Consumer testing by System1 has revealed this year’s most effective Christmas advert is Amazon’s rerun of its sledging grandmas Joy Ride campaign.
Emotional response data from System1’s Test Your Ad platform – which prompts ad viewers to pick from seven emotions as they watch – combined with the research firm’s Spike Rating measure of short-term sales effect finds the Amazon ad tops the leaderboard this year.
Amazon first aired the ad, which tells the story of three lifelong friends “reliving the joy of their youth” thanks to some choice website purchases, in 2023.
System1 research awarded the ad 5.9 stars, the same as several other Christmas ads this year, but the e-commerce giant’s campaign edged out the competition due to a higher Spike Rating.
Waitrose’s The Perfect Gift, a four-minute romcom short starring Love Actually’s Keira Knightley as herself alongside comedian Joe Wilkinson, who reprises his role as Phil from the supermarket’s 2024 whodunnit campaign, was ranked second.
Coca-Cola, which opted to run an AI-generated Christmas ad for the second year in a row, came in third.
Of the big four supermarkets, Asda ranked highest for its Dr Seuss-inspired A Very Merry Grinchmas ad.
Across 2025’s top Christmas campaigns, happiness was the dominant emotion, System1 said, accounting for around 60% of responses, while neutrality dropped to just 25%, roughly half the level seen in everyday advertising.
“This has been a record-breaking year and, honestly, we’re not surprised. Beautiful sets, nostalgia-driven movie moments, and some truly incredible human stories,” said Jon Evans, chief customer officer at System1. “Brands are leaning into what works with emotion, memory and creativity that sticks. This isn’t luck; it’s research-led strategy paying off in plain sight. The bar is higher than ever and it’s exciting to imagine where it goes next.”
M&S’s ad – which brought back its much-loved Fairy character in the setting of a Christmas Eve traffic jam – ranked seventh among all Christmas ads. Aldi’s story of Kevin the Carrot and his bride-to-be Katie – The Proposal – came in ninth.
“The clear takeaway for brands is that Christmas advertising is doubling down on a ‘sense of place’, rich storytelling and consistency. Location and context are not just backdrops this year; they are doing real work to deepen the narrative, and build consistency and cultural relevance,” Evans continues. “That shows up in smarter re-airs, tighter cross-channel worlds, and the return of characters viewers already know and love, helping campaigns feel more cohesive, distinctive, and emotionally sticky.”
System1’s 2025 Christmas Leaderboard
1. Amazon “Joy Ride” – 5.9 Stars | Uplift versus retail category +3.1 Stars
2. Waitrose & Saatchi&Saatchi “The Perfect Gift” – 5.9 Stars | Uplift versus the supermarket category +2.5 Stars
3. Coca-Cola “Holidays Are Coming” – 5.9 Stars | Uplift versus soft drinks category +2.8 Stars
4. Lego “If it’s Play You’re Looking For” – 5.9 Stars | Uplift versus retail category +3.1 Stars
5. ASDA & Lucky Generals “A Very Merry Grinchmas” – 5.9 Stars | Uplift versus the supermarket category +2.5 Stars
6. Heathrow & St Luke’s “Must Be Love” – 5.9 Stars | Uplift versus travel category +2.6 Stars
7. Marks & Spencer “Traffic Jamming” – 5.9 Stars | Uplift versus supermarket category +2.5 Stars
8. Etsy & Orchard “Little Drummer Boy” – 5.8 Stars | Uplift versus retail category +3.1 Stars
9. Aldi & McCann (Part 1) “The Proposal” – 5.8 Stars | Uplift versus supermarket category +2.4 Stars
10. Disney & Adam&EveDDB “Make Someone’s Holiday Magic” – 5.8 Stars | Uplift versus TV & streaming +3.1 Stars
11. Barbour & Aardman “Wallace & Gromit x Barbour” – 5.8 Stars | Uplift versus fashion category +3.2 Stars
12. Disney+ & VCCP “A Lifetime of Great Stories” – 5.8 Stars | Uplift versus TV & streaming +3.3 Stars
13. Aldi & McCann (Part 2) “Stag & Hen do” – 5.7 Stars | Uplift versus the supermarket category +2.3 Stars
14. Sky Cinema “The Little Girl” – 5.6 Stars | Uplift versus TV & streaming +3.1 Stars
15. National Trust & Happy Hour “Christmas Retail Ad 2025” – 5.5 Stars | Uplift versus the charity category +3.8 Stars
16. Vodafone & Leo UK “Connecting You at Christmas Since 1984” – 5.5 Stars | Uplift versus the mobile & telecom services category +3.2 Stars
17. Pandora “The Moon” – 5.4 Stars | Uplift versus the fashion category +2.8 Stars
18. Lidl & Accenture Song “More to Value at Christmas” – 5.4 Stars | Uplift versus the supermarket category +2.0 Stars
19. Smyths & Droga5 Dublin “Scent of Magic” – 5.4 Stars | Uplift versus retail category +2.6 Stars
20. Sainsbury’s & New Commercial Arts “An Unexpected Guest” – 5.3 Stars | Uplift versus the supermarket category +1.9 Stars
21. Cadbury & VCCP “Secret Santa Postal Service” – 5.3 Stars | Uplift versus the chocolate & confectionary category +1.4 Stars
22. Boots & The Pharm “Puss in Boots” – 5.2 Stars | Uplift versus the chemists & opticians’ category +2.3 Stars
23. Starbucks & Anomaly “Drawn Together” – 5.1 Stars | Uplift versus the fast food & coffee shop category +2.0 Stars
24. Argos & T&P “Thought we were just for toys?”- 5.1 Stars | Uplift versus retail category +2.3 Stars
25. John Lewis & Saatchi&Saatchi “Where Love Lives” – 5.1 Stars | Uplift versus retail category +2.3 Stars
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