercedes-Benz build on their multi-channel campaign and throw the spotlight on their Holiday Love Celebration campaign consisting of limited-time offers and more. This shows how short promotional videos can be used to draw attention to your crucial campaigns and drive more conversions during holidays. 

6. Lidl – Magical Christmas 

Lidl’s beautiful Christmas commercial focuses on the magic of a Christmas wish. It features a little girl, her family and their diverse Christmas wishes. What makes the ad memorable is the fact that it aligns with the spirit of the festival and it achieves this without complicating the visuals or messaging. 

In terms of designs and transitions in the video, the brand keeps it ethereal and sets a happy tone perfect for Christmas. 

In addition to all these highlighted elements, the ad also features Lidl’s cause marketing effort for the holidays. It evokes curiosity and raises awareness about Lidl’s Toy Bank campaign for Christmas. 

The takeaway? Identify the nuances of the festival – the spirit of the occasion beyond the visible traditions. These little details that make a festival special are the ones that connect with the audience effectively. 

7. TK Maxx – Festive Farm 

After discussing a few heartwarming campaigns, let’s talk about something light-hearted and fun. 

This commercial from TK Maxx feels like a breath of fresh air. The commercial features farm animals in fancy clothes. Like the supercool Alpaca in a green sweater. The idea is simple and the fun execution of this idea is sure to make viewers smile. 

Besides, there is unified messaging in the commercial. It focuses on Christmas deals and the idea of saving by shopping at TK Maxx. This short and fun commercial effectively captures the message “Big gifts. Small prices”.

Most brands run discounts for the holidays and highlighting these discounts is a crucial part of Christmas advertising. But what matters is to do this in the least promotional yet the most memorable and engaging way. TK Maxx does this brilliantly. With everyone talking about deals, creative and fun ways to depict these deals will truly cut through the noise and get your brand noticed. 

8. Waitrose & Partners – A Waitrose Mystery

Every Christmas there is at least that one ad that attracts attention and stands out as a trendsetter and this year “A Waitrose Mystery” has all the traits to acquire that label. 

The popular British supermarket chain Waitrose & Partners came up with an out-of-the-box idea for Christmas advertising. Crafted in a whodunnit-style mystery, this ad was released as two parts. With the first one introducing the mystery of the missing pudding, the second one shows Matthew Macfadyen solving the mystery. 

Here’s the second part of the ad: 

While keeping it short, the ad presents an engaging format and executes the idea in the most interactive way. There’s subtle humor and a fun depiction of Christmas cheer as well. This shows how brands can apply a unique personality to create Christmas ads that create a buzz. 

The videos in this two-part ad follow a thriller movie-style execution while also including brand colors in the intro. Additionally, there is the use of unique transitions and cuts to keep the experience immersive throughout. 

9. Airbnb – Santastrophe 

Airbnb typically doesn’t focus heavily on Christmas advertising. However, this year, they’ve stepped into the spotlight with something fresh and unexpected.

The animated ad captures Santa’s Christmas catastrophe – Santastrophe! It demonstrates the frustrations and the hassles of choosing traditional hotels for stay and recommends Airbnbs as the better alternative. 

So, what makes this a worthy contender in the Christmas advertising race? There is a hint of humor – emotional depth is indispensable in Christmas ads. Secondly, the animation and narration are perfectly synchronized in their tone and they capture the brand’s signature messaging tone. 

Finally, one little detail which we would call a masterstroke in design will be the subtle integration of the Airbnb logomark, Belo. Go back to the video and take a close look at the gold embroidery on Santa’s costume – did you spot the Belo? That’s creative integration of the brand symbol and a fun way to make the ad more interactive. 

10. Barbour – Shaun the Sheep x Baa-bour

Yet another animated ad on our list, Barbour’s ad is a fun and memorable execution. 

There is a clear theme – “warmth” according to Barbour, it is about capturing the “warmth of gifting” during the holiday season. 

In addition to this, the animation builds on the popular character Shaun the Sheep tapping into its fandom. Besides, Barbour also featured the same set of characters in their Christmas advert from 2023. Remember the ad where the sheep came together to mend the farmer’s coat? Here’s the ad: 

On another note, Barbour also shared the behind-the-scenes video venturing into the efforts that went into the making of the video. It definitely makes you appreciate the Barbour Christmas ad a little more! 

Overall, this campaign highlights the need for creating concepts and characters that are repeatable. This way, you’ll give something for customers to look forward to every Christmas. 

11. John Lewis – The Gifting Hour

John Lewis’s 2024 Christmas ad has become one of the most popular British commercials this holiday. Many are applauding the strong emotional quotient of the ad. Particularly, it focuses on the bond between two sisters and weaves a beautiful narrative delving into the nuances of their relationship. 

Narrowing down your theme and focusing on family values definitely works in Christmas advertising, when executed thoughtfully. This ad achieves that without appearing hackneyed. Besides, the execution also makes the ad easier to resonate with for those who have experienced similar moments with their siblings. 

But yes, we cannot deny the fact that non-linear narratives like the one in this ad look great in movies but might not always work in short commercials. Besides, there is also the risk of several consumers not grasping the depth of storytelling in such back and forth executions. 

12. Sainsbury’s – BIG Christmas 

Cultural references can work wonders in Christmas advertising because they make your ad more relatable. When customers feel connected to the character in your ad, they feel connected to your brand. Sainsbury’s Christmas ad is the perfect example. 

This year’s ad from Sainsbury’s features the much-loved character BFG trying to make Christmas a little more “Phiz-whizzing”. 

A short and sweet story, Christmas scenes and just the right amount of branding come together to make this a lovely Christmas ad. 

When using iconic characters like BFG in this case, you need to be extra cautious in the execution of your idea. Ensure that the ad preserves the signature personality of the chosen character. Because you are connecting with avid fans who have strong emotional connections with that character and you do not want to offend them. In this case, Sainsbury’s has done a fabulous job of capturing the warm and altruistic nature of BFG. 

The One Ad That Missed the Mark! 

Did you notice that we did not include Coca-Cola’s Christmas ad on the list? The brand that’s got the reputation for popularizing Santa Claus in advertising is surprisingly not part of this year’s best Christmas ads because of one little flaw. The brand, for the sake of trying something out of the box, went with an AI-generated ad. Obviously, the ad was not received well and many called it the worst Christmas ad of 2024.

While the idea of leveraging a trending topic (genreative AI in this case) feels like a good move, nothing replaces a human touch. Especially during festive seasons. Despite being visually intriguing and on-brand and despite carrying all the relevant Christmas imagery, Coca-Cola’s ad is not emotive. Therefore the audience could not connect with the ad and hence it faded away amidst all the spectacular emotionally brillian executions like the ones we discussed today. 

Add Festive Cheer to Christmas Advertising 

In short, good Christmas advertising is a blend of:

• Emotions 
• Storytelling
• Visual intrigue 
• Strong themes 
• Relatability 

Combining these traits you ideally need a mix of video and static graphics to cut through the noise and connect with your audience. If you think that juggling between teams and designers for all your Christmas advertising designs is overwhelming, choose a KIMP Graphics + Video subscription. All your short video and graphic design needs taken care of at a flat monthly fee! 

So, what are you waiting for? Register now for a free 7-day trial!