Santa is repainting his sleigh, the elves are rushed off their feet in the workshop, and Christmas ads are being beamed into homes across the country. With the festive build-up in full swing, let’s take a look at some of the season’s finest yuletide campaigns. Prepare yourself for talking carrots, inspiring ballet dancers and unfortunate snowmen!

1) Kevin the Carrot returns once again this year for Aldi. This time he is stranded far away from home and has to get back in time to spend Christmas with the family. In an endearing homage to the film ‘E.T’, Santa gives him a ride on a flying bicycle before dropping him off to his wife and kids. It’s a typically heart-warming Christmas tale which confirms Kevin’s status as a festive favourite.

2) Amazon’s Christmas ad ‘The Show Must Go On’ features a ballet dancer who has her dance school’s show cancelled because of Covid-19. Despite this she continues to train and inspires the community around her by performing her own show for them on a rooftop. It’s beautifully shot and although it deftly plays on the heartstrings, it’s defiant message gives it a bit more edge than some of the more saccharine Christmas ads out there.

3) Tesco have decided we all need a bit of fun in our lives with their light-hearted Christmas campaign. It reassures us that after a gruelling year there is no ‘Naughty List’ and we can indulge our indiscretions as much as we like. Sound-tracked by Britney Spears’ ‘Oops!… I Did It Again’, the ad explains that it doesn’t matter if you bought too many toilet rolls or skimped on the kids’ home-schooling, we should just enjoy ourselves this year!

4) A dog chew company is probably not the kind of brand that comes to mind when you think of excellent Christmas campaigns, but trust me when I say that Greenies have knocked it out the park this year! The animation is brilliant and even the voiceover nails it. Take a look for yourself (unless you’re a snowman, that is).

5) Co-op’s Christmas ad is charming in its stripped-down simplicity. After hearing a report about how Christmas will be different this year, a young boy grabs his guitar and pitches up outside the local Co-op with his little brother. After a tentative start he gamely sings and strums through the Oasis tune ‘Round Are Way’. His brother mainly provides moral support but chips in with some backing vocals near the end and together they lift the spirits of passers-by. This celebration of community and ‘doing your bit’ fits in perfectly with the times and also brilliantly captures the Co-op’s ethos.

6) Last but by no means least is this amusing Danish ad for Ikea. Reminding people to avoid food waste during the Christmas period, the ad features the ghostly apparitions of food that is turning bad haunting a kitchen. The commercial ends with ‘Sig paent farvel fil manspild’ which translates as ‘Don’t let the holidays go to waste’.