Those break out conversations about the weird and wonderful are a big reason Your Marketing Team chooses the office over home; they’re what makes working together so much fun.
And at this time of year, inevitably, we like to debate the best Christmas ad of the year.
Unfortunately, we can’t share the Santa impressions, but here are our collective favourites to help keep you in a seasonal mood:
Charlie's pick - Morrisons 'Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now'
From the first time I saw it, there was no doubt that my favourite Christmas ad this year is Morrisons’. The star of the show is a singing oven glove, who belts out the classic ‘Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now’ which is bound to prompt a whole family sing along when the ad comes on screen. Overall, the ad advocates one of the best traditions of Christmas: enjoying good food around the table with loved ones. It truly stands out from the crowd by not focusing on product promotion, anti-tradition or a daft story. 10/10 from me!
Beccy's pick - Charlie’s Bar
Here’s something a bit different. We saw a huge rise in low budget ads that went viral last year and this one from ‘Charlie’s Bar’, a small pub in Northern Ireland, has been hitting the headlines for all the right reasons. The ad cost £700 to make and was filmed on an iphone. ‘There are no strangers here, only friends you haven’t met’ tells the story of friendships and the kindness of strangers overcoming loneliness and isolation felt by many over the festive season. John Lewis, the King of Christmas Ads, shared the short film in recognition of it’s brilliance and pub’s Manager Una Burns says the response has been ‘overwhelming’.
Lisa's pick - Amazon’s Joy Ride
This year my favourite is Amazon's "Joy Ride" advert. The ad shows three life long friends reliving their youth by sledging down a hill - aided by a gift from one of the friends. It reminds us about the importance of friendship, that getting old is a state of mind and the joy of giving a thoughtful gift. The ad also features a cover of The Beatles track in "In My Life" which not only encapsulates the spirit of the campaign, but happens to be a personal favourite.
Laura T and Sue's pick - John Lewis: Snapper, The Perfect Tree
Laura comments: A monstrous departure from the shmaltzy Christmas ads we’ve become able to identify as ‘John Lewis at Christmas’, the 2023 edition from Saatchi & Saatchi offers some entertaining light relief. It brings a smile, inspired by the adventures of Seymour in the Little Shop of Horrors, without an ounce of Christmas guilt, it’s emotive, but this year, for all the right reasons. Long may the team at Saatchi & Saatchi continue to innovate what Christmas traditions could be!
Sue comments: My top favourite this year, has to be the John Lewis advert with the ‘snapper’ Christmas tree. Of all the adverts I have seen this year (unless I have missed one), this is the only one where I can see Jesus, who after all is the reason for the season! The little boy’s complete acceptance and unconditional love for something that isn’t quite what he expected, and all those around him see as a threat, just blows me away. It seems to neatly advertise the John Lewis brand whilst cutting through all the commercialisation of Christmas, with a beautiful underlying message.
Emily's pick - Aldi's 'Kevin and The Christmas Factory'
This year, Aldi’s advert takes the win for me. It’s not Christmas for me unless I see Kevin the Carrot appear! Their twist on the childhood classic film of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is bound to bring back memories of Christmases as a child and remind viewers how truly magical Christmas is. The conclusional message of ‘Christmas is a time that's sweeter when you share', really reinforces the season's nature of giving and spending Christmas with those who mean a lot to you.
We hope you enjoyed watching these as much as we did… it feels like this year there’s a collective mood to highlight that Christmas is more about the people you share it with than the gifts under the tree.
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas from Your Marketing Team!