Who won the Christmas advert battle 2023?
How well does it sell the products? Christmas Spirit? Memorability?
26) JD Sports
What do you expect from a Christmas advert? Heartwarming or upbeat at the very least a Christmas advert must have some sort of link to the festive period. The JD advert chooses to focus on their bag for life which is a weak focus point for the advert. Multiple celebrity appearances from the likes of Chunkz and Alessia Russo attempt to rescue the advert but the constant chops lead to a lack of flow in the advert. Most definitely the worst Christmas advert of the year.
2/10
25) Argos
Argos have decided to bring back Connie and Trevor for their festive advert “the Dancer”. The advert shows the viewer a range of popular Argos items with some comical moments however the advert is weak, short and lacking any sort of festive cheer. This advert could easily be shown at any other time of the year.
4.5/10
24) M&S
Good cast, decent song choice, terrible focus. To make a Christmas advert with the message of deciding not to do what makes Christmas, Christmas may well be the worst idea that M&S could have come up with. The first half of the advert seems to be onto a winner but M&S throw it all away in the second half.
4.5/10
23) TK Maxx
TK Maxx’s advert “a festive farm” is an unusual Christmas advert that could definitely be considered strange and confusing. The snowy farm setting clearly identifies it as a Christmas advert however that is where the festivities end. The characters themselves are advertising the clothing options from TK Maxx but without a Christmas themed story or song the advert doesn’t reach the heights seen with other adverts. The music choice and striking animals in clothing does most certainly make it one of the more memorable adverts of the year.
4.5/10
22) Smyths Toy Superstore
Simple, Fun, Effective. Well animated, showing a range of products. An advert that is most certainly kid friendly. This will definitely sell products but does lack in festive cheer which is the only reason this advert has found itself in 21st position, could easily have found itself higher
5/10
21) Disney
This is probably Disney’s best Christmas advert in a number of years as there is a real community feel to the advert, Disney nailed the spirit of Christmas but failed to present this as a Christmas advert. The advert promotes the new film ‘Wish’ with the star character present throughout. The advert is in partnership with the ‘make a wish foundation’ which fits nicely and the message of the advert is positive and well received, however the lack of traditional Christmas items significantly takes away from the advert.
5/10
20) Sports Direct
A Christmas advert full to the brim with sports stars. A fun advert encouraging the younger generation to dream big. This advert promotes the products of the business very well with a wide range of sports promoted and advertised. The advert isn’t overly Christmassy but has enough Christmas elements for it to be considered a Christmas advert. Not entirely memorable but a very simple and solid advert for Sports Direct.
5.5/10
19) Waitrose
Solid advert for Waitrose, nothing more, nothing less. Set at a Christmas party, the advert clearly advertises the festive food options on sale at Waitrose; as the food ‘saves the day’. Celebrity appearance from Graham Norton as he endorses the premium festive products on offer at Waitrose this festive period. A basic idea from Waitrose, but a basic idea that has been executed to a good level.
5.5/10
18) Sainsbury’s
A mid-table finish for Sainsbury’s this year as they pose the question ‘What does Santa have for his Christmas dinner’. This is a great way to promote the range of Christmas products that Sainsbury’s have produced for 2023 and has some funny moments as the workers suggest some options. Ultimately however, there are too many cheesy jokes to place this any higher, especially with the addition of Rick Astley. Not the most memorable of ads but advertises the Christmas products available well.
5.5/10
17) Capital One
John Travolta dressed as Santa, Capital One have most certainly spent the big bucks on their festive advert for 2023. The advert is overall a success, clearly promotes the product, a dancing Santa and is definitely memorable, especially for fans of Travolta.
5.5/10
16) Lidl
A heartwarming Christmas advert from Lidl following a Racoon. Lidl have gone for a very John Lewis-like Christmas advert with big positives for the fun relationship between the Racoon and the family dog and the heartwarming story. However, the fact that the advert couldn’t possibly be set in the UK with the inclusion of the raccoon and other geographical inaccuracies means that the advert drops down the rankings.
6/10
15) Amazon
Amazon’s Christmas advert ‘Joy Ride’ follows 3 older women who reminisce about their youths sledging, through the use of amazon prime the women are able to relive their treasured Christmas memories; demonstrating to the viewers the benefits of amazon prime. Ticks all the boxes but doesn’t quite have enough to make it any further into the list.
6.5/10
14) Woolworths
In a nutshell, the Woolworths Christmas advert is a mock up of Nativity. It is full of Christmas cheer; the main difference from ‘Nativity’ being that all the kids are dressed as the produce available at Woolworths. Good advert, nothing amazing just a good quality Christmas advert.
6.5/10
13) Morrisons
The Morrisons Christmas advert follows singing oven gloves helping serve the festive food on offer at Morrisons as they prepare the Christmas Dinner. It’s a very original idea and most certainly works. Promotes the products, full of Christmas spirit and is one of the most memorable adverts of the year. Only let down by the song choice, had Morrison’s chosen a popular Christmas song they may well have made the top 5.
7/10
12) McDonald’s
McDonald’s narrowly misses out on a top 10 position despite a good Christmas advert. Advert shows different scenarios that people associate with a traditional Christmas such as a nativity, office Christmas party and a ‘Love Actually’ reference with the iconic flash cards scene with all of these people joining together to visit a McDonald’s. I think this advert was a big success and deserving of 12th position.
7/10
11) Boots
Boots have chosen to promote the message or ‘giving back’ to people who help you along the way. The advert follows the question “who gives presents to Santa?” so the mother and daughter travel to the North Pole giving presents to the people who help them along the way. By giving various Boots items, they are able to indirectly promote their Christmas range whilst maintaining the main story. Unlucky not to make the top 10.
7.5/10
10) John Lewis
The John Lewis Christmas advert is the most hotly anticipated advert of the year. It’s made the top 10 – just! – but is definitely not the best advert they’ve produced but it is an improvement on the 2022 advert! It’s a heartwarming story between a young boy and his ‘perfect Christmas tree’ that turns out to be a carnivorous plant. The boy’s family do not like the change of traditions so despite the boy’s best efforts to train the plant to be ‘the perfect tree’ he is outcast by the family. Despite this the boy still wants to open his Christmas presents under his tree, a move that his family echo leading to a comical and triumphant moment when the plant’s unique skill is discovered. John Lewis went with the message ‘Let traditions grow’ implying that the viewers need to be open to and embrace change. The advert is voiced by Andrea Bocelli which is definitely a big coup for John Lewis, however the song doesn’t necessarily suit what would be considered a “traditional” John Lewis advert and it definitely loses placement for that reason. It’s not the worst but definitely not the best John Lewis advert so 10th is a worthy position.
8/10
9) Duracell
Short and Sweet, that’s the only way to describe this advert. With a runtime of just 30 seconds, what it lacks in length it makes up with the genius concept. Rudolph’s nose being powered by a battery to help Santa deliver his presents is a fantastic idea, with the Duracell bunny saving the day by replacing the standard batteries with Duracell batteries. The concept is fantastic and reminds consumers about the importance of batteries over the festive period. All that could be improved is by making the advert a little longer.
8/10
8) Cafe Nero
A surprisingly high placement for Cafe Nero, especially as they are not known for their Christmas adverts. The advert is definitely a similar concept to the John Lewis advert from 2011 “The long wait” however Cafe Nero have put their own spin on it and are definitely onto a winner. The advert follows the protagonist waking up every morning for months waiting for the 1st of December for the launch of the new Cafe Nero Christmas menu. Making the launch of the Christmas menu this hotly anticipated event is likely to drive up sales. Unexpectedly a great advert.
8/10
7) M&S Food
M&S Food continued the use of Dawn French as the festive fairy with her new friends, left and right mittens voiced by Welcome to Wrexham and Hollywood duo Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. The advert series follows a heartwarming reunion story between a girl and her mittens, over a series of adverts whilst advertising the festive food range. A great advert that has continued Dawn French’s collaboration with M&S, viewers will be eagerly awaiting next year’s advert.
8.5/10
6) Very
Very were one of the first to release their Christmas advert this year and what a great advert. The song choice is perfect, undeniably one of the most popular Christmas songs of all time. Contrasting the grey, bleak opening with the explosion of pink with the Very mascots delivering Christmas parcels which literally transform the houses into a Christmas party is a great idea. Associating the colours of Very with Christmas cheer is a great marketing decision whilst also being able to display what Very have to offer on their website. Great effort.
8.5/10
5) ASDA
After last year’s success with their Elf inspired advert, ASDA transitioned from the king of Christmas films to the king of Christmas music with Michael Buble as chief quality officer. Buble gives his thoughts on the ASDA Christmas food range, it’s funny and does a great job at promoting the Christmas range with a small amount of singing. Not quite as successful as last year but still a very strong advert from ASDA.
8.5/10
4) Barbour
Barbour opted for a heartwarming collaboration with Shaun the Sheep. The story of the advert follows Shaun and friends attempting to mend the farmers jacket for Christmas. Despite working through the night, the mended coat falls apart leaving Shaun and friends turning to Barbour for help. This ad is filled with comedy and festive cheer whilst continuing to promote the company to provide the perfect combination for a christmas advert.
9/10
3) Aldi
Aldi have decided to continue with the overwhelming success they’ve had over the years with Kevin the Carrot, this year with a remake of Charlie and the chocolate factory. The story is adapted for a range of fruit and vegetable characters pushing the message of Christmas spirit. Lots of cheesy jokes and a nice partnership with Neighbourly to promote the message of spreading Christmas cheer with those around you. Great advert, everyone is excited for what they are going to bring for 2024.
9.5/10
2) Tesco
Tesco absolutely smashed it out of the park with their 2023 Christmas advert. The advert is 2 and a half minutes long, which is longer than most of its competitors, but it definitely works to its advantage. The advert opens in a regular Tesco store with the lure of the Christmas aisle pulling in customers, getting them into the Christmas spirit and transforming them into a Christmas icon, such as snowmen, Christmas trees and nutcrackers. More and more customers transform as the Christmas spirit grows. The advert references a range of Christmas traditions as the characters grow ever more festive, a point best demonstrated by the increasing level of decoration on the Christmas trees as the advert progresses. Importantly, the festive food range on offer from Tesco is continuously at the forefront of the advert such as the mince pie selection, the Christmas party buffet and the food delivery service, alongside the promotion of the Tesco Clubcard. A homemade star decoration shown in an old home video, a symbol of family Christmas tradition, is introduced mid-way through the advert to drive the heartwarming message of the story: the overwhelming force of the Christmas spirit against the reticence of an uninspired teenager. The advert ends with the teenager being given the homemade star by his father on the arrival home from Tesco which transforms him into a Christmas tree leading to the tagline, ‘Helping you become more Christmas’ which perfectly summarises the advert. The final shot being of a Christmas buffet helps to further push the festive food available at Tesco. Fantastic advert.
9.5/10
1) Coca-Cola
The clear winner of the 2023 Christmas advert battle was Coca-Cola as they released an all time great. The advert with the tagline ‘The World Needs More Santas’ is what it says on the tin, an advert showcasing the small, seemingly inconsequential ‘nice deeds’ done by others in the Christmas spirit that has a big influence on general society. The opening of the advert displays a ‘Santa’ character washing his suit and putting it on, making the conscious decision to ‘be a Santa’ for the Christmas season. Importantly, this advert displays the ‘Santas’ doing a number of tasks which relate typically to varying demographics to highlight how all members of society can choose to ‘be a Santa’, such as the fire service, skateboarding on the curb and lifting weights in the gym. Coca-Cola advertising is clear throughout, with pop up stores, drinks in cafes and a vending machine at the train station as good examples, ensuring that the Coca-Cola products are promoted throughout the advert. Perhaps the most important moment of this advert is the transition on the train between the Santas and regular society highlighting how these ‘Santas’ are meant to be reflective of what society can be at Christmas. The song itself is an original, made entirely for this advert which repeats the phrase ‘Anyone can be Santa’ it is a perfectly written song that could easily become a Christmas favourite over time. The scenes after the train transition are particularly effective as they show real people doing kind acts which would be relatable to the audience, such as keeping the post office open and giving a carrot for the snowman. The ending of the advert is perfect with the character arriving via the iconic Coca-Cola holiday truck to deliver Christmas presents to his family; whilst they’ve decided to go for a change in advert this year away from their traditional and iconic ‘holidays are coming’ they have still made a nod to the adverts of old through the use of the Coca-Cola truck. Overall, this advert is an unbelievable success that I am unable to fault. From the song, to the story, to the message and the execution of the advert, everything is faultless, easily the best advert of the year giving companies such as John Lewis and Aldi a challenge to beat next year.
10/10
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