Christmas ads unwrapped: Our expert review on this year's festive favourites

Our partner Kurt Stuhllemmer recently joined a panel of experts from adland to review this year’s Christmas ads. The write up by @Ellis Hawthorne has now appeared in the UK’s leading retail industry site Retail Week.

It’s a fantastic read. I’ve included a sneak peak of some of Kurt’s personal views on the John Lewis ad, voted as the Retail Week Christmas cracker, as well as his own personal favourite Sainsbury’s and the turkey here, but do get in touch if you’d like more of Kurt’s own perspective.

Kurt felt that Sainsbury’s had ‘Roald’ out the right tone this year. Magical, nostalgic, fantastical. This ad is a feel good ad for everyone.

Sainsbury's blends whimsy with a clear focus on quality festive food. The narrative follows Sophie, a Sainsbury’s employee, who helps the BFG create a holiday feast using Sainsbury's premium ingredients, showcasing a wide range of products from salmon to stilton. The use of nostalgia and magical storytelling, combined with a strong social message through the Comic Relief partnership, creates an emotional connection with viewers. Messaging ties back to brand well and its heartwarming tone and festive visuals make it a standout.

On the Retail Week Christmas cracker Kurt said that John Lewis once again proves it leads at creating emotionally engaging and visually stunning Christmas ads. It may not be their best, but the heartfelt storytelling and strong brand alignment will resonate emotionally with consumers

By blending nostalgia with contemporary relevance, it creates a powerful emotional connection that will drive audience engagement and strengthen brand identity. I love how they seamlessly weave their products in through family gifting moments and the soundtrack competition to replace the verve with a consumer cover will amplify social buzz. JLP celebrates the joy of giving with the magic of Christmas, positioning it as the go-to destination for thoughtful gifts.”

What did you all think? Do this year’s Christmas ads do a great job of tapping into our emotions, evoking the nostalgia and traditions of Christmases past and the importance we place on spending precious time with friends and family.