The big high street shops have really stepped up their game this year with their 2021 Christmas Adverts. They are all so full of energy and Christmas cheer. Which one is your favourite?
The high street shops have pulled out all the stops this year and have not failed to impress. With magic bags, alien visits, football heroes, and glimpses into the future, we are spoilt for choice as to which is our favourite. Themes of love, togetherness, giving and the joy of family are all included. Reminding us all just how important our loved ones are at this special time.
With the rising popularity of streaming, meaning there are fewer ads being watched on live TV. The stores need a buzz around their festive adverts and boy have they made one in 2021! We have watched the 10 big hitters’ selection and ranked them in our order of personal preference.
No 1. LIDL Big on a Christmas you can ALWAYS believe in.
Top of the list, making our NUMBER 1 is LIDL! This is such an original advert. It is funny and serves us the essential message of LIDL without any politics, references to past disappointments, which is what lots of the others have done. It shows a Ground-Hog Day style Christmas with each year the festivities become more and more futuristic in the clothing, tools and gadgets being used.
The only thing that remains unchanged is the food, enforcing LIDL’s message of Great Quality Forever. It hammers home the message of quality at a fair price and while the world is moving at speed around you, you can rely on LIDL to be a constant in your life providing great food at fair prices.
The LIDL advert is-laugh-out loud funny and takes the top spot for us as it uses humour and imagination. There is nothing to feel sad about, no missing loved ones or cancelled parties. Just a positive message and it projects to a fun future we can all enjoy!
The main character in the Lidl Christmas 2021 TV advert wears a Christmas jumper straight out of a sci-fi movie decades in the future.
No 2. Morrisons- Christmas Makes Good Things Happen
Morrisons was a real contender for the top spot and was only narrowly pushed to number 2. A couple of friends are in a barn and the girl says, “have you heard of Farmer Christmas?†They then go on to witness Farmer Christmas, as the true hero of Christmas. From planting seeds and harvesting crops to making delicious cakes.
The combine harvester is farmer Christmas’ sleigh and the food production team are his helpers. The ad ends with the young boy’s eyes lighting up saying “He’s been!†but is looking at the Christmas table piled high with food, not at the tree with presents.
I love the message and think it is very positive in all ways. This ad is a wonderful thank-you to all the hardworking people that produce food and sell it to us throughout the year. People who are often overlooked but shouldn’t be. The real heroes who we need to appreciate and recognise how hard they work all year round.
Boots have made a wonderful advert for 2021. Starring the beautiful actress Jenna Coleman, we see her with a magical bag, a special gift from her Nan that serves up the most perfect gift for any occasion. Whatever is needed she makes a wish, and the bags provides. From party make-up, cameras, pushchairs the bag delivers.
The beauty of this advert is the ending, and I can readily admit it made me shed a tear, Coleman finally arrives to give her Nan a gift of some perfume and says, “What love smells like.†It is pulling on our emotions stirred by smells and memories and how we attach aroma to loved ones in our lives. Reminding us to cherish those nearest and dearest, especially the elderly. It truly is a beautiful moment.
No 4. ALDI – Charles Chickens A Christmas Carrot
ALDI has served us an excellent animated re-working of Charles Dickens' classic A Christmas Carol. Ebanana Scrooge goes on a journey with Kevin the Carrot to learn about Christmas cheer and why it is so important to give and share at Christmas. The advert ends with the line “for you to be happy you need to be kind.â€
There is also some tongue-in-cheek humour, in the background you can see Cuthbert the Caterpillar in handcuffs, a cheeky dig at M&S there, and the Caterpillar Cake legal troubles. It has a special vocal appearance of Marcus Rashford, who is playing a character called, Marcus Radishford, a friendly radish. He is a wonderful example of someone giving back to the community in times of need. Marcus Rashford has been recently awarded an MBE for his amazing work helping children and the fight for free school meals.
This is a very well thought out advert, a modern take on a traditional classic tale, spreading the spirit of kindness and generosity. With an instrumental soundtrack of The Pogues “Fairytale in New Yorkâ€, it really sums up Christmas in a couple of short minutes.
No 5. Tesco- This Christmas Nothing is Stopping Us
Tesco has caused a little bit of a stir with their 2021 Christmas Ad. It has received some complaints. Complaints aside Tesco have produced a fun, humorous ad showing a determined Mother, battling a blizzard on an e-scooter to make it to her daughter for Christmas lunch. The classic Queen party banger, Don’t Stop me Now is the song and it is the perfect anthem for the ad. Urging us all to have a great Christmas.
There are nods to current affairs, like the food shortages, which shows Snowmen using alternatives to carrots for noses, planes starting and stopping on the runway, and even a happy family eating a Christmas picnic by the side of the road due to their car breaking down (or running out of fuel). The message is simple – don’t let anything stop you from having good Christmas this year!
ASDA’s ad is very clever, they have shown a variety of traditional Christmas scenes we would expect to attend, such as the school play, office party, food deliveries, etc. But, to hammer the ‘make it spectacular’ message everyone is ice skating to The Bolero song, made famous by Olympian Ice Skaters, Torville and Dean. I like this advert a lot, but they have fallen into the same theme of make-up for last year a little bit.
John Lewis has made a mini-movie with this year’s ad. A young boy meets an alien that has crash-landed in the forest and they form a magical bond, he shares his mince pies with her, and they have some fun together, making mischief. The message of this ad is if you have an unexpected guest, offer them love and inclusion, regardless of where they are from. A bit of a heart wrencher but a good message. This ad is not focussing on the products the store sells instead investing more into the spirit of what Christmas should be.
Like Argos and ASDA, Sainsbury’s offering is all about making up for last year. Titled A Christmas to Savour, with the beautiful Etta James classic At Last playing over the ad. Sainsbury’s ad is heavy on the food footage. Everything is in slow motion, showing families partying and eating and savouring every moment. This ad is good but not that imaginative, the song is the best part.
No 9. Marks and Spencer – Percy Pig Comes to Life
This version is the advert for the M&S food specifically. It has a Tinkerbell styled Fairy in the guise of comic Brit legend, Dawn French. She brings Percy Pig, one of Marks and Spencer’s bestselling sweets, to life. Percy runs around the food hall marvelling at all the delicious goodies on offer. It does what it set out to do, gives us a taste of what to expect this year in the way of Christmas treats, festive food, and drinks.
A good ad from Argos, the message of this is forget about last year’s Christmas and all the restrictions we were living under. Make up for it this year and go big with the gifting. A montage of Christmassy people giving and receiving great gifts from Argos, taking it up a notch. A very clear message saying Argos has what you need to make Christmas special.
Overall there are ten solid adverts from big named shops that all want us to shop with them this festive season. They are very fun and enjoyable to watch, however, Christmas is not just about consuming food and getting presents. We should all take the time to be kind, generous and offer love and respect to all.
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