The best Christmas ad campaigns of all time have three things in common: a story people care about, something that comes back year after year, and a reason to talk about the ad beyond the ad itself. Coca-Cola’s trucks, John Lewis’s run of emotional films, Sainsbury’s 1914 and Aldi’s Kevin the Carrot all tick those boxes, and that is why we still remember them.

Most of us will never spend millions on a television advert. But the thinking behind these campaigns costs nothing to borrow. Here are the Christmas adverts that shaped the season in the UK, the facts behind them, and what a small business can take from each one.

Coca-Cola turned a lorry into a Christmas tradition

Coca-Cola’s link with Christmas goes back a long way. The company says it commissioned illustrator Haddon Sundblom to paint Santa for its Christmas advertising in 1931, and it is careful to point out that it did not create the legend of Santa Claus. What it did was give him a warm, friendly look that became familiar around the world.

The “Holidays are Coming” advert, with its line of glowing red trucks, first appeared on television in winter 1995, according to Coca-Cola. The trucks carry Sundblom’s Santa on their sides, and in the UK they now tour towns and cities each year, drawing crowds and local news coverage wherever they stop.

The small business takeaway: when an advert comes back every year, people start to treat it as a sign that the season has begun. You can do the same on a small scale. A festive window reveal on the same weekend each year, the return of a popular seasonal product, or an annual Christmas video that customers start asking about in November all build that sense of tradition.

John Lewis made the Christmas advert an event

John Lewis did not invent emotional Christmas advertising, but it made the launch of its ad something the country waits for. Its first Christmas advert, “Shadows”, ran in 2007. The run that followed gave us some of the best Christmas adverts the UK has seen:

Year	Advert	Music
2011	The Long Wait	Slow Moving Millie, a cover of The Smiths
2013	The Bear and the Hare	Lily Allen, a cover of Keane
2014	Monty the Penguin	Tom Odell, a cover of The Beatles
2015	The Man on the Moon	Aurora, a cover of Oasis
2018	The Boy and the Piano	Elton John, “Your Song”
2025	Where Love Lives	Labrinth, a new version of Alison Limerick’s song

The Long Wait

A small boy counts down the days to Christmas with growing impatience. The twist comes at the end, when he skips past his own presents to give his parents the gift he has wrapped for them. It is a simple story with one turn, and it is the advert many people point to as the moment John Lewis found its formula.

Monty the Penguin

Monty is the advert that showed how far a Christmas campaign could stretch beyond television. According to the D&AD awards archive, Monty and his partner Mabel appeared in store windows, apps, books and on their own Twitter accounts, the penguin toys sold out within days of launch, and John Lewis had a record sales week, taking £175 million for the first time.

The Man on the Moon

The 2015 advert, about a girl who spots a lonely old man living on the moon, was made in partnership with Age UK under the line “Show someone they’re loved this Christmas”. It tied a commercial message to a real cause without making the cause feel bolted on.

The small business takeaway: John Lewis treats its advert as a launch, not just an ad. People hear it is coming, watch it the day it lands and share it with friends. You can create the same anticipation for a Christmas video, menu or window by announcing a date and building up to it on social media.

Sainsbury’s 1914 showed the power of a real story

Sainsbury’s took a very different route in 2014. Its advert, which premiered during Coronation Street on 12 November 2014, retold the Christmas truce of the First World War, when soldiers from opposing sides stopped fighting, met in no man’s land and played football. It was made with the Royal British Legion and closed with the line “Christmas is for sharing”.

The advert came with a product. Sainsbury’s sold a chocolate bar like the one in the film for £1, with all profits going to the Royal British Legion. That link meant the story had a direct, practical outcome that shoppers could take part in.

Not everyone liked it. Campaign reported that the Advertising Standards Authority received 727 complaints from people who felt using the war in a supermarket advert was distasteful, and that the ASA decided not to investigate. That reaction is a useful reminder that serious subjects need to be handled with real care.

The small business takeaway: a story rooted in something true will always outlast a list of prices. Your own history, your team or a local cause you genuinely support can all give your Christmas content weight. If you link sales to a charity, be clear about exactly how much goes to it.

Related reading: McDonald’s Ads: What Small Businesses Can Learn From Them

Aldi’s Kevin the Carrot proved a character can carry a brand

Aldi first introduced Kevin the Carrot in its 2016 Christmas advert, and he has returned every year since. Marketing Week reported that the idea came from a small carrot toy Aldi sold, and that 2025 marked ten years of Kevin with a three part festive story.

The results Aldi has shared are striking. Marketing Week reported that, according to Aldi, the 2016 campaign drove a 15.1% sales uplift that December and brought in a million new customers. Kevin toys followed in 2017, with some resold online for £30 or more. And his 2022 “Home Alone” advert became the first to beat Coca-Cola’s in System1’s Christmas ad rankings.

Kevin works because he is silly, warm and instantly recognisable. Every year the story picks up where it left off, so viewers already know who he is and want to see what happens next.

The small business takeaway: a recurring character makes your Christmas content easier to remember and easier to make. It does not have to be animated. The shop dog in a Santa hat, a team member who becomes your festive host, or a mascot that appears on packaging and social posts can all play the same role on a much smaller budget.

M&S gave Mrs Claus the starring role

Marks and Spencer’s 2016 advert, “Christmas with love from Mrs Claus”, starred Janet McTeer as a Mrs Claus who goes to great lengths, including flying a helicopter, to deliver a gift for someone who wanted to give something special. It aired on 11 November 2016 in the first ad break of Gogglebox.

What made it a campaign rather than just an advert was what happened around it. As reported by UK Fundraising, Mrs Claus took over M&S’s social media accounts, and the brand planned random acts of kindness for 15,000 customers, donating £5 to the recipient’s chosen charity for each one. The kindness theme of the advert turned into something real that customers could experience.

The small business takeaway: make your social channels part of the story. If your Christmas content has a theme, let it play out in your posts, stories and in store, not just in a single video.

Lessons small businesses can use this Christmas

1. Tell one simple story. The best Christmas adverts have one idea and one emotional turn. A 30 second video about a single customer, gift or moment will do more than a montage of everything you sell.
2. Bring something back every year. Traditions build recognition. Coca-Cola’s trucks and Aldi’s Kevin both prove that repetition is a strength, not a weakness.
3. Make the launch an event. Announce a date, tease it, and give followers a reason to look out for it.
4. Connect to something real. A local charity, your history or your team gives a Christmas message substance, as long as it is handled honestly.
5. Take it beyond the advert. Monty’s toys and Mrs Claus’s acts of kindness gave people something to do, buy or share. A limited product, an in store moment or a social challenge can do the same.
6. Think social first. Most people will watch your Christmas video on a phone. Shoot vertically, make the first two seconds count and add captions so it works without sound.

If you want a Christmas video that people actually stop scrolling for, our video production team can help you plan, film and edit it for social.

Frequently asked questions

When did the first John Lewis Christmas advert air?

John Lewis’s first Christmas advert, “Shadows”, ran in 2007. The series became a national talking point from around 2011 with “The Long Wait”, and a new advert has launched every year since.

When did Coca-Cola’s “Holidays are Coming” advert start?

Coca-Cola says the Christmas trucks first appeared on television in winter 1995. The advert has returned many times since, and the trucks now tour the UK most Christmases.

What was the Sainsbury’s 1914 Christmas advert about?

It retold the 1914 Christmas truce of the First World War. It was made with the Royal British Legion, and Sainsbury’s sold a £1 chocolate bar with all profits going to the charity.

Can a small business make a memorable Christmas advert?

Yes. You do not need a television budget. A short, well planned video with one clear story, real people and a recurring idea can work brilliantly on social media, especially with a small paid budget behind it.

Create your own Christmas campaign with Delivered Social

Whether you want a festive video, a December content plan or both, we help small businesses across Surrey, Hampshire and beyond create Christmas content their customers remember. Explore our social media management and video services, or get in touch to talk about your Christmas plans.