This time of year is all about Christmas films and jumpers, indulgent turkey dinners, chocolates and a wide selection of alcohol and savoury snacks. They are also about spending time with the people you love and of course visiting family members you really only care to see once a year! Increasingly they are also about Christmas ads. For many people the Coca Cola advert announces the official arrival of Christmas.
Our eagerness to find out what the big supermarkets will come up with next is all part of the steady build up to Christmas. I for one am always that little bit excited when the ads begin. So we have rounded up our favourites, starting with this year’s hot picks. Sit back and enjoy some fine video viewing – but do please remember that these are advertisements so you will be influenced by powerful marketing creativity – we cannot be held responsible for any impulsive purchases made!
Sainsbury’s OFFICIAL Christmas 2014 Ad
One of the most touching ads this year. It remembers the sacrifices of soldiers during World War 1 and the emotive moment when both sides ceased fire to acknowledge Christmas. It also sees them return to the war as shells are fired to draw the celebrations to an end. This one is best watched with tissues to hand and Sainsbury’s message is one of sharing. If soldiers can share a moment of joy in the harshest most hostile of conditions, then what is our excuse. The adverts was made in partnership with The Royal British Legion and inspired by events that took place 100 years ago.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWF2JBb1bvM]
John Lewis Christmas Advert 2014 – #MontyThePenguin
Monty the penguin has a loving home. He enjoys all the usual delights of life with his bestest bud but no matter the joy he experiences he is lacking something special. He is lacking another penguin to share it all with! John Lewis’s message is to ‘give someone the Christmas they have been dreaming of’. For most of us that means exactly the same thing – to spend it with loved ones, relaxing and appreciating everything we have for one of those rare moments where we get to switch off to life’s stresses. Hug everyone tightly and spend some quality time with loved ones.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iccscUFY860]
Marks & Spencer Christmas Advert 2014 #FollowTheFairies
A classic tune that immediately captures you attention and emotions. ‘Fly me to the Moon’ has a real authenticity and magic to it instantly reminding you of Marks and Spencer’s rich heritage. The idea of fairies flying around delivering Christmas cheer and magical interventions is perfect for the festive period. This advert allows you to escape with it and it is quite simply charming. If only we could have a white Christmas like the one in the ad. Marks and Spencer’s message is clear throughout: ‘Christmas is better with magic and sparkle’.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhuadZHqwwA]
Coca Cola Christmas commercial 2014 HD Full advert
Holidays are coming…
What more is there to say other than we love it and that soundtrack has come to mean Christmas just as much as our other traditions. There is something truly heart-warming about the video despite the fact that we know they are selling us a pretty gassy, fairly fattening, sugar rich pop. Oh well…Christmas just wouldn’t be the same without Coca Cola. Here is the extended version for this year. You could also go and see the truck itself as it swept through the nation making refreshment stops along the way in our major cities.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3ehP6EByfw]
John Lewis Christmas Advert 2013 – The Bear & The Hare
The journey of the bear and the hare was watched by 14,801,939 making it without doubt one of our favourites for 2013. It makes us sad and emotional for a short time before it rewards us with a perfectly magical ending. It does make you think that maybe there is the perfect present for everyone – you just have to find it!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqWig2WARb0]
The M&S Christmas TV Advert 2013
A great take on some of our literary classics like ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and ‘The Wizard of Oz’. This one didn’t get shed loads of hits on YouTube but it is one of my favourites so I included it anyway. The appearance of Helena Bonham Carter gives it added character and although it is almost overwhelmingly creative and arty there is a real British pride running through it. It celebrates our culture, heritage and the power of a fairy-tale ending.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2qLwdyFInc]
John Lewis Christmas Advert 2012 – The Journey
Yes it is John Lewis again but this advert in many ways feels like the one that changed the importance of them all. It was emotive from the beginning, a journey of hardship to overcome severe adversity just so that a snowman can bring his snowwoman some warm winter gloves, and a hat. She is one lucky snowwoman and it is safe to say that when we realised what he was doing our hearts melted. The ability of supermarkets and high street stores to capture out imaginations and take us with them into a gripping Christmas story had been cemented.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0N8axp9nHNU]
Morrisons “For Your Christmas”
There are not many memorable Morrisons Christmas ads but this one has something for sure. The plight of the woman at Christmas (yes I know there will be plenty of men cooking the traditional family meal) is told beautifully. It brings a tear to the eye when you realise that all that stress, and effort (that we do every single year) is worth that moment when the family comes together around the table. It has a great comic edge to it and is a really engaging watch – enjoy!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uk1F1uynims]
And finally, here area couple of ads that did all of the above on a smaller budget back in the 80s. They have a deeper meaning to them this year which is why no round-up of the best Christmas Ads of all time could be without them. Lynda Bellingham will always be the Oxo mum to anyone around in the 80s.
1980’s Oxo Commercial
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hj-WJHUO6ag]
Oxo – My Christmas (1984, UK)
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtEBtv64LBM]
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