‘It took the world by storm’: Your favourite Christmas TV adverts ever

It’s that time of year again when the biggest brands in the UK launch their Christmas adverts, with huge names battling it out to be the most talked-about version on offer.

John Lewis, Marks and Spencer’s, Sainsbury’s, and Asda are among the big names bidding to have you reach for your tissues (and maybe wallet) with their mini-movies.

It’s a tried and tested Christmas tradition that every November, we’re treated to a short slice of the festive spirit from several of the big high street retailers.

Some are unfathomably sad (think John Lewis’s lonely old man on the moon in 2015), while others try to keep things chipper and upbeat (think Coca-Cola, the inventors of modern Santa).

Despite being adverts, trying to sell things to us, the Christmas variety usually has very little to do with peddling the stuff they actually want us to buy. At least, the good ones don’t. They’re usually more concerned with making us cry.

So we decided to get into the festive spirit properly, with its commercial modern rebrand, and ask readers which of the adverts in years gone by they think of most fondly.

Keep reading as we run down the best Christmas adverts of late, according to Metro readers. Expect emotional tearjerkers and laugh-out-loud classics alike.

The Bear and the Hare

We have this advert to thank for the almost Pavlovian response of getting misty-eyed when Lily Allen’s version of Keane’s Somewhere Only We Know starts to play. This turned it into a number one hit.

The John Lewis advert tells the cartoon story of a grizzly bear who ‘had never seen Christmas’, instead hibernating through the wintry months.

Their hare bestie was forced to spend Christmas without them. But after the hare leaves a gift in the bear’s cave, that all changes.

The woodland animals are joined on Christmas morning by the big, cuddly bear, to the delight of its long-eared hare friend.

The advert won a number of awards at the time and is still one Metro readers remember to this day.

Julia Gill wrote: ‘I personally have a soft spot for the first John Lewis Christmas ad that took the world by storm – The Bear and the Hare.’

Shona Haswell agreed, saying the advert ‘really got to me emotionally’.

1914

This 2014 Sainsbury’s Christmas advert was torn straight from the history books, inspired by the real events on the Western Front a hundred years ago in 1914.

Made in partnership with The Royal British Legion, the ad told the extraordinary events of that Christmas day, when the Second World War, raging on, was put aside briefly for a game of football in no man’s land.

In the advert, the Germans and the Brits come together in their opposing trenches for a rendition of Silent Night. Everything from the insignia on the men’s uniform to the depth of the trenches in the ads is based on historical fact.

Joanie Wood described the advert as ‘brilliant’, while Tracy Bates said it was ‘powerful stuff’.

Buster the Boxer

The 2016 John Lewis advert has, and continues to be, a firm favourite amongst fans.

Titled ‘Buster the Boxer’, the video features a boxer dog named Biff who desperately wants to play on the trampoline his owners bought for their daughter.

After watching a group of foxes, badgers, and hedgehogs enjoy the trampoline the night before Christmas, the dog can be seen getting very jealous.

Then, on Christmas Day, he adorably runs ahead of the little girl to jump on the trampoline.

Caroline Schofield described the advert, which uses a cover of the song One Day I’ll Fly Away by Randy Crawford, as being ‘the best ever’.

Joy Ride

The Joy Ride advert by Amazon feels like Christmas nostalgia at its very best.

The 2023 advertisement follows three lifelong friends reliving the joy of their youth.

The trio can be seen sledging together after one of them orders seat cushions from Amazon.

Using an instrumental version of The Beatles’ In My Life, the nostalgia and heartwarming story about moments and enduring friendships is sure to pull on the heartstrings.

Describing the Amazon advert online, Mandy O’Connor Whitworth said that it reminds her of ‘my mum and two sisters’.

Helen Rogers Dobbins also said that their lifelong friendship ‘gives me chills’ every time.

The Beginner

This 2022 John Lewis advert is yet another that’s bound to bring a tear to your eye.

Released in 2022, it tells the story of a middle-aged man who learns to skateboard.

Over the course of the video, we learn that his only motivation is to connect with his teenage foster daughter, Ellie, who is arriving to live with him.

The aim behind the advert is to raise awareness of the importance of social care, and it was used to promote John Lewis’s ‘Building Happier Futures’ scheme to support young people in care.

Lindsey Bayley said she works in children’s social care, so ‘this advert really resonated with me’.

Carolyn Dobson also said that the ad was ‘her favourite’ as well.

Holidays are coming

One ad that came up an awful lot was the classic Coca-Cola truck commercial, known colloquially as ‘Holidays are Coming’.

A number of Metro readers were nostalgic for the advert, which features large red trucks delivering everyone’s favourite carbonated beverage, with many of you claiming it’s not Christmas until you’ve seen the ad.

Roxie Taylor, however, was most enthusiastic, writing, ‘The marketing team could’ve retired after coming up with that. As soon as I hear that bell ring, it’s Christmas.’

Let’s just hope Roxie hasn’t seen the new AI ad.

Love is a Gift

An offbeat choice next, courtesy of Joanne Gurney, who chose Love is a Gift.

This heartbreaking ad tells the story of a man counting down the days until Christmas as he waits to open a present from his mum.

When the big day arrives, however, it’s revealed that his mum is dead and he’s been waiting to listen to tapes she made him before she passed.

‘So simple yet utterly heartbreaking,’ wrote Joanne, and she’s not wrong. Even the thought of it brings me out in floods of tears.

What’s most impressive about this particular ad is that, according to its creator, Phil Beastall, it only cost £50.

‘People seem to like my film because it’s the story that shines through,’ Phil told ITV back in 2015.

‘You don’t always need a huge budget, just an impactful narrative that gets the message across.’

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