Hilarity or calamity? A comedian’s view of this year’s Christmas commercials

It’s that time again, time to grab a bowl of popcorn, snuggle up with a blanket (sleeves are required for peak comfort), and settle on the sofa to watch... the ads. 

They are often the best part of the whole holiday! Don't get me wrong, putting on Die Hard is a much loved family tradition, but it's the ads that are going to move us, make us laugh, and occasionally, make us cry. And sometimes they might even make us shop!

It’s delightful to see brands utilising humour (or at least trying to – points awarded for effort). Let’s see what the brands have to offer us this year in the way of lols.

ALDI: Kevin the Carrot/Saving the Holiday Spirit – 3.5 stars

Aldi really are a ubiquitous brand, evidenced by their ability to push narrative to the forefront and branding and product to the periphery. We in the UK get a couple of mini episodes of Kevin the Carrot in what appears to be an ongoing soap opera of his life. These rely on the audience’s knowledge of the association between Kevin and the brand, and are kinda cute.

Why are there multiple Santas and why is one of them Italian?

In the American market, the advert is pushing the low prices of Aldi with the metaphor of saving a hapless Santa from disaster. Short and comical, the ads says what they want to say.

END: A Very Merry END – 2 stars

I fear that two ideas have been conflated in this advert: the idea that Santa needs help getting last minute presents (we never find out why) and the idea that a team needs to work together (I think) although… Why are there multiple Santas and why is one of them Italian? 

I don’t recognise any of the actors, but it feels like a bunch of footballers playing Santa – which could be fun – but why are they out shopping last minute? Or are they actually Santa? All of them? Funny but in a strange way…

How will Boots beat this gag next year

Tesco: That’s What Makes It Christmas - 2.5 stars 

I understand exactly what Tesco was trying to achieve – let’s point out all the awkwardness of Christmas and find the funny in it. 

But a setup is only half a joke, some would argue the less important half, and you still need a punchline or at least a resolution; so for me, this ad misses the mark.

M&S Food: Traffic Jamming - 3.5 stars

Marks & Spencer’s decision to bring Dawn French back for another year screams second album blues. Don’t get me wrong, SHE is fantastic. A goddess of comedy and nuance she plays her part to perfection. 

It’s well done, the Tom Kerridge cameo was a nice touch, but despite it being Christmas, it still is just an ad. Last year, Dawn’s involvement was inspiration, this year, it’s just logistics.

Boots: Gift Happily Ever After - 3.5 stars

How will Boots beat this gag next year? Continuing on from last year’s loose fantasy theme (a kick-ass Mrs Claus running the show) we follow Puss as he solves all his Christmas shopping needs… in Boots.

[Argos’s] mockumentary-style episodic shorts about a contemporary art gallery team, Arghaűs, are witty and original.

It really is crazy that Boots hasn't done this idea before. A fun ad, that doesn’t totally make sense (why did everything hang on whether or not the Snow Queen liked her gift?) but that will be hard to beat next year.

Argos: Christmas Drive - 3 stars

Advert wise, Argos have been branching out this year. We have seen a commitment to the dinosaur/doll duo that must test well with a demographic that I don’t belong to. Plus, their mockumentary-style episodic shorts about a contemporary art gallery team, Arghaűs, are witty and original.

I didn’t need Wallace to be stripped to his undies.

Their Xmas ad, however, plays it safe and starts with Simon Bird espousing the myth that Argos only sells toys. The ad is ok, we love to see a familiar face, but building on the budding love story in the Arg Haűs series would have been more fun.

Home Instead: Home But Not Alone – 4 stars

This was a cute call back to another great Christmas movie, Home Alone. We see a grown-up Kevin (played by Macauley Culkin himself) bubble wrapping the Christmas decorations outside his ageing mother’s snow-laden house to protect her. 

It’s succinct, it’s messaging is clear, it doesn’t push the product in our face, but does build brand trust. This was a fun and effective way of cross marketing with an old classic.

ASDA: The Grinch – 4 stars

Who doesn’t love a musical? This was a well chosen idea that is competitive in the field of Xmas commercials. A lovely combination of Green Grinch/Green ASDA /things are expensive/he’s a Grinch/but ASDA is affordable/he becomes human. Fun to watch, the 90 seconds fly by.

I didn’t need Wallace to be stripped to his undies at the end (family show!), it felt a little off-brand

Barbour: The Gift-o-matic - 4 stars

Barbour has collaborated with the Wallace and Gromit team to create a very watchable little sketch. For me it could have stopped one step sooner, I didn’t need Wallace to be stripped to his undies at the end (family show!), it felt a little off-brand for him, but I suspect that was the scarf people pushing for more scarf action, and at the end of the day, they were the ones footing the bill.

WAITROSE: The Perfect Gift - 5 stars 

In this ad we see Joe Wilkinson (who is everywhere and just winning at life right now) play the role of Phil in the ultimate beta-male fantasy of getting Keira Knightley (playing herself) to love him back. 

An engaging mini-romance ‘movie’ with subtle nods to the brand without being too in your face about it, we can even forgive the rather tired Love Actually doorstop proclamation of love given the twist ending (shout out to all the beta men who can cook pie!