For most brands, Christmas campaigns are the biggest of the year. And every year there’s a rush to the finish line especially for those competing to generate hype and gain more popularity around the globe. The holidays are just around the corner(and excitement surely resides in all of our hearts), so we have gathered up some of the best Christmas ads and campaigns we’ve spotted so far this year —all in the name of joy and festivity. Enjoy them as much as we have enjoyed!

“First Christmas” by Oreo

Elves know how to make presents and spread cheer, right? However, the premise of a holiday spot called “First Christmas” they don’t know how to eat Oreo cookies. With the holidays around the corner, OREO launched the funny and heartwarming holiday campaign that shows an elf stopping by a convenience store to pick up cookies and an orange soda for Santa. The clerk looks up, startled to see the elf and Santa’s slay outside and says, “You’ve never done this before, have you?” He then shows the elf the proper way to eat an OREO cookie (with milk, duh). In the spirit of giving, the clerk tosses the orange soda and replaces it with a container of milk and glass. The clerk teaches the elf the art of the twist and lick and how to dunk Oreos. Soon, the new friends are off on a whimsical adventure through the empty shop. While tying them together under a creative theme around forging human — or human-elf — connections, the First Christmas campaign is cleverly encouraging customers to purchase OREO cookies for Santa and increasing its brand awareness. We LOVE it!

M&S | Go Pyjamas for Christmas!

Marks and Spencer has launched a second Christmas advert called “Go Pyjamasfor Christmas” following the release of its ‘Go Jumpers’ campaign. The ad shows the whole family dancing around to House of Pain’s classic ‘Jump Around’ and pajamas take center stage. Having seen the ad, it’s safe to say we’re sold. Just think of the cute Christmas Day snaps you can take in your matching outfits. This is the image Marks and Spencer wanted you to keep in mind during this year’s holidays.

LEGO | Rebuild the World

This Christmas The Savoy and the LEGO Group have joined forces to bring a little LEGO festive cheer, to the world-famous hotel. A total of 372,931 bricks and 2,200 man-hours have gone in to taking the song lyrics and turning them into ‘The Twelve Rebuilds of Christmas’. From a Dragon Shaped LEGO Christmas Tree to a Princess Rocket Castle. For every decoration built and shared LEGO will donate a set to a child in need within hospitals, children’s homes, or underserved communities to play this Christmas. Visitors will have the opportunity to build a decoration, take a photo and share it on social media with #BuildToGive. The Danish toymaker managed to inspire creativity while encouraging people, parents and children, to embrace the power of play. As a result, people associated feelings of happiness with the LEGO brand, creating an emotional connection built on joy.

IKEA| Silence the Critics

House shaming is intended to make you feel bad, but it doesn’t have to. At least that’s what IKEA is trying to tell us with its wonderfully ridiculous ad with a catchy song “Silence the Critics” that shows how we see the state of our homes over the holidays. IKEA’s Christmas advert features a couple suffering a bout of ‘home shame’ when they’re faced with impending guests. But never fear, Ikea swoops in to save the day. The advert encourages people to defy ‘home shame’ by showing its customers how easy it is to get their home party-ready with their clever products and ideas. Brands are responsible for making products or services that are there to help the customers and enrich their lives in some way. With this ad with a powerful reality hook that virtually everyone can relate to, IKEA captured many people’s hearts and some even think it’s the “best ad of the year”.

Lancôme| Pink Eiffel Tower

This Christmas, Lancôme has teamed up with St Pancras International, Wavemaker & Kinetic Worldwide to unveil its sparkling festive installation, inspired by Paris’ most iconic landmark, The Eiffel Tower. While this campaign highlights the elegance and cheerful spirit of the world’s largest French beauty brand, the breath-taking creation is adorned with over 1,500 bottles of the brand’s signature fragrance, La Vie Belle, that will be donated to the international cancer support charity, Look Good Feel Better, a charity which helps boost the physical and emotional well-being of women, men and young adults undergoing cancer treatment. Lancôme truly believes that happiness is at its most real when shared, and that is why it deserves a place on our list of this year’s best Christmas campaigns.

Hafod Hardware| Be a kid this Christmas

We can’t make a list without mentioning the £100 viral Christmas ad everyone is talking about. A local independent store — Hafod Hardware — has become an Internet sensation overnight as its home-made Christmas ad. A shop owner created the promotional video that features his young son Arthur as he goes about the shop helping customers, carrying out handiwork, and putting up Christmas decorations. At the end of the day, he goes to pick up a Christmas tree and transforms into his father, with a slogan encouraging viewers to “be a kid this Christmas”. Tom Jones, Arthur’s father, said the “underlying message” is to “shop at your small independent shops”. The ad sends a strong message yet it is probably the sweetest thing you’ll see this holiday season.

Starbucks | Holiday Cups

When does the winter holiday season really begin? When Starbucks launches its red cups with festive imagery on them! The coffee giant’s holiday cups have evolved over the years (Starbucks introduced its first holiday cups in 1997) and the campaign became a swift success with the public. This year, the company’s signature red and green holiday cups are switched with four new designs. There is a lineup of four festive disposable options and one reusable cup, which is plain red. Despite the fact that Starbucks has an opportunity to show social and environmental responsibility, its campaign is a great way for establishing emotional connections and unique traditions that are tied to their brand — year after year.

Chick-fil-A| Together Time

After commissioning the nationwide survey, Chick-fil-A discovered 73 percent of participants wanted to spend more time with family and friends during the holiday. With the intent is to inspire people to make meaningful time commitments with their loved ones, the fast-food chain introduced the campaign through a two-minute animated video called “Together Time”.

The film follows Sam (whose family is too busy to build a snowman) and her magical visit to a fantasy Time Shop where she learns about “Lost Time,” “Time that Flies” and “Together Time.” This touching ad reminds us all that time is precious and you can never get back these priceless moments. In line with this idea, Chick-fil-A launched a website called The Time Shop that allows people to create custom cards for their loved ones. It is clear what kind of message the brand wants to send. The campaign makes people wonder — Are we missing the point of Christmas? Can we do the holidays without the crazed explosion of gifts?

“Years from now we might not remember what gifts we received, but will we remember how it felt to be with the people we love.” — Ashley Callahan, Chick-fil-A’s senior marketing director

Apple |The Surprise

It seems that Apple is not planning to stop with its annual tradition of sharing heartwarming holiday-themed videos. The emotional three-minute video titled “The Surprise” begins with parents who give their daughters an iPad to keep them quiet on a trip. When they arrive at their granddad’s house we see that he’s in mourning as his wife recently passed. The girls spend time with their grandfather and find old family photos, eventually putting together a slideshow of family memories using Apple’s iPad. On Christmas morning, they presented it as a holiday gift to their grandfather. Apple’s message is that while parents might feel a bit of guilt about giving their children an iPad to keep them busy and quiet, they are enabling their creativity.

Bouygues Telecom|Father Christmas

Last year, French telecom brand Bouygues released a holiday ad featuring a montage of these special moments between a father and son. This year, Bouygues comes back with another great generational connection, this time with father and daughter. The advert titled ‘Father Christmas’ tells the tale of a devoted dad driven to great lengths to impersonate Santa Claus to impress his daughter. An invisible bond is forged between generations, bringing Bouygues Telecom into the heart of the family circle.

We hope you’ve enjoyed the best Christmas campaigns this year (for us) and that you already have your favorites. Whatever you decide to mark this year’s holiday season, we cheer for you to evoke positive emotions, promote sharing, connect people with the advent of this winter season — that will help you to get not only loyal customers but also conversion growth in the long run. What’s the best Christmas campaign you’ve seen so far this holiday season? Let us know in the comments below 🙂

Merry Christmas everyone!