Christmas ads 2025: who’s king of the first non-HFSS festive ads?

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Christmas ads came thick and fast this week, from Asda’s Grinch to John Lewis’s dewy-eyed 90s raver dad. But who did best? Our panel of judges decides. With voluntary restrictions on showing less healthy products in place since October, our panel is joined this year by Obesity Health Alliance director Katharine Jenner

Our judges

Jemima Bird: CEO & founder, Hello Finch
Katharine Jenner: director, Obesity Health Alliance
Rob Metcalfe: chairman, Richmond & Towers
Rob Sellers: founder, Rob Sellers Consulting
Nick Woods: strategy & creative director, Sunny Side Up

Sainsbury’s

Total score: 13
Sainsbury’s teams up with the BFG again, this time to save Christmas from a Greedy Giant

JB: Last year’s BFG was charming enough, but this year feels like someone said “make it again, but MORE” and forgot that more should mean better, not just bigger. Sure, there’s Annie the actual Sainsbury’s colleague (cute touch), and yes, the greedy giant devours everything faster than shoppers clear the reduced section at 7pm. But it’s all a bit forced. 2/5

KJ: Sainsbury’s brings back the original Whizzpoppers (brussels sprouts) in a nostalgic nod to Roald Dahl, with plenty of party food along for the ride. It squeaks through the voluntary advertising restrictions thanks to the ‘party food’ exemption and a focus on non-restricted categories. Fun, and festive – smartly just on the right side of the rules, but highlights that those rules are not going to stop children from seeing unhealthy food. 3/5

RM: Sainsbury’s again enriches the estate of notorious antisemite Roald Dahl, but this BFG outing doesn’t add much to last year’s. There’s a casting problem, too, with Sainsbury’s delivery driver Annie no match in the acting stakes for the animations. More fundamentally, there are no clues as to why anyone should shop at Sainsbury’s this Christmas. 2/5

RS: This feels more strategically sharp than last year’s. There is an obvious desire from Sainsbury’s to win the big online shops, so most of the storytelling is about the need for emergency deliveries. We’re asked if we want to be “ready for anything this Christmas”, playing into Sainsbury’s range and reliability. They know who they are, and it’s communicated with engaging creative. 4/5

NW: It aligns with the ‘making good food available to all’ promise, uses the ‘hey Sainsbury’s’ question neatly, and looks great from a craft perspective, but the results is that difficult second album. A tenner says this will be the last of BFG x Sainsbos. 2/5

Asda

Total score: 14
Asda prices get the Grinch in the Christmas spirit

JB: This nails the cost of living conversation without being patronising, stays true to Asda’s DNA (price, price, price), and manages to be funny without trying too hard. 4/5

KJ: With reports that shoppers plan to spend less this year, the ad emphasises value for money while making fresh fruit and veg the food heroes (aside from a mini chicken skewer, which is exempt from restrictions). Comfortably on the ‘nice’ list for healthier advertising, albeit a bit cringy. 3/5

RM: When Walmart used the Grinch for its 2023 ad, it was swiftly pointed out that the key message from the original story is that Christmas is about love and kindness and not presents, decorations and food. Asda hasn’t learnt that lesson and instead has created a low-rent musical tribute – to presents, decorations and food, with some stunningly lame choreography as a bonus. It’s a crime against Dr Seuss. 1/5

RS: The comms strategy is clear: our customers are feeling the pinch, and we need to remind them of Asda’s affordability. It’s clever in concept, and delivered with some charm, but I can’t help but feel it’s missing something. Will people talk about it in the pub, or share it on Instagram? The Grinch is such a great property, and they could have made real mischief with it. Just a bit too safe. 3/5

NW: From Elf to Bublé to gnomes to… the Grinch, you can’t say Asda doesn’t empty the tank on finding strong characters to put in-store and alongside store colleagues every December. Points for acknowledging that lots of people feel a bit Grinchy about the cost of living at Christmas, and a few more for being so blatantly value-first, but this could have punched harder when it comes to the glint in the eye I associate with the Grinch. Missed a trick. 3/5

Morrisons

Total score: 15
Morrisons shows us how Christmas is a year-long event in its supply chain

JB: Finally, a Morrisons ad with personality. A farmer shouting “Merry Christmas” in July to a bewildered dog walker? Bakery decked in fairy lights in August? A fisherman’s boat glowing like Blackpool Illuminations in the sunshine? It’s delightfully bonkers and somehow works. The message is a lovely nod to their supply chain without being preachy, and Stop the Cavalry as the soundtrack is inspired. This is Morrisons finally finding their groove – celebrating the graft behind the glam without taking themselves too seriously. 4/5

KJ: From bakery to fishing boats, Morrisons celebrates Christmas across its supply chain – even squeezing in a Halloween nod, featuring a child dressed as a pickle. Charming, packed with fresh produce, farms, and festive spirit, I couldn’t spot a single less healthy product. 4/5

RM: This feels like three different ads badly edited together. And I don’t understand it. I mean, of course I understand the festive supply chain story, but why anyone thought that would be of interest to shoppers, having been repeatedly flogged to death in ads gone by, defeats me. Morrisons makes stuff, apparently. Some of it in advance, don’t you know. And then sells it. Wow. And what’s with the illuminated tractor and the gormless family at the end who don’t seem to realise it’s Christmas at all? 2/5

RS: Perhaps Morrisons’ ad strategy has been most affected by HFSS. There is literally no food in it, and this from a brand that is usually showing us juicy joints and delectable desserts. The way round has been to talk about the providence of produce instead. While opening on a summer’s day as a farmer does ‘something in a field’ is different, the conceit wears thin and the narrative is confusing. 2/5

NW: Morrisons have dropped the singing oven gloves and gone back to their roots. Attention-grabbing from the start, the script hits its stride confidently and the acting is brilliant. Nice to see the growers, makers and bakers getting recognition. 3/5

Lidl

Total score: 13
Lidl tells us Christmas is about making others happy, as it again encourages donations to its in-store toy banks

JB: A young girl, wondering “Why do we love Christmas so much?”, discovers it’s all about giving, not receiving. Cue shots of families sharing meals and small moments of generosity. It’s earnest, it’s worthy, and it ties into their toy bank scheme, which genuinely does brilliant work. But it’s painfully worthy, with The Beach Boys’ Wouldn’t It Be Nice playing over wholesome scenes as we’re lectured about how Christmas is “less me, more us”. It’s the advertising equivalent of being told to eat your vegetables. At least they’re showing turkey and veg instead of chocolate (hello, HFSS restrictions). 1/5

KJ: Seeing a child grab greedily for… an apple. Lovely. Thanks, Lidl, for sticking not just to the letter of the voluntary advertising restrictions, but also the spirit. This gives me hope that when the rules are enforced come 5 January, all advertisers can put the spotlight on healthier food – a future of thoughtful, honest marketing would be a gift indeed. 4/5

RM: There’s an idea trying to get out here – Christmas makes us nicer people – but it is crushed by a clumsy script and some dodgy acting. And spare us from sanctimonious children. Why is Christmas special? “Because we all want to make each other feel more loved,” apparently. I can feel the eggnog coming back up. And how do we do that? The weirdly worded payoff tells us: “Find the value in sharing joy by donating to Lidl’s toy bank.” I know the brief was to get the word ‘value’ in as often as possible, but this is nonsensical. 2/5

RS: Lidl have gone philosophical. It’s clunky and corny, brought to life through generic family vignettes. Which is a shame, because the big idea is “sharing joy” by giving to Lidl’s toy bank. The initiative is far more interesting than the ad. 2/5

NW: The Lidl toy bank is one of my favourite Christmas activations – on-brand, on-audience, on point for these still-tough times, and long-running enough to have built real equity. Some lovely moments, like the sprint into Grandad’s big hug and the desire for a thumbs up from Grandma, as well as a thoughtful – but not mawkish – sense of thinking of others. 4/5

M&S Food

Total score: 9
Stuck in a traffic jam, Dawn French raids an M&S lorry, where she finds a Christmas feast and stages a party as Tom Kerridge sits in the tailback

JB: Good ol’ Dawn back again, and I’m here for the Chris Rea traffic jam opener – very Driving Home for Christmas meta. Chef’s kiss for Dawn’s Die Hard scramble to the truck. But then it all descends into beige territory faster than you can say ‘Tom Kerridge pâté’. Dawn transforms a motorway into a roadside buffet and somehow it feels less magical, more service station with delusions of grandeur. Where’s the sparkle? Where’s the story? It’s just people eating canapés on the M40. Even Tom’s cameo can’t rescue this from feeling like a very expensive menu card. 2/5

KJ: M&S chairman Archie Norman said earlier this year the new HFSS rules would probably mean no Christmas ad for 2025. Now M&S rolls out Dawn French and her fairy alter-ego in an advert bursting with indulgent party food. Clearly very HFSS, yet neatly tucked under the party food exemption. There is no material change from 2025, and no effort to put healthier options in the spotlight. The ad sidesteps the rules while flaunting all the festive favourites. It makes it hard to see why these regulations have been delayed by five years. 2/5

RM: Self-awareness may not be Dawn French’s strong point, but surely somebody at M&S might have thought this was the year to spare us from her festive simpering. Instead of doing the nation a favour, she’s back, with a weirdly convoluted setup that delivers the usual festive product parade. Tom Kerridge makes an unnecessary cameo to point out “the world’s gone mad”. If only. A bit of madness would be better than this tedium. 2/5

RS: “This is not just food…” we are once again told at the end of a rambling 90 seconds which feels (again) mainly about Dawn French. In fact, although production values are very high, the food doesn’t actually look great – almost an afterthought. An HFSS challenge? There will be inevitable middle-class chuckles as Ms French goes gag-a-minute, but I’m not sure why I need to go to M&S this Christmas. 2/5

NW: We’ve all been in that car, in that endless queue, and found ourselves humming to a cheesy Christmas tune, before reality bites. It’s a great start and Dawn French is a national treasure for the M&S classes, but the party in an M&S lorry jars. Some nice touches, but if a table full of indistinguishable brown food, unpronounceable pâté and fish & chips hors d’oeuvres are the best M&S has, I’ll be going to Waitrose. 1/5

John Lewis

Total score: 20
A dad and his teenage son reconnect across the generational divide thanks to the gift of a 90s dance hit on vinyl

JB: Pass. The. Tissues. Now. Dad finds a last unopened present under the tree – a vinyl from his teenage son. Alison Limerick’s Where Love Lives drops and suddenly he’s transported to a 90s rave, bucket hat and all, before the lights fade and he sees his son across the dance-floor. Then we get flashbacks of his son growing up – toddler, baby, all of it. John Lewis said “we’re going back to emotional basics” and they absolutely delivered. It’s about connection when words fail, about the power of a thoughtful gift, about time passing too quickly. And that tagline: “If you can’t find the words, find the gift.” Devastating. 5/5

KJ: John Lewis: take all my money and use it to send your marketing team to Cannes Lions. 5/5

RM: In a sea of sleigh bells, twinkly lights, bad tunes and tinsel, this at least stands out. But there’s good different and depressing different. I did think that the bloke had died halfway through, which tips it towards the latter, along with the moody lighting and general sense of distress. And whatever John Lewis wants us to think, one cheesy 90s 12-inch does not a relationship repair. While last year’s gift quest withstood repeat viewing, this I fear is just going to get gloomier as Christmas approaches. What a shame, this one could have been a winner. 2/5

RS: Similar to last year, John Lewis is banking on the power of nostalgia to remind families that Christmas is a time for powerful (re)connections – and again using ‘time travel’ as a device. Maybe a nod back to the ‘original’ John Lewis Christmas ad (2011) – with a boy anticipating the power of the gift he has chosen for his dad. It’s touching and emotionally on point, as we now expect from JL. 4/5

NW: Haters gonna hate, but it works. Decent emotional punch, tie into the ongoing 90s nostalgia trend, clear commercial link to JL (as a provider of thoughtful gifts) and an actualinsight: sometimes it’s hard to find the words. Lifting music from being an important secondary element and making it the centrepiece is inspired and opens the door to its new Rough Trade concessions and listening lounges really neatly. Cue headlines about how JL “records record record sales”. 4/5

Fortnum & Mason

Total score: 12
An animated showcase of premium treats from champagne to a full hamper

JB: Sage green boxes. Wicker hampers. A vaguely fantastical Christmas wonderland that’s light on product, heavy on vibes. This screams “we made an ad because the board said we had to”. F&M customers already know it’s posh. They don’t need a twee fairytale to remind them. It’s beautifully shot but it says absolutely nothing and goes nowhere. 1/5

KJ: For a brand built on indulgence, F&M somehow manage to keep the Christmas magic alive while staying on the right side of the HFSS line. Proof that festive adverts don’t have to be sugar-coated. 4/5

RM: This is wholly inoffensive, classy in a chintzy sort of way, and everything you would expect from F&M (although a trumpet-playing owl is a bit of a surprise). What it doesn’t do is explain why F&M should be your Christmas shopping destination. A missed opportunity. 3/5

RS: Simple, sweet, visually engaging and pretty, but not much more. They do a good job of getting the F&M distinctive assets (the ‘eau de nil’ packaging, tea, the staircase, a hamper, the building frontage) into a 30-second film. But really it struggles to hold attention. 3/5

NW: F&M is the ultimate in high-end luxury retailing and what they offer us here is cartoon mice, red squirrels and owls playing trumpets? The closing line – “a fantastical Christmas” – is urgh. This speaks of a brand in need of new thinking. 1/5

Boots

Total score: 13
Puss in Boots needs gifts for the Snow Queen’s Ball. No prizes for guessing where he goes

JB: Puss in Boots shops at Boots. Get it? GET IT? So we’ve got a CGI cat (who admittedly looks fantastic) falling through clouds onto the high street, popping into Boots for last-minute gifts for “Rapunz” (kill me now), “Snowy” and Prince Charming. The beauty specialist helps him pick No7 lip duos and Shark styling tools, and there’s a dance-off finale because apparently every ad needs one now. It feels like someone fed a marketing algorithm ‘fairytales + Gen Z + beauty gifting’. 1/5

KJ: A welcome relief from Boots this year – no dietary supplements or weight-loss products in sight. The glamour and sparkle are pure Duran Duran vibes, though the focus on vanity and princesses feels a touch outdated to my tastes. 3/5

RM: From a simple staring point it all gets weirdly trippy, with a time/space portal from a medieval snowscape to a modern Boots store. We know it’s a fantasy at this point because the Boots is well stocked and welcoming. After a bit of product showcasing, it’s then back to ye olden days (but with electricity) and a nonsensical Snow Queen’s Ball. Oh, and a bit of Duran Duran. But why Girls on Film, for goodness’ sakes? An expensive mess. 2/5

RS: There’s a lot in here. It’s like three or four different ads – and I am hoping that is deliberate, to be used in bitesize chunks across media deployment. It articulates clear benefits of shopping with them (staff guidance and choice), and then dramatises the emotional payoff (catwalk confidence – pun intended). I suspect we’ll see the idea of “gift happily ever after” play out in a much more integrated way than just TV. 3/5

NW: I rolled my eyes to start with, but quickly warmed to this. The live action/animation mix, the product selection, the soundtrack, the fairytale playfulness, the Swift-ish choreography, the way it all hangs together and the “gift happily ever after” tagline. The fun pharmacy. 4/5

Argos

Total score: 15
Simon Bird of Inbetweeners fame is abducted by Connie the doll and Trevor the dinosaur – the latter brandishing a candy cane – and taught a lesson in Christmas shopping

JB: Bloke thinks Argos only sells toys and gets literally kidnapped by said toys (sure, that’s not terrifying), who show him everything else it stocks. He’s amazed, family is delighted with gifts on Christmas morning. The end. It’s about as subtle as a brick through a window and half as memorable. A classic paint-by-numbers effort. The whole thing feels like it was written by a brief rather than a creative team. Next. 1/5

KJ: A bowl of satsumas makes a cameo, though the candy cane could have stayed in the cupboard. Argos doesn’t sell food, but as a large business it technically will fall under the less healthy restrictions come 5 January, though it’s unlikely to breach rules. 4/5

RM: Don’t show the punters the brief! It couldn’t be clearer that Argos’s market research has told them people think they only sell toys. Surely the Great British public can’t have forgotten Elizabeth Duke already? The setup is silly, but the acting chops of Simon Bird keep it likeable and prevent this from being the usual dull product parade. In fact it’s not much of a parade at all. We see four things that you can buy at Argos. And none are toys. Bonus point for the “can you hear me?” headphones gag at the end. 3/5

RS: Another visit from Argos’s sinister toy gangsters. It’s funny, well observed, and it uses the ‘warehouse just off the high street’ dramatisation to remind us that’s what they actually are. The challenge of getting shoppers to remember Argos is not just for toys is consistent and clear. This is smart work. 4/5

NW: The Connie and Trevor children’s characters divide opinion, but Argos is determinedly sticking with them. This time they’re proving that adults can find gifts for adults in the Argos catalogue – high-end tech, ‘stylish’ homewares and kitchen appliances – as well as toys for the kids, and the point is neatly made. Will I remember this in January? No. Will I remember it while Christmas shopping? Maybe. It does the job. 3/5

Coca-Cola

Total score: 10
For the second year running, Coca-Cola uses AI to tell us “holidays are coming”. A good, long holiday for ad creatives

JB: The iconic truck, the lights, the tune – it’s all there, but something feels off. Flat. Uncanny valley. Like someone told a computer to make ‘Christmas magic’ and forgot to add the actual magic. Are the puppies real? I genuinely can’t tell anymore, and that’s not a good sign. Coca-Cola’s had the Christmas ad game sewn up for decades, and they got away with AI last year. However, it’s genuinely baffling they’d risk their heritage on this. Give me the real thing or nothing. 2/5

KJ: Dear ChatGPT, please write me a Christmas advert – and don’t worry about those pesky ‘less healthy advertising’ restrictions. They’re only voluntary anyway. 0/5

RM: In which various AI-enhanced and unsettlingly anthropomorphic creatures pretend that the seasonal arrival of an enormous juggernaut belching diesel fumes across the snowscape and filled with bottles of Coca-Cola is a good thing. It obviously isn’t, and their eventual destruction will only be hastened by the advance of the agro-industrial complex they seem to be applauding. Advertising drivel that deserves to be ignored. 1/5

RS: Someone in Coca-Cola’s AI prompt crew has gone doolittle doolally. Because this is still the same creative idea (the well-worn truck), so they have had to find a way to make it feel different and new. The answer: “Hey AI, please can I have some rabbits, squirrels, seals, a three-toed sloth and the Andrex puppy in this”. There’s no doubt the digital video output is incredible quality, and we can’t help but feel like this is still very much part of Christmas anticipation. But every reiteration of this classic only erodes the magic. 3/5

NW: Going AI did nothing to harm the efficacy of this ad last year, nor will it this year, because the reality is most people won’t notice. It works because its decades-long consistency has moved it beyond being ‘just’ an ad. Instead it’s a deeply ingrained signal which switches on the Christmas lights in literally millions of heads around the world – scoring highly with consumers last year, this year and (undoubtedly) next year in the process. Any negative sentiment comes from adland only. Truck the naysayers. 4/5

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