10 Fabulous Christmas Ads in 2020

2020 brought us a lot of surprises. And Christmas, as well as New Year, is also unusual this year which is reflected in this season’s festive advertising.

Christmas commercials are more than just advertising. It’s a genre that brands use to connect emotionally with customers, expand their audience through the virality of their festive content, and to nicely round up the year.

In this inspiring compilation, we’ve included classic, sentimental Christmas stories, as well as commercials that rethink winter symbols and fit Christmas ideas into the complex context of 2020.

#1 The Greatest Gift by Xfinity

What if standard ‘physical’ gifts cannot be given to children due to lockdown restrictions? How to manage a team of elves if they all, including Santa and Mrs. Claus, spend their self-isolation time at home?

In this humorous Christmas ad, we easily recognize this year’s situations from our own life: online meetings, remote brainstorming, and the team spirit that inspires us to generate brilliant ideas. This funny Christmas ad draws our attention to the fact that special moments and the holiday spirit are available to us even during lockdowns.

https://youtu.be/63o9tgPK9r8

#2 No Naughty List by Tesco

Show us a person who is happy with what happened to them in 2020! Unsuccessful home haircut as a necessary measure during a global lockdown. A house overflowing with rolls of toilet paper. Children who were left without knowledge of mathematics or geography.

‘After a year like this, we believe there is no naughty list. So go on Britain, treat yourself to the best Christmas ever’, the creators of this ad tell us. And we totally agree! Great work with client insights.

https://youtu.be/8CfrpexaCwg

#3 The Show Must Go on by Amazon

In 2020, you might also find yourself in this situation. You have a dream and you are persistently going to achieve it, and then — bang! — a lockdown comes and your plans turn to ashes.

This ad did away with the classic symbols of Christmas or other winter holidays. The beautiful and young main character masters ballet and lives with the dream of performing on stage. Thanks to her sister’s efforts and gadgets from Amazon, the dream is coming true. And in a much more impressive way than you might expect!

https://youtu.be/gQdLD6kk960

#4 The epic Christmas tale by Coca-Cola

We got used to the fact that Coca-Cola literally branded the spirit of Christmas. However, this popular ad (although it has an episode with a shining Christmas truss) looks more like an adventure film than a classic Coca-Cola commercial.

The plot is built around a father who goes to work somewhere in the north and takes his daughter’s letter to Santa Claus with him. In the middle of a working day on a sea oil platform, he decides to fulfill the girl’s dream and deliver her letter. What trials await him on the way? Find out in this epic commercial.

#5 The Inner Child being #ReindeerReady by McDonald’s

This year, McDonald’s will once again add the Reindeer Treats Carrot Bag to orders for Christmas Eve and its Christmas ad features the #ReindeerReady idea again. But it’s not that simple with this top advertisement! McDonald’s also invites us to release our inner child and become more sincere, open-hearted, and dream more during the winter holidays (and beyond).

In this commercial, a mom tries to share her Christmas mood with her teenage son, who is withdrawn and doesn’t want to be a ‘little boy’ anymore.

#6 The Singing in the Rain dance by Burberry

One of the most talked-about Christmas ads in the fashion industry contains a lot of symbols rather than a complex plot (unlike all the previous videos we referred to in this article).

This video exploits the film aesthetics of the 50s. It is truly a mini-musical where all the characters sing and dance. Huge blocks of ice are falling on the heroes of the ad from above and they crush them easily. The idea is to show that Burberry is all about technology.

This advertisement is both energising and a pleasure from the point of view of aesthetics.

https://youtu.be/QbmW76Cp4s8

#7 From Our Family to Yours by Disney

This Christmas commercial is a part of the big ad campaign aimed to support the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which fulfills the wishes of children with a critical illness. Disney shares the animated story of a family that has had the Christmas crafts tradition for many years.

We learn about a senior woman and her granddaughter, who keep the Mickey Mouse toy, which is over 50 years old. The heroines gather at Christmas to create festive decor together, but this year, the growing granddaughter is close to forgetting about tradition.

Disney invites us to share our own stories about family traditions online with the project hashtag. For each story, the company will donate $1 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

#8 Edgar’s Christmas at the piano by Erste Group

The plots of commercials usually touch upon such things as loneliness, childhood, love between parents and children, as well as the magical fulfillment of our dreams. The hero of this soulful Christmas ad is no longer a child, but he cherishes the memories of the time when he played the piano with his mother.

How could one inspire a lonely elderly man in a nursing house if he thinks that all the beautiful things for him are over? The answer to this question is found by a young employee of the institution!

#9 ‘Weihnachtsfilm’ about the retired athlete by DocMorris

This is another heartbreaking story about a warm relationship between generations. And what’s important, the creators of this Christmas ad campaign managed to integrate the brand into the storyline in the most touching way.

DocMorris sells medicine and seniors are an important part of their clientele. In this commercial, you will meet another senior man, a former athlete, who, a few weeks before Christmas, decides to take an old tracksuit from a drawer and start exercising with a kettlebell. Why this person needs to be in shape for Christmas? Find out in this video.

#10 The ’Twas Night Before Christmas adaptation by Celtic FC

Football matches during the Christmas season are of the utmost importance to UK fans. Perhaps this commercial does not quite match this selection due to its naivety, but it is made with soul and brings a sincere smile on the faces of people, even if they hear about FC Celtic from Scotland for the first time.

The commercial is based on the poem called The Night Before Christmas which is the most popular Christmas story and also the first one where Santa Claus and his reindeers were described. The football club dedicated its adapted version to fans who miss watching football matches at the stadium.

Wrapping up

We must come to terms with the fact that this year we may be left without bustling Christmas markets, mass New Year’s festivities, and even the familiar experience of shopping in fancy Christmas-decorated shops.

Luckily, we have festive commercials to help us get into the Christmas spirit! No surprise that this year’s Christmas videos are extremely emotional and lovely. When we created this list, we sometimes laughed loudly, then wept, empathizing with the characters of some ads. Take the time today to appreciate the small things around you, and find a spark of inspiration and motivation in these beautiful and emotional ads.

Lastly, no matter how you spend your winter holidays, may they be filled with sincere and joyful emotions. And the best Christmas commercials of 2020 are here to get you in the right mood.