The leaves have not even all fallen from the trees yet, and the media are already teeming with Christmas campaigns. This year, brands have set out on their Christmas offensive very early indeed. And once again, we can look forward to a flood of time-tested sentiment, nostalgia and emotional stories. Some advertisers, however, are also striking a financial chord this year — which is hardly surprising in the current challenging times. What heavy Christmas artillery have famous brands prepared for consumers this year?
The first signs of the Christmas advertising season are here. It is clear that, unlike in previous years when Christmas campaigns tended to be more strongly focused on December, this year’s Christmas season will be longer. Brands have released their adverts into the world much earlier, and it is likely that their media activity will not end on 25 December but will extend into the beginning of the new year. There is also noticeably greater pressure on online channels. Brands are combining multiple formats — from classic television advertising and shoppable formats to social media. Technology is also playing a major role this year, such as artificial intelligence and highly sophisticated strategy development based on analysis of customer behaviour, campaign performance and market specifics. So how are renowned brands faring this year in terms of Christmas creativity?
Among the stars of international Christmas campaigns, John Lewis traditionally holds a prominent place. Its Christmas adverts are eagerly awaited by both consumers and competitors, and they usually attract a flood of commentary. A real avalanche was unleashed in 2023, when the brand ended its 14-year collaboration with DDB and chose Saatchi & Saatchi as its new partner. This year’s Christmas campaign, entitled Where Love Lives, touches on the theme of masculinity and emotions. It tells the story of a father and son — and of a gift that helps them find their way back to each other, because sometimes a gift can express what we ourselves cannot.
Video: Where Love Lives – John Lewis & Partners
Coca-Cola simply has the Christmas season and festive atmosphere down to a fine art. What is more, it is a true leader when it comes to advertising consistency, so this year our television screens are once again filled with the classic “Holidays are coming”. The symbol of the advert, in the production of which artificial intelligence was used, is a Christmas bell. “Each of us perceives it as an inseparable part of Christmas, one that always rings in the magic of Christmas Eve,” explained Kateřina Třísková, Marketing Manager of The Coca-Cola Company for the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Video: Coca-Cola – Holidays are Coming
In some regions, however — for example in America and Asia-Pacific — consumers have been treated this year to a new advertising film, A Holiday Memory, which tells the story of a mother overwhelmed by the worries of preparing for Christmas. An ice-cold sip of Coca-Cola and a snow globe from a box of decorations prompt her to slow down and remember festive moments with her family. The main message of the advert is an invitation for people to pause and rediscover the joy of Christmas.
Video: Coca-Cola – A Holiday Memory
This year, Lidl has opted for humanity, attentiveness and kindness, encouraging consumers to behave this way not only during the festive season, but throughout the rest of the year as well. With its campaign entitled “Amazing Things Pay Off Every Day”, it builds on the global strategic concept “Lidl. It Pays Off.”
Video: Lidl – Amazing Things Pay Off Every Day
Sainsbury’s has followed up on last year’s Christmas campaign and once again released Roald Dahl’s friendly giant, the BFG. The advert begins with a scene in which the BFG and his new partner, Annie, a real Sainsbury’s colleague, are dutifully delivering one family’s Christmas shopping when an unexpected, truly large figure with a truly large appetite appears on the scene. After the hungry giant eats all the Christmas food from the Sainsbury’s delivery van, he declares that it tasted better than “human beans”. How will Annie and the BFG deal with it?
Video: Sainsbury’s – The Unexpected Guest
With Vodafone, you will not see giants — but you will see everything double. Or rather, you will not just see it: everything really will be double. The Christmas campaign entitled “Double Joy” highlights the operator’s exclusive Christmas benefits. The creative part of the Christmas campaign was developed by McCann Prague, which worked on the campaign together with the agencies Carat and Procoma.
Video: Vodafone – Double Joy
This year, Marks & Spencer cast British actress and writer Dawn French as a tired driver slowly making her way through a traffic jam to the accompaniment of Chris Rea’s music. When she has had enough of the queues, her fairy alter ego conjures up an M&S lorry and transforms the traffic jam into a brilliant party. The M&S food advert brings in themes of community and shared, accessible joy.
Video: M&S – Traffic Jamming
T-Mobile followed up on last year’s wonderful Christmas campaign focused on breaking down barriers, and this year centred its Christmas advert on the problems associated with broken relationships. In its emotional advert, it reminds us that reconnecting with loved ones does not have to be unrealistic at all. On the contrary, sometimes a single message is enough — even though sending it may require considerable emotional effort. “At Christmas, we are most aware of how important it is to be together and in touch with our loved ones. With this year’s campaign, we want to remind people that breaking the silence sometimes means more than just sending a message. It is about connection, closeness and openness — values that we share at T-Mobile and that also underpin the idea of our #MeziSvými platform,” explained Michal Šlechta, Director of Brand and Marketing Communications at T-Mobile.
Video: T-Mobile: Reconnect and be among your loved ones again (#MeziSvými)
We will round off this selection of early Christmas campaigns from the Albert retail chain, which addresses, among other things, the question of who gives presents to Baby Jesus. The creative concept is based on the slogan “Let’s Give Joy” and builds on the idea that food can bring someone joy in the same way as a gift can, especially for those who make Christmas truly feel like Christmas.
However, the avalanche of Christmas adverts is far from over, so you can soon look forward to another article featuring the first festive campaigns to appear on both Czech and international television screens.
