Sainsbury’s: The Power of Nostalgia  

This is a firm favourite for us at Toolbox Marketing; for many, the BFG’s nostalgia brings back childhood memories. The advert moves beyond product placement to focus on community and togetherness. Through a blend of childhood nostalgia, where fantasies meet everyday. 

Towards the end of the advert, the incredibly powerful line ‘It’s Christmas, we’ll make room’ makes the ad incredibly relatable as many people across the country will come together and make room for friends and family during the festive season. 

Asda Price Wins Over the Grinch!

With 2025 marking 25 years since the Grinch who stole Christmas came to our screens for the first time. Asda have nailed their nostalgic Christmas ad! Set to a brilliant rendition of ‘Let it Snow’, this advert has captured the hearts of the Grinch lovers at Toolbox Marketing!

With the clever focus on ‘Asda Price’ shown within the advert, the Grinch is converted from his cynical ways as he discovers unbeatable value and low prices across Asda’s party food and gifts. This adds a humorous element to the advert and highlights the current financial pressures which consumers are facing. 

Tesco: A relatable, but slightly flat reality check 

This year’s Tesco opted for a strategy which focused on raw relatability, highlighting common, less than perfect family moments under the theme, “that’s what makes it Christmas.” While the situations featured are undeniably relatable, this approach ultimately misses out on the festive charm we all love to see in retailer ads.  

“Puss in Boots” last minute dash round Boots! 

Boots have smashed it this year with their nostalgic advert which reimagines classic fairytale characters. The campaign follows Puss in Boots on his last minute gift hunt for the snow queen’s ball. The ad features strategic product placement, a brilliant story line, dancing and Duran Duran, what’s not to love! 

John Lewis: Capturing the hearts of Dads across the country

John Lewis kickstarted the Christmas season with a truly heartwarming advert which focused on 90s nostalgia and father-son relationships. The ad takes viewers down memory lane, reflecting on the dad’s nightclub days, through to him becoming a father, before flicking back to the current day where the pair hug and reignite their bond. This campaign is incredibly heartwarming and demonstrates how the simple power of music can bring people together. 

From the nostalgia moments captured by Sainsbury’s and Boot’s to Asda’s smart focus on value, and the family moments highlighted by John Lewis, this year’s retail ads truly cover all emotional bases.

Holly & Jamie’s Pick: M&S Food with Dawn French

Holly and Jamie both agreed that their favourite advert is the Marks & Spencer food ad, featuring the one and only Dawn French as the mischievous Christmas Fairy. This year, Dawn is back with her signature wit and sparkle, bringing a dash of magic (and cheek) to M&S’s festive treats.  When French remembers she is expecting festive guests but panics as she isn’t ready to receive them and the house is a mess.  Never fear her trusty living fairy Christmas decoration (also played by herself) is there to save the day!  From luxury chocolates to decadent puddings, the ad feels like a celebration of everything we love about Christmas food in Britain. Holly says, “It’s the ad that makes me start planning my Christmas dinner!” M&S manages to hit just the right mix of humour and mouth-watering treats, making it the ultimate teaser for festive feasts.

Amanda’s Favorite: Aldi’s – Spirit of Christmas

Aldi fans everywhere know that Christmas wouldn’t be the same without Kevin the Carrot, and this year’s ad has taken things up a notch. Amanda, in particular, loves Kevin’s adventurous spirit as he makes his way through yet another series of (often absurd) Christmas mishaps. This time the commercial begins on Christmas Eve in a snowy village, where humbug characters capture the ‘Spirit of Christmas,’ plunging the village into darkness.  Santa then awakens Kevin the Carrot, assigning him a mission to infiltrate the Humbug Headquarters and outwit Dr. Humbug and free the ‘Spirit of Christmas.  The ad includes clever disguises and a ‘false bottom’ case, with Kevin and his wife Katie navigating booby traps and close calls to save the day.   Watching Kevin’s escapades is like watching a mini Christmas pantomime. It’s family-friendly fun that brings everyone together and reminds us of the lighter, more playful side of the season.

Chloe’s Favourite: Greggs & Nigella Lawson

Greggs has enlisted celebrity chef Nigella Lawson to star in its first-ever Christmas advertising campaign and filled with all the cosy goodness we associate with the British high street.   In the new advert, Lawson is seen at home alongside a Christmas tree decorated with Greggs baubles, describing the “rapturous riot of flavour” of the chain’s “festive bake” pastry.  Before taking a bite, she talks about its “succulent filling, creamy sauce, all wrapped up in the flakiest of flaky pastries, in one or both hands, say hello to the Greggs festive bakes”.

This advert is Chloe’s favourite and who can blame her? With its mouth-watering visuals of sausage rolls and festive bakes, the ad speaks to those simple, comforting moments we all crave at Christmas.  There’s just something so honest and comforting about Greggs. No fuss, just the promise of warm food and good cheer. It’s a down-to-earth choice, reminding us that some of the best festive memories are made with a hot pasty in hand. 

Katie & Laura E’s Top Pick: John Lewis – The Gifting Hour 

Christmas isn’t complete without the much-anticipated John Lewis advert. Katie & Laura agreed that once again they’ve delivered with an emotional story titled The Gifting Hour, which tells a heartwarming story of Sally’s quest to find the perfect gift for her sister. Set to Richard Ashcroft’s Sonnet, the ad begins with Sally rushing into the Oxford Street store at the last minute. After falling through a rack of dresses, she enters a magical world and journeys through her childhood memories, reliving moments with her sister as she searches for the ideal present.

She returns to reality with the gift wrapped and ready, meeting her sister outside. As they walk away, her sister’s reflection in the store window appears as the child from Sally’s memories, adding a nostalgic and touching conclusion.

Elle & Tom’s Favourite: Barbour with Shaun the Sheep

Both Elle & Tom have a soft spot for Barbour’s seasonal treat featuring Shaun the Sheep, which this year has really upped the cosy factor. The ad follows Shaun and his woolly friends as they navigate a festive countryside adventure that’s full of charm, laughter, and of course, classic Barbour jackets. Elle describes it as “a little slice of British countryside Christmas,” which couldn’t be more fitting. While Tom said “I’m a big fan of Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep, and who doesn’t love a good play on words in a marketing campaign? Barbour to Baabour.” The lighthearted, family-friendly story doesn’t take itself too seriously and it’s perfect for a bit of feel-good viewing. Plus, seeing Shaun in a tiny Barbour is enough to make anyone smile.

Kim’s Choice: Waitrose – Sweet Suspicion

For Kim, Waitrose’s “Sweet Suspicion” tops the list.  This ad takes a humorous, mystery-driven twist on festive storytelling. Set as a whodunnit, the ad invites viewers to solve the case of the missing red velvet bauble cake, with suspects including Steve, Samira, and Fig the cat. Drawing inspiration from classic Agatha Christie tales, the advert features an all-star cast, including Matthew Macfadyen (Succession) and Rakhee Thakrar (Sex Education), and marks Waitrose’s first use of a cliffhanger format, with the resolution coming in a second installment.

The ad balances suspense with festive chaos, including a startled grandmother, family squabbles, and a touch of Cluedo-like drama.  Social media teasers, featuring Line of Duty stars Martin Compston and Vicky McClure, extend the intrigue, while the luxurious food showcased such as Treacle Glazed Turkey Crown and Brown Butter Mince Pies cements Waitrose’s reputation for indulgent holiday offerings.

These adverts don’t just sell products – they tell stories that capture the quirks and charms of a British Christmas. From the adventurous antics of Kevin the Carrot to the nostalgic heartstrings pulled by John Lewis, each ad reminds us of the different ways we celebrate, laugh and make memories. So as we settle into December, let’s raise a glass (or a mince pie) to the adverts that bring a bit of sparkle to our screens and keep the festive spirit alive. Here’s to another year of cosy evenings, good food and the joy of Christmas storytelling.