The Best Christmas Ads of 2021 Focus on Challenges, Community, and Care

Christmas is always one of the hottest seasons for businesses and advertising creatives. And commercial videos that come out at this time of year keep getting more complex and impressive.

In 2021, most companies are addressing the number of challenges that we have faced this year. Moreover, they mention loneliness and the importance of community. Brands that sell products emphasize that attention and care matter more than products, but obviously, gifts are a tool to express this.

We’ve selected some of the best Christmas ads of 2021 to inspire your brand communication. Keep on reading to find out more and discover valuable insights.

Give More than a Gift by Etsy

This video is a perfect example of a major trend in Christmas advertising this season. It’s focused on the people around us and the relationships that we choose to build with them. The main idea is to show how meaningful it is to give people attention and thoughtful gifts. People love to be impressed, but sometimes less is truly more. Etsy’s advert is simple, and yet it manages to leave a long-lasting impression and convey a message.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY4Yod55B_c

Real Magic by Coca-Cola

Christmas ads by Coca-Cola are legendary at this point, so there’s always anticipation surrounding what they’ll present next.

This time, there are no magical reindeers in the night sky. There’s a single mother and her son, who realizes that there’s no chimney in their apartment for Santa Claus to deliver presents through. He decides to build one out of boxes, and everyone in the building joins him. In the end, neighbours gather around a big table and celebrate together as a community.

This Christmas, Nothing’s Stopping Us by Tesco

A lot of companies openly address numerous challenges that we have had to face because of the pandemic. And this is exactly what Tesco also does in their most recent campaign. Last year, Brits, like many others, faced strict restrictions in December and were not allowed to have proper Christmas celebrations with friends and family. However, this is not the case in 2021, so the slogan of the ad is “This year, nothing’s stopping me”. And this is a sentiment we’re more than happy to support!

Imaginary Iggy by McDonald’s UK

Please raise your hand if you had an imaginary friend as a child or simply watched this touching video by McDonald’s UK. It features Matilda and her imaginary friend Iggy. Both of them love Christmas and traditions, so they enjoy them together. However, as Matilda gets older, the distance between them gets bigger. At some point, she feels ashamed of her old friend, so she hides him in her closet. After a while, she goes to McDonald‘s and notices a young boy talking to his imaginary friend, and Matilda rushes home to hers. It’s a lovely tale about the inner child living inside each and every one of us

When Your Workout is a Joy, It’s a Joy to Work Out by Peloton

The most popular New Year’s resolution for 2021 in the US was to exercise more! However, this goal is also known for being especially difficult to turn into a long-term habit. Many people have negative associations with working out and dread it.

Peloton, a company that sells stationary bicycles and online class subscriptions, hired a famous comedian Brett Gelman to show that even Scrooge can find joy in working out. The latest advert is a modern version of A Christmas Carol, a novella by Charles Dickens. It shows the transformation of Gelman from grumpy to thrilled, in an attempt to inspire others to give exercise another chance in the new year. We’re in, are you?

Unexpected Guest by John Lewis

John Lewis is a chain of department stores and another brand that decided to release their Christmas advert earlier than usual. The reason is simple – people have had enough stress, and they want to start the festivities as soon as possible. Keep this in mind while planning your holiday-related marketing campaigns and communication. Maybe you need to start earlier as well.

The ad tells a story of a teenage boy Nathan and Skye, a girl from another planet who ends up on Earth right before the holidays. On the day they meet, he’s wearing a light-up jumper that they bond over. Then, Nathan starts introducing Skye to various Christmas traditions. They watch romantic movies, eat mince pies, and play in the snow. The video ends as Skye is about to go back to space travelling. Nathan brings her his light-up Christmas jumper, and Skye gives him a shy kiss.

Rebuild the World by Lego

Lego’s Christmas video celebrates the power and magic of children’s imaginations, while also implying that there’s a need to rebuild the world we live in. The ad takes the viewers on a dynamic journey through various challenges that participants overcome by joining their forces. Yes, the community aspect is key again. The video features a fire-fighting dragon, Lego Star Wars stormtroopers, and a Lego cacti among others. It’s as cheerful as can be, and we love it because this is definitely the attitude the world needs right now.

Big on a Christmas You Can Always Believe in by Lidl

In their most recent commercial, Lidl, a discount retailer chain, illustrates that their customers can expect high-quality products and low prices from them even in the far away future.

The video opens with a traditional family dinner where everyone has their own role. The father brings the turkey, the mother is taking a photo, the uncle is making an inappropriate joke that no one finds funny. Then we watch the same scene happen decades later. This time, there’s a laser for cutting the turkey, and the uncle lives on the Moon, but Lidl is still there to meet the needs of their customers and give them the Christmas they expect.

Tiptoe and the Flying Machine by Macy’s

Macy’s is a legendary department store known for many things, including their Christmas Parade in New York. But this time around, they tackle children’s fears and the importance of believing in yourself.

The ad tells a story of a reindeer named Tiptoe, who wants to join Santa’s Sleigh Team, but is afraid of flying. Her friends encourage her to do it, but she only dares to try when they give her a flying machine. Up in the air, the balloons that make the machine work burst, and Tiptoe almost crashes, but then finds the courage to believe in herself and never fears flying again. The video ends with a little girl and her father having a similar conversation in an airport. What a kind and generous way to help children deal with their personal challenges!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwIUIrk56cQ

Make Christmas Spectacular by Asda

A supermarket chain Asda encourages its customers to make every simple action spectacular this holiday season. In the video, a typical trip to the supermarket turns into an exciting adventure on an ice-skating rink. A family glides from one Christmas moment to another: a school play, an office party, a series of celebratory dinners.

By the way, Asda hired Daniel Whiston, three-time Dancing on Ice winner and the associate creative director of the show, to choreograph the ad. And the tune in the video is Boléro, a legendary orchestral piece made well-known thanks to the 1984 Winter Olympics.

Your company might not have a massive budget to produce a Christmas ad like the ones from this list, but it shouldn’t stop you from experimenting. Think about the challenges that your customers have gone through this year. What are they feeling right now? What do they need, and how can your brand satisfy some of their needs? Give honest answers to these questions, and then find creative ways to communicate the solutions that you come up with.

We might be mature grown-ups and experienced professionals with busy lives and important deadlines, but don’t we all want a bit of magic? Hopefully, some of the best Christmas ads of 2021 will inspire what you create next.