A Definitive Ranking Of All The Major 2022 Christmas Adverts

Tissues at the ready: John Lewis’ Christmas ad hits you right in the feels. The campaign shows a foster dad struggling to learn how to skateboard, but with every bruise and fall he refuses to give up. At the end, viewers see that he was trying to master the skill to bond with his child. The advert is set to Mike Geier’s tender cover of Blink-182’s classic “All The Small Things.”

This supermarket knows how to keep its ads timely. Last year’s campaign featured a vaccinated Santa, and this year touches upon the cost of living crisis with its Stand Up For Joy campaign. Set to “The Final Countdown” song, a Christmas party travels across the UK bringing people together with price-friendly mince pies, pigs in blankets, and cheese boards. The optimistic ad cheekily addresses some big festive questions, such as is Love Actually truly the best Christmas movie and when exactly is bin day, making it a fun conversation starter around the holidays.

2022 is clearly the year of Paddington bear and Barbour is making the most of it. The wholesome ad sees Paddington on a quest to find a unique present for his grumpy neighbour Mr. Curry. The bear stumbles upon a Barbour shop, and it’s a Christmas match made in heaven. The video also includes a nod to the bear’s association with Queen Elizabeth II, which is bound to fill viewers with festive nostalgia.

In a dystopian Bridgerton-like setting, this ad features Alison Hammond as a Countess setting up her annual festive banquet. The Countess despises Christmas pudding until, of course, she “tastes the difference” in the Sainsbury’s offering. Not going to lie, the sight and mention of caramel has us licking our lips.

Disney released the final instalment of its Christmas trilogy in support of Make A Wish, and it’s just the heartwarming and cheery story we hoped for. Titled The Gift, the ad follows a young girl as she prepares herself for the arrival of a new child in the family. Spoiler alert: It may make you cry and carries some magic from Encanto that keeps you going back for more.

Boots knows Christmas brings magic and its ad embodies this spirit. It’s A Sin’s Lydia West discovers special glasses on the bus and every time she puts them on, she can see what brings joy to the people around her. The frothy and colourful visuals bring the dream to life as we see her brother transform into a glamorous drag queen.

The infamous Lidl Christmas jumper is back and we love to see it. When a little girl’s dad shrinks her jumper in the wash, she puts it on her teddy bear and this new look finds the toy stardom. In a predictable but hilarious turn of events, the superstar bear returns home after a dose of fame and all’s good on Christmas eve. While Lidl won’t be selling the bear, it encourages customers to donate a toy to a child in need as part of its festive initiative.

Dawn French is back as the M&S food fairy, except this time she’s accompanied by a new sidekick: her IRL bestie Jennifer Saunders as the tattered dog-toy Duckie. The narrative brings just the right amount of absurdity and whimsy to make a Christmas ad memorable. Happy to let this duo run amok around our Christmas dinner.

In its new ad, TK Maxx may have abandoned the Christmas cheer a bit too soon. Sam, a seemingly perfect gift giver walks around the city (for far too long) receiving high fives for her presents. But where are the presents? And why did we have to see so many high fives in slow motion? But the advert is set to the ‘80s banger “Supernature,” so we’re happy to this disco classic got some love for Christmas.

Will Ferrell arrives at the supermarket as Buddy from the 2003 movie Elf and with his endless excitement, chaos ensues. It definitely would’ve made for a better ad if they got Ferrell to reprise his iconic role rather than relying on clever technology, but it’s still a cute idea.

Remember when Morrisons’ debuted its protagonist Farmer Christmas on a shiny delivery truck last year? Completely wild, but it did put the spotlight on the often forgotten farmers and it was pretty uplifting. This year, they’ve revisited the heartwarming idea.