Christmas Ad season 2022 is here already and we couldn’t be happier! From family-focussed tear-jerkers to the return of classic Christmas movies, brands have pulled out all the stops this year.
Which 2022 Christmas marketing campaigns will be entering the Christmas Ad hall of fame alongside the likes of the Coca Cola ‘Holidays Are Coming’ campaign, and which will quickly be forgotten?
We’ve shared our thoughts on the best 2022 Christmas marketing campaigns.
John Lewis Christmas Ad
Consumers anxiously anticipate the arrival of this ad every year and the new John Lewis Christmas ad didn’t disappoint.
‘The Beginner’ follows the story of a middle-aged man learning to ride a skateboard. We see him watching video tutorials, icing his aching joints and donning a helmet and heading to the skatepark.
Where does the ‘heart-warming’ part come into it, you might be wondering. Well, he’s not learning to ride a skateboard for his own entertainment as it becomes apparent in the ad that he and his partner are awaiting the arrival of Ellie, the young girl they will be fostering over Christmas (and who loves to skateboard!).
With very little in the way of the usual ‘festive cheesiness’, this ad succeeds at pulling at the viewer’s heartstrings while making them question what they can do this Christmas to bring a smile to someone close to them.
We’re big fans of this ad and it’s a refreshing change from John Lewis’ typical style in recent years.
Image: John Lewis advert
Asda Christmas Ad
Who better than Buddy the Elf to spread festive cheer for all to hear? That’s why Asda have chosen to use this family favourite Christmas character in their 2022 Christmas ad.
Interestingly, Asda have used scenes from the original film in this ad, rather than recording new clips with film-star Will Ferrell (although it’s done so well that you’d never know!). Buddy can be seen working on the checkout at Asda, charming customers with his cheery smile before decorating the store in true Buddy the Elf style.
In addition to this ad, Asda have continued the ‘Have Your Elf a Merry Little Christmas’ campaign throughout their other marketing channels, including their customer email communications.
Image: Asda Christmas advert
Aldi Christmas Ad
Aldi are back in 2022 with another Christmas ad featuring Kevin the Carrot.
In another nod to a classic Christmas film, this year’s Aldi Christmas ad sees Kevin’s family head on holiday to Paris before realising when they board the plane that they’ve left Kevin ‘home alone’.
We then see Kevin kicking back at home watching a game of football, which eagle-eyed viewers will notice is between teams called ‘CUTH’ and ‘COL’, a clever nod to the Cuthbert vs Colin debate between Aldi and M&S.
The ad concludes with a heart-warming reunion between Kevin and his family as they enjoy a sizeable feast of Aldi Christmas food.
Image: Aldi Christmas advert
Lidl Christmas Ad
In the Lidl Christmas ad, the adorable ‘Lidl bear’ rises to fame after his young owner dresses him up in a shrunken Lidl jumper. He’s spotted in store by Lidl shoppers who immediately become fans of the bear and his career starts to take off. From photo shoots with Lidl’s Christmas range to exclusive showbiz parties, Lidl bear soon gets wrapped up in celebrity life and forgets about his owner.
However, in true Christmas advert style, the ad concludes with Lidl bear realising the importance of family and returning to his owner just in time for Christmas. A heartwarming ending to a whirlwind adventure.
The ‘Lidl Bear’ Christmas campaign also promotes Lidl Bear’s Toy Bank, where you can donate new and unopened toys in store. Lidl said about the campaign ‘we believe every child should have a toy to open or bear to hug’ and many Lidl customers are now also pleading with Lidl to sell the Christmas ad teddy.
Image: Lidl Christmas advert
Disney Christmas Ad
In this year’s Disney Christmas ad, the final chapter of the ‘From Our Family To Yours’ trilogy, Nicole and family are preparing for a new baby to be added to the family but not everyone is quite prepared to welcome the change!
However, everyone warms to the idea in the end and the ad ends with the family welcoming the new baby and everyone is so excited and full of love. The new memories that the family starts to make together tug at our heartstrings and remind us what this time of year is all about.
The ‘From Our Family To Yours’ series of ads started in 2022 and as a result, Disney has committed support worth more than $4m to Make-A-Wish® International and its network of affiliates around the world.
Image: Disney Christmas advert
There are lots of other great Christmas marketing campaigns this year and it will be interesting to see how they perform with consumers throughout the festive season and how they will compare to the top 5 ads of 2021.
Interested in hearing more about popular marketing campaigns? Listen to our Girls in Marketing podcast where we are joined by guests from iconic brands to discuss branded campaigns and cover lots of other marketing topics in our team snack episodes!
