One of the best things about 25 December is cute Christmas adverts. With John Lewis dropping their much-anticipated offering today (and we’re going to go against the grain and say we flipping loved it), it’s got us reminiscing at Source HQ about festive ads of years gone by.
Ever since the department store’s Christmas ads started tugging at the nation’s heart strings, other big brands have really upped their game when it comes to Christmas commercials.
From the classic Toys R Us ads of our youth to Mog the cat repping Sainsbury’s last year, there’s been some true corkers that can’t help but put you in the Christmas spirit.
Here, we’ve rounded up our top 10.
Irn-Bru – The Snowman
A much-loved children’s character joined forces with Scotland’s favourite fizzy drink in 2011 to create a heart-warming, funny advert that we’re still laughing about now.
Toys R Us
Even though we don’t get toys for Christmas any more (boring), nothing says Christmas quite like the Toys R Us jingle. This ad first aired in 1989, and there have been different versions since with the same infectious song. They tried to change it one year and the nation went mad.
Coca Cola – Holidays Are Coming
Another sign that, er, the holidays are coming is when Coca Cola send out their brightly-lit trucks to deliver their fizzy drink to the masses. Fun fact – Coca Cola helped create the Santa that we know and love today. Before 1931, Santa was depicted in a range of different ways, from tall and gaunt to elf-like, but Coke’s ad campaigns have helped mould a jollier soul.
John Lewis – Monty the Penguin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DPDIkuU_cY
It’s hard to pick you favourite John Lewis Christmas ad, but we love Monty the Penguin from 2015. Next. Level. Cute.
Sainsbury’s – Mog
You might have read the Mog books by Judith Kerr in your youth, but Sainsbo’s brought the much-loved cat to life in 2015 and let her have a bit of an adventure in the ad breaks. We may have purchased a Mog soft toy off the back of it…
Marks & Spencer – Mrs Claus
With so much focus on Santa, M&S shone the spotlight on his other half, Mrs Claus, in last year’s ad. Turns out, she’s a bit of a hero.
Aldi – Kevin the Carrot
The little orange guy’s adventure had us all gripped last Christmas. He navigates a perilous Christmas dinner table before finding his way to possibly the best spot a carrot can be – ready to be offered up to Santa’s reindeer. The animation in this one was fab.
Quality Street – Magic Moments
This cute 90s ad from Quality Street (and let’s be honest – what even is Christmas without a tin of Quality Street doing the rounds as you watch EastEnders?) saw a little boy show the lollipop lady who helped him cross the road every morning just how much he appreciated her – with a box of his favourite chocs. Ahhh.
You can watch John Lewis’s 2017 Christmas ad featuring Moz the Monster here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jw1Y-zhQURU&t=10s
