Campaigns of the Month – Christmas.

Every Christmas, the ads arrive like clockwork – some loud, some lovely, some instantly forgotten. This month, we’re rounding up the top 5 festive campaigns that we believe genuinely cut through the noise. From big emotional swings to smart strategic plays, these are the Christmas ads of 2025 that made us laugh, cry, rewind… and wish we’d made them.

Boots’ 2025 Christmas ad drops us into a gloriously camp, animated fairytale caper, with Puss in Boots racing through enchanted lands to bag the perfect beauty gifts before the Snow Queen’s Ball. Audiences are loving the nostalgia, the sparkle and the surprisingly slick product integration. Our take? It’s Boots doing what Boots does best – big heart, big charm and big-brand storytelling wrapped in a wink. A properly magical reminder that gifting should feel fun, not faff. The animation is great, but it’s not the best animated Christmas ad this year… 

John Lewis’ much anticipated ad leans hard into nostalgia, following a teenage son who surprises his dad with a vinyl that rewinds their relationship to better days. Cue misty eyes, Labrinth’s rework of a 90s dance hit from Alison Limerick and a nation split between “I’m sobbing” and “bit bleak for Christmas”. For us, it’s a hit. And most importantly, it’s John Lewis returning to its emotional sweet spot – intimate, musical, quietly powerful – even if it dodges the tinsel. A slow-burn hug of an ad and the best offering of the last few years from John Lewis.

It’s been a really strong year for animated ads and this one from the legends at Aardman is no different. Teaming up with Barbour, the studio brought back Wallace & Gromit for another dose of festive DIY mayhem, with Wallace unveiling his tartan-clad Gift-o-matic that (predictably) spirals into joyful chaos while Gromit does the real graft. Fans are loving the craft, nostalgia and very British silliness. We thought it was warm, witty and wonderfully handmade, proving you don’t need glitter to deliver Christmas charm. Just a bit of Aardman magic, a loyal dog and a jacket built to last.

Despite the buzz that follows Christmas campaign season, it’s actually quite rare for an ad to go viral globally. This one from Intermache did just that. ‘Unloved’ is a hand-crafted heart-warmer, following a misunderstood wolf who learns to cook veggies to win over the animals in the forest – all set to Claude François nostalgia. It’s gone properly global, with viewers praising its charm, sincerity and blessed lack of AI gloss. We absolutely couldn’t get enough of it here, especially the animation style. A soulful, storybook underdog tale that proves emotional craft still beats Christmas bombast. Quiet, clever and utterly irresistible.

Drum roll please… Our favourite Christmas ad this year just had to be Waitrose. ‘The Perfect Gift’ is a full-fat festive rom-com condensed into just a few minutes, packed with Love Actually nods, a killer soundtrack and the universally-loved Joe Wilkinson riding high post-Traitors. The public loved it too – topping favourite-ad lists and sparking genuine festive joy. This was our outright winner and it’s clear to see why. Warm, witty and perfectly cast, it proves great music, cultural winks and proper storytelling still win Christmas. More of this, please.

It’s not often brands give up the chance to release something new at this time of year, but Amazon bucked the trend by doubling down and re-airing its most successful Christmas ad yet, ‘Joy Ride’, the sledging mates spot from 2023. And guess what? It still absolutely sleighed. Emotional scores remained sky-high and audiences welcomed it back like an old festive mate. In our view, this is compound creativity done right. Not chasing novelty, but banking on brand recall, emotional resonance and consistency. Proof that repeating great work isn’t lazy – it’s strategic. When an idea rightly earns its place, run (or sled) with it.

So, what did Christmas 2025 teach us? Craft still matters. Emotion still wins. And the smartest brands aren’t chasing novelty for novelty’s sake – they’re backing great ideas and letting them grow. Whether it was nostalgia, humour or a well-timed rerun, the best campaigns all did the same thing: made people feel something.

Got a campaign coming up in 2026? Let’s turn it into one people talk about for all the right reasons. Drop us a line.