Every year, the UK Christmas advertising landscape becomes a battleground of emotion, spectacle, and branding strategy. While the usual suspects generate headlines, the true measure of success lies in originality and cultural resonance.
Even before we get the detailed brand insights and market analysis on it’s performance, we think that the 2025 festive season has a clear winner: Waitrose’s four-minute masterpiece, The Perfect Gift.
Waitrose didn’t just release an advert; they premiered a Christmas rom-com short film. By moving away from the traditional 90-second spot and leaning into cinematic, long-form storytelling, they’ve struck marketing gold.
Waitrose’s decision to elevate the Christmas ad to a four-minute short film, complete with direction from the BAFTA-winning Molly Manners (known for Netflix’s One Day), showcases a bold strategy focused on deep emotional engagement.
In case you haven’t seen it yet… the ad centres on the unlikely pairing of beloved British actress Keira Knightley (playing herself, the romantic heroine) and comedian Joe Wilkinson, who reprises his role as the lovable, slightly dejected everyman, Phil. The plot is pure festive joy: a charming meet-cute over the Waitrose cheese counter, a montage of blossoming romance, and a culmination in a beautiful Love Actually-inspired declaration of affection. The ultimate romantic gesture? Phil recreating Keira’s Nan’s famed turkey pie recipe.
The ad’s success lies squarely in the longer form. The full, four-minute version allows for genuine character development, heartfelt moments, and the perfect comedic timing between Knightley and Wilkinson. It’s a piece of premium festive content designed to be watched, shared, and enjoyed online, setting a new benchmark for brand storytelling. Richard Curtis himself, the king of the Christmas rom-com genre, even labelled the festive short “sweet as pie.”
To truly appreciate the genius of the Waitrose campaign, we must look back at the ads that set the emotional, narrative and comedic foundations. Moving past only the most common choices, here is our definitive list of our favourite festive ads, selected for their lasting impact, originality and ability to define their respective eras.
Coca-Cola (1995) – Holidays Are Coming
The definitive festive jingle and visual icon. The appearance of the illuminated trucks officially marks the start of the UK Christmas season for many… it’s pure, nostalgic marketing perfection.
Irn-Bru (2006) – Phenomenal Christmas (Snowman)
A brilliant Scottish parody of The Snowman, where the boy refuses to share his Irn-Bru, demonstrating that the best UK ads often break the mould with unique regional humour. And according to our ECD, Jamie Bell, this one is the best Christmas ad ever!
John Lewis (2011) – The Long Wait
The ad that pioneered the emotional ‘bait-and-switch’ formula: a boy impatiently waiting for Christmas morning, only for the twist to reveal his desire was to gift his present. This campaign single-handedly set the tone for a decade of festive brand rivalry.
John Lewis (2012) – The Journey (The Snowman)
The one that truly cemented John Lewis’s position as the nation’s chief tear-jerker. Following an adorable snowman’s epic quest across the UK to find a gift for his beloved Snow-Woman, this spot blended classic cinematic storytelling with a pitch-perfect cover song, setting the template for the ‘blockbuster’ Christmas ad.
Sainsbury’s (2014) – Christmas 1914
A powerful, poignant historical recreation of the First World War Christmas Truce, reminding audiences of the true spirit of sharing and humanity. It was a masterclass in combining historical reverence with contemporary brand messaging.
Mulberry (2014) – #WinChristmas
A gloriously witty and self-aware take on the pressure of gift-giving. It moved away from the usual Christmas ad concepts by focusing on a slightly toxic, competitive family dynamic played out in the pursuit of ‘winning’ Christmas with the perfect gift.
John Lewis (2015) – The Man on the Moon
A high-concept, highly effective campaign centred on loneliness among the elderly, created in partnership with Age UK. It successfully turned the ad into emotional activism, using its immense platform for a meaningful cultural conversation.
Marks & Spencer (2016) – Christmas with Love from Mrs Claus
An empowering, modern take on festive tradition, featuring a stylish Mrs Claus who takes to the skies in a helicopter to grant a young boy’s heartfelt wish. It proved that M&S could deliver spectacle and character development in spades.
Aldi (2016) – The Amazing Christmas Carrot
The launch of Kevin the Carrot, who injected much-needed humour and serialised storytelling into the supermarket ad wars, quickly becoming a family favourite and a defining character of the festive season.
