Christmas commercials are more than advertisements: they have become cultural moments. Some commercials make you laugh, cry, or reminisce about the past. Others fail so hard that they go viral for the wrong reasons.
The magic of storytelling: John Lewis
First, let's look abroad. Since the beginning of the millennium, the British department store John Lewis has forever changed Christmas commercials. Where Christmas advertising used to be primarily product-focused, John Lewis opted for emotional, cinematic stories. Their commercials are so well-crafted that they are eagerly awaited every year and shared countless times online.
In 2011, the advertisement The Long Wait caused a stir because it was not about what you receive, but about what you give (of course something from John Lewis). This was followed by gems like 'The Bear and the Hare' and 'Man on the Moon', which combine emotional weight with beautiful music and cinematography, touching consumers on a deeper level. These advertisements are a prime example of how brand stories can be built around empathy and tradition instead of product promotion.
Coca-Cola and Christmas
It is one of the oldest and most well-known examples of Christmas branding: the Christmas trucks from Coca-Cola, from the advertising campaign 'Holidays Are Coming'. These spots are globally associated with the start of the Christmas season. Wait, maybe even better: Coca-Cola also ensured that Santa Claus as we know him today became popular!
What Coca-Cola did so brilliantly was associating its product with the warm Christmas feeling, even though the soft drink had very little to do with it. The company was early to the game; since the 1930s, they have been involved with Christmas, which has given the images of illuminated red trucks through snowy landscapes a warm feeling of togetherness, anticipation, and nostalgia.
Edeka: #Heimkommen
One of the most striking Christmas commercials from Europe was the German-speaking #Heimkommen advertisement from supermarket chain Edeka in 2015. Edeka took a good look at the success of John Lewis and managed to put its own spin on it.
In the video, a grandfather creates the impression that he has passed away to lure his busy children back home for Christmas. The advertisement ends with a warm family dinner scene. The story is original, layered, and emotionally engaging. Perhaps a bit emotionally manipulative as well, but we'll leave that to you. This highlights the importance of tapping into one of the most universal feelings: connection.
Dutch Advent calendars
Dutch supermarkets also sometimes create tear-jerkers. I already mentioned Jumbo, but Albert Heijn or Lidl are just as good at it. However, another tradition might be a better example: Advent calendars.
Especially Rituals set the tone with luxurious Advent calendars that go viral each year due to their design and value, while retailers like HEMA, Albert Heijn, and Bol.com cater to a broader audience with playful, affordable variants full of daily surprises. Even supermarkets like Lidl and specialty stores like Gall & Gall use Advent calendars to engage customers with daily discovery fun, ranging from mini-products to exclusive tastings. And NS tries annually to get more people on the train with Wintercity.
Thus, Advent calendars have evolved into a strategic December tradition: they do not tell a story in one advertisement block, but in 24 consecutive micro-moments. This keeps you continuously in sight for a month.
How iconic Christmas commercials are created
What distinguishes truly iconic Christmas commercials from the rest? Three factors stand out. First: emotional resonance. Commercials that touch on feelings like nostalgia, connection, or joy stick with people and are shared time and again.
Second: story over product. Successful Christmas commercials tell a story in which the brand plays a role but does not have to be the main character. This way, consumers associate the brand with a personality, not just a product.
Third, tradition plays a significant role. Some Christmas commercials become real annual rituals: consumers look forward to them every year, and brands invest structurally in quality and creativity.
Christmas commercials are marketing campaigns with an extra dimension: they touch collective emotion. When a brand succeeds in capturing feelings of warmth, memory, or togetherness, one advertisement can define its reputation for years. But precisely because emotion is so important in Christmas communication, cold, mechanical creation - for example, blind reliance on AI - rarely works.
Good Christmas commercials do not sell products; they sell memories and nostalgia. Bad Christmas commercials show what happens when you forget that emotional core.
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