2025 Christmas adverts recap

Love them or hate them, Christmas ads have become as much a part of the festive season as mince pies and Black Friday.

Every year, more and more brands compete to deliver the campaign that gets the nation talking. So far, we've seen everything from stripped-back, tug at the heartstrings storytelling to iconic characters and festive rom-coms. With help from industry experts, we look at some of the standout campaigns so far.

John Lewis - Where Love Lives

Starting off big, we've got John Lewis. Few campaigns ignite the nation quite like this British department store, and this year's story, built around a father and son bonding through 90s club music, is noticeably different from the retailer's past animations and fantasy narratives.

"It's impossible to discuss the biggest Christmas ads of 2025 without mentioning the brand new John Lewis advert," said Megan Dooley, head of PR at TAL Agency. "The ad has evolved into something so candid and raw that reflects the shift in advertising and the marketing landscape generally towards a need for authenticity."

She says its emotional power lies in how it uses music: "It reflects the movement towards marketing becoming genuine and nostalgic, and positioning music as a medium to express feelings – a way to communicate when you can't find the words – is incredibly moving."

Dooley also points out why the sentiment lands so well: “'If you can't find the words, find the gift' subtly positions John Lewis as the go-to for those truly meaningful gifts… ones that don't even need words, they're an embodiment of love, shared interest, mutual understanding."

For Becca Peel, digital PR senior account director at Tank, the campaign resonated because of how emotionally specific and relatable it feels: "They've gone back to their roots in a way that feels both nostalgic and genuinely moving," she said. "I love that they've stepped away from animation and fantasy this year, and attempted to relate more with Gen Z."

What stood out to Peel was how the ad explores male emotion, a topic that's becoming more visible with the likes of Netflix's Adolescence: "It taps into a side of male emotion that still isn't represented enough in advertising, and seeing that connection through a vinyl gift… is really powerful." She describes the father–son storyline as "refreshingly real and incredibly touching."

She also points out the soundtrack choice: "As The Guardian put it, John Lewis is 'appealing to ageing clubbers and their teenage kids' with this story, and that's exactly why it works."

Asda - A Very Merry Grinchmas

Asda tapped into the cost-of-living conversation with humour by teaming up with a classic character: The Grinch.

"Asda's playful Grinch campaign… brings warmth and humour to the cost-of-living conversation," said Yasmin Russell, head of social at Engage, noting that it reminds audiences that "genuine value and everyday joy embodies the true spirit of Christmas."

Sean Mulholland, creative director at Guy & Co, explained it’s not surprising that value is a big focus this year: "Most families are worried about heating their homes, let alone filling stockings. So, it's no surprise value becomes the star of most supermarket Christmas ads."

Shelter - Christmas Appeal 2025

Shelter delivered one of the hardest-hitting campaigns of the season.

"Shelter's 2025 appeal delivers a sobering, deeply moving portrayal of families spending Christmas in temporary accommodation – a message that resonates through its raw honesty and emotional depth," said Russell.

Sainsbury's - The Unexpected Guest

Sainsbury's brought back another iconic character: the BFG, for a dose of nostalgia – though not everyone was sold on the idea.

"Bringing back a character like the BFG taps into the deep nostalgia of people our age," said Peel. "It's a story we grew up with that's instantly comforting. It's a clever way of connecting generations through shared cultural memory, just as John Lewis did with music."

But Paul Birks-Hay, president at Park & Battery, felt it didn’t quite deliver the same emotional impact as past classics: "Most of this year's advertisers have reverted to the old recipe of riding a timeless national icon… but none of them really made me feel like shopping there this Christmas."

Aldi - Will Kevin Make it Down the Aisle?

Kevin the Carrot returned for his tenth year (doesn’t that make you feel old?) – this time for his wedding – and kept his crown as one of the UK's favourite festive mascots.

"Top of the tree for me? Kevin the Carrot has become one of the strongest fluent devices around," said Mulholland. "He lets Aldi deliver a rich, joyful story even when the world outside feels heavy, which is their unfair advantage – being a welcomed guest in people's homes at Christmas. Lesson for next year: when you build a world people love spending time in, value becomes something they feel, not something you have to explain…or force feed."

GAP - Give Your Gift

GAP's ad stood out for its hopeful tone.

"It's GAP KIDS. Sorry, I mean it's GAP, kids; the Christmas ad for me," says Steve Strickland, head of creative, UK at Manifest. "In a season beset with selling, it's refreshing to see a brand choose hope over hawking."

Featuring an intergenerational choir singing Miley Cyrus' The Climb, Strickland felt the ad brought people together: "In a world replete with divisive discourse and political punching down, GAP comes in swinging with a choir made up of 8-70-year-olds singing The Climb... Maybe it's because I'm looking for it, finding meaning between the layers of cotton and wool, but the ad feels like elegant activism."

Waitrose - The Perfect Gift

Waitrose created its own four-minute festive rom-com starring Keira Knightley and Joe Wilkinson. It's a good example of how Christmas campaigns are now built for multi-platform discovery, not just one big TV moment, explained Rob Linton, managing director of Regions at MiQ.

"What I've noticed as a viewer is that these ads have genuinely found me everywhere," he said. "Brands aren't banking everything on a single TV moment anymore; they're designing for a multi-platform journey from day one."

"Waitrose pushed it out through a suite of formats that kept the idea constantly discoverable: TV cutdowns, social edits built for sharing, movie-poster-style OOH, and behind-the-scenes clips that fed straight into the meme ecosystem… the campaign really grew with the online conversation rather than sitting still."

Morrisons - A Year in the Making

Morrisons went for a quieter, understated approach, but one that still resonated.

"I like the Morrisons ad… It showcases the retailer's products in a subtle and genuine way," said Anu Kumaresan, junior creative at Cheil UK. "I love the understated festive references throughout, like the opening scene of a farmer loading potatoes onto his trailer, which resembles Santa and his sleigh."

Tesco - That's What Makes It Christmas

Tesco leaned into the more chaotic side of Christmas with a series of entertaining short spots.

Its "celebration of quarrels has good comedy value and seems to be resonating," said Kumaresan, though noted it "carries a similar negative undertone" to Asda's Grinch story.

Want to dive deeper into this year’s Christmas ads and have the opportunity to ask marketing experts which ads they think are the best? Join our upcoming open to all webinar on 9 December to unpack the creative and strategic thinking behind the adverts and learn what you can take away from the big brands.