These Are The Best Christmas Ads Of 2023 That Earned Themselves A Spot On Our Nice List

It’s that time of year again. As the festive season approaches, the air fills with enchanting narratives, heartfelt tales, and captivating visuals all wrapped within the frame of a TV Christmas ad. Think John Lewis, Coca Cola and even Aldi. Beyond product promotion, these brands publish cultural touchstones that possess the ability to convey important messages of kindness and togetherness during the festive season. 

From tear-jerking stories to whimsical animations, Christmas ads over the years have evolved into platforms for storytelling, amplifying important societal themes and messages. Along with their fun-loving, free-spirited nature, they serve as a reminder that beyond the hustle and bustle of consumerism, the festive period is a time for unity, generosity and spreading goodwill.

Read on as we take you on a journey through the enchanting world of the best Christmas ads of 2023, exploring how each of them has the extraordinary ability to touch hearts and ignite the true spirit of Christmas.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS ADS OF 2023…IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER

Aldi

Starting strong with Aldi’s answer to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, whereby anthropomorphic foods float around in rivers of gravy preparing for the big Christmas dinner ahead, there isn’t much we can fault about this fun-loving addition to the Christmas ads archives. As we follow the vegetables around the factory, it’s clear only Kevin the Carrot is getting the hint that “Christmas isn’t selfish, it’s not all me,me,me”. As we say our goodbyes to each of the vegetables one by one (in rather sadistic fashion, might we add), the group is whittled down to just Kevin. His reward? The cheese key to the factory! 

Aldi’s aim to convey the festive season through selfless acts of kindness and unity is a success here, making it one of the best Christmas ads of 2023 in our book. Executive Strategy Director of Wunder Thompson, Neil Godber, agrees with the beloved supermarket’s Christmas strategy by stating that “Aldi has wisely continued the runaway success of Kevin the Carrot. The care dedicated to the production contributes to building Aldi as a genuine destination for your Christmas food”. We second that, Neil. 

Charlie’s Bar

@charliesbarenniskillen

‘There are no strangers here, only friends you haven’t yet met’ (W. B. Yeats) 💫 Filming & Editing: @aoifeteague1 #christmasad #christmasadvert #christmasadvert2023 #christmasadvert23 #christmasadvertisement #christmas2023 #northernireland #northernirelandtiktok #northernirelandfyp #irishbar #irishpub #christmaspub

♬ People Help the People – Birdy

Now, we said these were the best Christmas ads of 2023, not that they were exempt from tugging at the heartstrings, and emotion-inducing is the only suitable description for the next contender on our list.

Situated in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, Charlie’s Bar pays homage to those who will be lonely this Christmas. The advert tells the story of an elderly man as he leaves his house on a cold, winter’s day. We follow him as he heads to the cemetery to put flowers down on a loved one’s grave before heading to his local pub (you guessed it! Charlie’s Bar). Along the way we see our protagonist continually ignored by passersby (signaling the flood of tears at this point as we’re reminded of every single time we’ve ever ignored an old person), until he enters the pub and is joined by a young couple and their pup who sit with him to share a drink and conversation. 

Unlike its TV-led counterparts, the Charlie’s Bar ad was released on social media and gained virality this way. Una Burns, manager of the family-run pub, says “it became apparent over the years that Christmas can be a really lonely, tough time for people” and so wanted to provide a Christmas advert that resonated with people. Its successful attempt at shedding light on loneliness, such a crucial societal theme surrounding the festive season, suggests that Una’s goals have been achieved. Bravo! 

Chevrolet

Grab the tissues, because we’ve got another tear-jerker for you.

Titled ‘A Holiday To Remember’, Chevrolet’s submission to the deck of best Christmas ads of 2023 has masterfully struck the chord of sentiment this festive season by shedding light on those suffering with Alzheimers at such a poignant time of year led by family gatherings. We are introduced to our protagonist, an elderly lady suffering from the disease, as she sits staring out of the window while her family continues with the festivities. Her granddaughter decides to try something that will bring her back, even if just for a short while, by uncovering her grandmother’s old 1972 Chevy Suburban in the garage and taking her for a ride past memory-triggering locations from her grandmother’s past. As we see her slowly regaining her memory, she remembers that it’s Christmas time and that she must get back to help her husband with the dinner. He’s already waiting to greet her as the car pulls up (triggering even more tears than we knew were possible). 

Created in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association, Chevrolet’s Christmas advert does a fantastic job of reminding us of just one of the ways in which we can still interact with our loved ones suffering from this cruel disease at this time of year. 

Temptations

Calling all you cool cats and kittens, Temptations has the Christmas ad for you. Developed by Adam&EveDDB, this festive campaign jokingly plays on the notion that cats are “too cool” to join in with their families at Christmas time, unless bribed with quality cat treats. 

The campaign was live throughout November and December and will run until Christmas eve, supported by limited-time offered bundles of treats, PR and influencer support from Weber Shandwick and organic social content on the Temptations brand channels. 

Apple

Known for producing the most engaging, high-tech ads throughout the rest of the year, Apple’s Christmas ad submission is no exception. Pulling on the heartstrings and giving us all the ‘fuzzy feelings’, Apple has combined themes of loneliness, kindness and unity through an exceptional part-stop-motion animation, part-live action TV advertisement set to George Harrison’s ‘Isn’t It A Pity’. 

Where most brands put their products at the front and centre of their Christmas ads, Apple has gone for our hearts as we follow a young woman tell the story of her scrooge-like boss through a stop-motion film made on her iPhone. The animation sets him up in a series of unfortunate events, such as falling in an ice-cold river and electrifying himself when putting up the Christmas lights. With each passing day our protagonist’s treatment of her boss only seems to be getting worse. That is until we cut back to the real world where she spots her boss dining alone in a restaurant one evening on her walk home. Returning back home to her studio, she stares at the little figure, who seems to stare right back, and decides to give him a happy ending instead. 

In its description, Apple says “Creativity has the power to change the way we see each other and the world. Sometimes seeing things through a new lens can make all the difference.” This theme of consideration is reflected perfectly in this advert, earning it an undoubted spot on our list of the best Christmas ads of 2023.

Tesco

Drawing on the fact that, for many people, the festive feeling goes away before the big day itself, BBH London and Tesco are encouraging us to “Become More Christmas” throughout the whole of December, not just for the first few weeks.

Leaning into Christmas’ (quite literal) transformative capabilities, we see families, neighbours and shoppers transforming into Christmas-themed emblems (such as reindeer, snowmen and women and Christmas trees) as a sign of their festive spirit. The only person yet to transform is our teenage protagonist. That is until a sentimental moment between him and his Christmas tree Dad ignites the festive spirit inside him and we see him transform into a tree too. 

This campaign does an excellent job at acknowledging that not everyone finds it easy to get into the Christmas spirit, with the soundtrack, OMC’s ‘How Bizarre’, perfectly encapsulating how ‘in-your-face’ the festive season can be for those who struggle to get into the mood. Executive Creative Director, Felipe Guimaraes, puts it perfectly by saying, “Christmas is a strange time. You hang out with people you don’t usually. You eat food you never do at any other time of year, but…eventually everyone gets into [the mood].” CEO and founder of Hello Finch, Jemima Bird, describes it as “Tesco’s best-ever”, warranting the ad a whopping 5/5 in her books. For those still looking for their Christmas spirit, we highly recommend watching Tesco’s submission this year. It’s infectious!

Amazon

Christmas knows no age. This is exactly the message Amazon so perfectly conveys in its contribution to the pile and is the reason we’re rewarding it with a spot on our best Christmas ads of 2023 list. 

Without using dialogue or on-screen text, Amazon tells the story of three elderly ladies sitting on a park bench watching children tobogganing down a snowy hill. Deciding they wish to relive their youth, they order three supportive sled cushions from the Amazon app and, before we know it, we’re watching them happily slide down the same hill as the kids, with integrated cuts of the young versions of themselves doing the same activity. Set to a rendition of ‘It’s My Life’ by The Beatles by a 40-piece orchestra, Amazon succeeds at encapsulating the “joy of shared experiences and timeless fun that transcends age”. Isn’t it nice to see older faces in a Christmas ad that reject the “grumpy” stereotype, for once?

Boots

An unlikely candidate has appeared on our list of the best Christmas ads of 2023 and, this time, we’re not mad about it. 

Boots has suddenly become brilliant at producing Christmas ads, mixing the fuzzy feelings of the festive season with squeaky-clean storytelling. This year’s offering is an indie flick depicting a mother and her daughter going on a topsy-turvy journey to the North Pole to deliver a gift to Santa. Along the way, Boots brilliantly sprinkles in some very tongue-in-cheek touches of product placement in the form of gift-giving, such as an anti-aging serum to a dishevelled lorry driver and an antiperspirant set to a whiffy Arctic explorer. The retro charms of Val Doonican’s ‘I’m Gonna Get There Somehow’ evokes a feeling of nostalgia, making it all the more enjoyable a watch. Chairman, Robert Metcalfe, of Richmond & Towers is a huge fan of the music also, as he describes it as “jolly but not clichéd” and that it “bears repeat viewing”. Bravo!

Coca Cola

You won’t be the least bit surprised to see the next contender on our list of the best Christmas ads of 2023. Hailed a leader of the festive season, Coca Cola’s santa-laden ad hones in on its core values of kindness this year. 

Featuring a city of Santas performing acts of kindness, Coca Cola encourages us to celebrate the spirit of Santa within all of us. The iconicity of Santa Claus serves as a symbol of kindness, generosity and goodwill, whether it’s helping a neighbour, sharing the last Coca Cola, or lending a hand to a stranger in need. Leveraging its long-standing affiliation with the image of Santa Claus, Coca Cola has managed to perfectly encapsulate the true meaning of Christmas while still ensuring a light-hearted, fun visual offering is presented. “In a world beset by war, enmity and aggression, this feels like a recognisable, global truth and a kind of big global ad that only Coca Cola can pull off” states Nick Woods, Strategy and Creative Director of Sunny Side Up. 

Shelter

This is a PSA to get those tissues back out as we praise the gut-wrenchingly important work of Shelter this Christmas. In the UK, figures show that 131,000 children are in temporary accommodation this Christmas – an increase of 10,000 since last year. To bring these numbers to life, Shelter has released a poignant festive ad in partnership with Don’t Panic London to convey the harsh realities of homelessness and housing issues from the perspective of children this winter. 

We follow a young girl, Maddie, carry out a series of good deeds after overhearing that the secret is to “be as good as gold and you’ll get just what you want”. From here on, we see Maddie giving up her seat on the bus, helping an elderly lady carry her Christmas tree, and bravely catching a spider – all with the hope that she makes it onto Santa’s good list. But we are made aware of the harsh realities of Christmas when we see Maddie awoken on Christmas Day without the one thing she’d wished for; a home. 

Though one of the more hard-hitting watches, Shelter’s offering deserves a top spot on our best Christmas ads of 2023 list for its dedication to those who won’t get to experience the picture-perfect festive season we’re often shown on TV and in films. 

There you have it, our roundup of the best Christmas ads of 2023 which are well-deserving of a spot on our nice list. As the years pass by, it becomes more evident that their impact goes beyond selling. Instead, they remind us to cherish unity, kindness and the joy of giving during this magical time.

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