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Nation’s Favourite Ads 2023: Featuring the Best Ads of the Week

Welcome to our annual list of the Nation’s Favourite Ads – the fifty commercials that captured hearts and minds across the UK in 2023. These are proudly feelgood, entertaining, and emotionally resonant spots that audiences loved.

At System1, we know that emotion is the key to effectiveness, and every ad on this list proves it. These brands have mastered the art of making people feel something – and in doing so, they’ve boosted both attention and commercial outcomes.

Why So Many Christmas Ads Made the Best Ads of the Week

Yes, there are a lot of Christmas ads here – and for good reason. It’s the season when marketers unleash emotion and go all out for joy. These festive campaigns aren’t just warm and fuzzy – they work. They entertain, uplift, and ultimately, sell. Many even earned the title of best ad of the week during the holiday season.

Rewind Worth Watching: Classic Ads Still Make the Best Ads of the Week

A major takeaway in 2023? “Wear out” is a myth. Great creative stays great. This year, we’ve included a mix of new releases and re-released classics – some dating back to 1991. These timeless ads continue to perform and often reclaim the spotlight as the best ad of the week, proving that emotional storytelling never goes out of style.

Ranking the Best Ads of the Week (and the Year)

Ads were ranked by Star Rating, which measures their long-term brand-building potential. When there was a tie – and there were many, with several ads scoring the maximum 5.9-Stars – we turned to Spike Rating, which predicts short-term sales impact. Many ads that topped our best ad of the week leaderboard also found a place in this definitive year-end ranking.

Celebrating a Stellar Year of Creativity

From heartwarming classics to breakthrough new campaigns, 2023 proved that emotional connection drives success. Whether you followed along weekly or are diving in now, this list of the Nation’s Favourite Ads—and frequent best ad of the week winners—offers a powerful snapshot of what truly resonates.

Nick Williamson, Marketing Director at System1, hosted the virtual discussion. He was joined by Tom Goodwin, Co-Founder of ALL WE HAVE IS NOW, Kate Waters, Director of Client Strategy and Planning at ITV, and Jamie Peate, Global Head of Effectiveness & Retail at McCann.

The Nation’s Favourite Ads 2023
Top 50

1
Aldi /McCann

Kevin and the Christmas Factory

Five years of 5-Star Christmas ads – no other brand aside from Coke and their Trucks can claim that, and certainly no other brand has managed it with new creative every time. Aldi’s Kevin the Carrot is an advertising phenomenon. The Kevin ads combine several of the elements we know to be particularly effective in advertising, like living characters, cultural references, humour and consistency. He really is Aldi’s golden ticket at Christmas, and now he’s back on top of our Nation’s Favourite charts.

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2
Coca-Cola

Holidays are Coming

Reissued almost every year – the trucks took a year off in 2022 – and you can see why. “Holidays are Coming” is a bellwether for Christmas performance. If it gets a maximum score, as it did this year, audiences are in the mood for festive fun. Coke’s perennial performer is also a testament to the wisdom of investing in a great ad. Now it feels like an old friend and the start of Christmas every year – but back in the 90’s it was just a good commercial. Coke backed it and turned it into a phenomenon.

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3
Amazon / in-house

Joy Ride

Amazon are big believers in the power of story and use that storytelling to show off their core product benefit. This year’s “Joy Ride” is a heartwarming tale – three girls who grow up together and as older ladies remember the joy they used to feel going sledding. Thanks to Amazon, they get the chance to recreate that joy and race down a hill again together. As usual, the story is tightly and expertly told, and Amazon’s product is central to it but never allowed to overwhelm the emotion.

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4
Lindt

New Lindt Choco Wafer

Our top non-Christmas ad is brought to you by Lindt’s Master Chocolatier. This time he’s crafting biscuits in his secret Alpine lair, but the top-scoring Lindt formula hardly varies. Slow-motion close-ups of delicious chocolate, and reaction shots of people enjoying it. This time we see pairs of women react with surprise and happiness to the tasty treat. It creates what we at System1 call "moments of betweenness," confirming that Lindt's newest creation is just too tempting to resist.

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5
Lindt

Enjoy the magic of Christmas with festive figures

The Master Chocolatier strikes again with this reissue of his Christmas ad. Not that there’s many overt holiday season references getting in the way of the chocolate, the Chocolatier, and the delighted consumers. Lindt are one of the only brands who can get away with going easy on the Christmas elements – their Star Ratings are through the roof anyway thanks to a delicious product and ads which highlight the joy of consuming it. They’re also smart enough to keep effective work on screens.

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6
The Works / Full Send Studios

Unwrap Real Value

2023’s top newcomer to the list is budget retailer The Works. Their first Christmas campaign, "Unwrap Real Value", encouraged families to embrace the authentic spirit of Christmas by creating priceless moments without breaking the bank. This heartwarming ad captures genuine and delightful reactions from children enjoying affordable toys, gifts, books, games and crafts. Amidst the cost-of-living crisis, The Works smartly positions itself as a budget-friendly shopping hub, highlighting its role to deliver real value in-store and online during holiday occasions. 

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7
Netflix / Aardman

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget

Film trailers don’t often score this well. But most film trailers don’t star iconic characters (who’ve also shown up in a good few 5-Star ads over the years!) The trailer for Aardman’s sequel to its hit 2000 movie had to reintroduce viewers to the characters and convey the blend of humour and heart that drives Chicken Run 2. Netflix’s trailer promoting the latest film was a brilliant blend of nostalgia and anticipation, winning our highest possible Star Rating of 5.9 for including beloved characters, laughs and excitement. It struck a chord with both new and nostalgic viewers.

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8
Hotel Chocolat / Gravity Road

Velvetiser

Hotel Chocolat brings their “Velvetiser” at-home barista grade drinking chocolate system to visual life with a spectacular animated ride along a chocolate river through a surreal jungle landscape. It’s a vivid and original way to advertise a bit of kitchen hardware – and it was made possible by agency Gravity Road using generative AI for much of the visuals. Crucially, the first generative AI ad to hit our maximum 5.9-Star score doesn’t actually tell you it’s a gen AI job – we've found ads that make a big deal of it lose audience interest. Hotel Chocolat let the visuals do their work, and they do it exceptionally well.

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9
TUI / Leo Burnett

Holidays from TUI

Holiday brands do their advertising after Christmas, right? Luckily nobody told TUI that! Their debut Christmas advert unveils the "untold" tale of Santa's elves enjoying a well-deserved holiday after the presents are delivered. The short film features the elves on a beach vacation, indulging in cocktails and massages while ignoring calls from Father Christmas. Set to Ricky Martin's "Livin' La Vida Loca," the light-hearted ad, created in collaboration with Leo Burnett and model-maker Andy Gent, introduces a playful twist to the festive season, encouraging viewers to dream of future adventures.

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10
Cadbury / VCCP London

Garage

Cadburys powerhouse “Glass and a Half in Everyone” hits the Top 10 with an ad that doesn’t mention the brand or product once. It simply uses its short time to tell a beautifully human story with the product as its hero and a great heart-warming twist. The results speak for themselves – the ad does the ‘Test Your Ad triple’, with Exceptional scores not just in long-term Star Rating but in short-term Spike and Brand Fluency too. Like several of the “Glass and a Half” ads there’s a little bit of sadness in the mix early on but the ad flips it successfully and leaves the audience delighted.

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11
M&S Food / The Mill

2023 Christmas Advert

M&S Food have given audiences a couple of years to get used to their brand character the M&S Fairy. And now that the Dawn-French voiced Fairy is a hit, she’s able to drive the brand to their first ever maximum 5.9-Star score. For once the emphasis is on storytelling, with new characters Left and Right Mitten, and the ‘food porn’ the brand does so well is saved to the end.

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12
Morrisons / Leo Burnett

Christmas Ad 2023

Morrisons achieve the maximum Test Your Ad score by putting the spotlight on one of the hidden helpers of a family Christmas – the humble oven glove. The gloves dance, sing, sway, make heart signs and are generally adorable. The ad hits two of 2023’s big themes: Christmas traditions and animated characters. Morrisons show you can delight viewers by being quirky – spotting a part of the tradition people don’t usually think about.

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13
Channel 4 / in-house (4creative)

Official Trailer | The Great British Bake Off

Our highest ever score for a TV trailer reflects not just the public’s love of Bake Off but a wonderfully crafted ad. Channel 4’s trailer charms audiences with its ingenious mix of humour, familiar sounds, and endearing animated fruits and cake ingredients (don’t worry, they want to be baked!) Accompanied by the classic song "Heaven is a Place on Earth" by Belinda Carlisle, it captures the familiar emotions of joy and anticipation that the annual Bake Off stirs for the UK public and beyond.

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14
Barbour / Aardman

Shaun the Sheep x Baa-bour

Barbour love to feature an iconic British character in their Christmas campaigns, and they’ve had their biggest success yet with this heartwarming Shaun the Sheep collaboration. The festive film features Shaun, Bitzer, and the Flock attempting to repair the Farmer's worn Barbour wax jacket to keep him warm and dry. The humorous and joyful storyline unfolds, showcasing the chaos that ensues during the repair attempts. Despite their best efforts, the jacket ends up looking worse than before. The film concludes with the Farmer's jacket magically restored by Barbour experts, emphasizing the benefits of professional jacket maintenance.

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15
Sky Cinema / in-house

Christmas Advert 2023

The cinema is a magical place that transports people to other worlds. Sky bottles up this feeling in their ad highlighting classic films. It’s a sure way to evoke nostalgia in viewers and bring them on an emotional journey, with clips of beloved characters at key turning points in their respective works – all great examples of what Orlando Wood would describe as ‘moto e azione’.​ There’s romance, action, comedy and more, and it’s all backed by a spirited rendition of “Never Enough” from The Greatest Showman.​

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16
Lidl / BBDO Germany

A magical Christmas with Lidl

Lidl delivers one of the most compelling storytelling ads of the year, featuring a heartwarming tale of raccoons assisting a child in retrieving a lost toy. Leaving their usual tongue-in-cheek Christmas ads behind, Lidl takes a fresh approach with an unconventional choice of Christmas animal. However, the strength of the narrative makes it a holiday season triumph, marking Lidl's highest score to date in crafting memorable and emotionally resonant advertisements.

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17
Disney / in-house (Yellow Shoes) & Ridley Scott Associates

A Wish For The Holidays

Disney breaks from the norm, spotlighting its Make-A-Wish foundation with a heartwarming ad. Kids worldwide sing a classic Cinderella song in different languages, a departure from Disney's usual big character focus. Despite consumer concerns about multi-language ads, Disney takes a risk with exceptional results.

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18
Sainsbury's / New Commercial Arts

This Christmas, One Little Girl Asks One BIG question

An excellent use of storytelling tension from Sainsbury’s – is the little girl going to ask the Santa question? Fortunately not – it's all about what he has for dinner. This is an ad which cleverly frames its story in a way that lets it show lots of tasty food – those elements combine to bring Sainsbury’s their highest Christmas score for several years.

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19
Tesco / BBH

Helping You #BecomeMoreChristmas

Tesco go where other Christmas ads fear to tread and acknowledge that no, not everyone gets in the festive spirit right away. It tells the story of a teenager who’s at first embarrassed by how into Christmas his family are before a reminder of childhood activates his own Christmas cheer. It’s a lovely visual metaphor for the way little things can suddenly trigger those feelings of Christmas goodwill.

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20
Ambrosia / McCann

Ready to eat porridge

Ambrosia’s Moley the mole took to the skies in 2020 for a charming animated ad which was a breath of fresh air amidst the pandemic doom and gloom. In 2023 it performed even better, scoring 5.7-Stars as Moley returned to advertise the brand’s new ready-to-eat porridge. It’s further proof of two great (but often ignored) advertising truths – memorable characters sell brands, and strong ads don’t wear out.

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21
Wall's / LOLA MullenLowe

Magnum Double Starchaser & Double Sunlover

Magnum launched two new flavours with this ad reflecting their “day and night” concept, with a split-screen effect letting audiences experience the daytime and nighttime festivities at once. With innovative flavours, a catchy old-school soul soundtrack from Etta James, and plenty of between-ness on both sides of the screen, the ads captured the essence of new, shared experiences, putting a new twist on typical ice cream ads.

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22
Child's Farm

Suitable for sensitive skin

Cute animal characters playing together, a happy mother and her baby enjoying bath time - all brought to you by Childs Farm. Strategic product placement ensures that consumers associate the joyous moments with Childs Farm, reinforcing the brand's commitment to effective care with the endorsement of medical experts. As a smaller brand in a crowded market, it’s important for Childs Farm to put its brand proposition across, but equally important to do it with emotion and charm – it succeeds on all levels.

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23
Tourism Ireland / Publicis London

Fill your heart with Ireland

Tourism Ireland’s ad features comedy writer Sharon Horgan highlighting how vital humour is in Irish culture. Like Tourism Australia’s hugely successful Ruby the Roo campaign last year, the spot takes a positive stereotype about a country and leans into it hard, ladling on the laughter, the emerald green and the swelling fiddles. In an era of podcasts and YouTubers the spoken word has rarely been so prominent and we’re seeing more ads try this straight-to-camera, documentary-inspired style. It works when it feels real and when passion shines through, and this is an excellent example. 

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24
Disney+ / in-house

Nobody does Christmas better

Disney+ shakes things up for Christmas, mixing scenes from all kinds of movies, including old favourites like Home Alone and Die Hard and newer releases like Elemental and Indiana Jones’ latest adventure. The ad highlights Disney's broad cinematic repertoire and its platform’s “something for everyone” appeal, assuring viewers a holiday season brimming not only with festive cheer but also with an array of unexpected and captivating storytelling across genres. By showcasing nostalgic content alongside new hits, it’s no wonder that streaming services like Disney+ often excel in their trailers.

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25
Ben and Jerry's / Rascal

Ben & Jerry's Sundaes: Choco-lotta Cheesecake & Dulce De-lish

Many product-focused ads perform well in the short-term but not the long. Rather than taking the route of many ice cream ads and showcasing someone indulging in the treat, the ad is inspired by retro computer desktops and graphics. A cursor drags a piping bag across the screen and adds a whipped topping to the sundae, followed by clouds raining salted caramel swirls. It’s a witty, distinctive ad which hits the right tastebuds with exceptional short-term sales potential and equally strong brand-building potential.   

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26
Ribena / BBH

Bursting with Berryness

Ribena resurrected this 2011 ad as part of its 85th birthday celebrations, bringing the animated berries and the joyful 70s tune back to our screens where they were just as popular as ever, easily scoring a 5-Star rating on Test Your Ad. And no wonder – this is textbook ad-making, bringing a beloved brand to visual life with plenty of cultural references and some vivid characters.

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27
Vodafone / Ogilvy UK

Feel the Connection this Christmas

It’s rare for a tech brand to do as well at Christmas as Vodafone did – party hats off to the brand for finding a way to demonstrate a product feature and tell a lovely, feelgood story about a kid determined to catch Santa in the act. A superb combination of product and emotional impact.

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28
Amazon / Hakuhodo Inc.

Motorbike

An example of the growing internationalisation of ads – if an ad works in one market, it will probably do well elsewhere. Amazon made this for Japan to address the challenge of its aging society and tie in with the often-neglected "Respect for the Aged Day." But here it is getting 5-Stars in the UK too. Family and emotion are universal. The story unfolds as a young man visits his isolated grandmother, prompting him to purchase a helmet for her online. The heartening scene shifts to a joyous motorbike ride through a canola field, emphasizing the significance of caring for elderly family members. The ad encourages reflection and action, urging viewers to connect with and appreciate their aging loved ones.

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29
Kellogg's

Our best to you this Christmas

A Christmas ad that’s even older than Coke’s trucks? You bet – this Kellogg’s Corn Flakes classic first aired in 1991 but it still gets seasonal airings on occasion. It’s the one with the little girl who wakes up to find Santa munching a bowl of cereal and greets him with his own “Ho Ho Ho” catchphrase. Beautiful between-ness and a fine revival in a year in which Santa was all over the new Christmas commercials.

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30
Fox's Biscuits

Fox's Half Coated Milk Chocolate Cookies

A return to screens for this Fox’s cookies ad in which we see a very stylised version of the making and baking process before a woman pronounces them as “fabulous”. It’s a balance of left-brain features (the abstracted cookie making) and right-brained ones (the cosy milieu the lady is in, plus her warm facial expressions) which combine for a strong 5-Star ad.

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31
Mackie's

Making Simple Delicious

As Orlando Wood’s research highlights, incorporating character, incident and place helps ads capture and hold the broad-beam attention of the right brain to drive long-term brand building. The 4th generation family business Mackie’s of Scotland does so using different vignettes, showcasing their product being enjoyed by family members at the dinner table, friends at a backyard cookout and on a night in with friends. A treat indeed and a great example of a small brand making the most of its airtime.

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32
Haagen-Dazs

Haagen Dazs X Pierre Herme Ice Cream Collection

Brand collabs are an ever-growing part of FMCG marketing, but they often confuse audiences, who after all barely think about brands in their daily lives. Yet Häagen-Dazs and Pierre Hermé beat the odds. Both are sweet treats with a sophisticated air. But the execution really sells it – a cavalcade of kitschy visuals and good-humoured weirdness with a strongly Parisian vibe.

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33
Kinder / Havas

What matters when you’re little, matters forever

Kinder's latest ad beautifully traces the tradition of a young girl sharing the Ferrero-owned treat with her father, evolving into a multigenerational bond. Produced by Havas, the heartwarming narrative achieves an exceptional 5.4-Stars on Test Your Ad, a first for Kinder. Seamlessly fitting into the brand's theme of "A Little, A Lot," the ad captures the essence of shared, meaningful moments across generations, reinforcing Kinder's enduring role in families' lives.

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34
Duracell / Wunderman Thompson UK

Bunny Saves Christmas

As any parent will tell you, a Christmas without batteries doesn’t bear thinking about. It's almost a shock Duracell took this long to use its Duracell Bunny fluent device in a Christmas ad – he's helping Rudolph’s nose light up again. What’s not a shock is the ad’s 5-Star success – it's got a beloved character, a cute storyline, and Santa himself to power up viewers’ emotions.

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35
Coca-Cola / WPP

The World Needs More Santas

Santa Claus was all over this year’s Christmas ads, as brands tapped the feelgood potential of traditional Xmas iconography. And nobody used more Santas than Coca-Cola, in an ad which imagines a world full of Father Christmas – a character whose iconic red suit has been used by Coca-Cola for decades, don’t forget. Some would ask why Coke needs a second Christmas ad when “Holidays are Coming” works so well – but this is also a 5-Star winner, and the two ads have different emphases, sheer anticipation for the Trucks, great storytelling for the Santas.

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36
Boots / The Pharm

Give Joy

Boots have done well in recent years with ads showcasing their product range, but they go up a storytelling gear with their Christmas ad that tells the story of a Mum and daughter rally-driving their way to the North Pole to make sure Santa gets his gift. Like most of 2023’s top festive season commercials it’s a feelgood ad with lots of traditional Christmas magic, but Boots give it a modern, action-packed twist.

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37
Exodus Travels / Supersonic

Adventure Travels

In 2022, the top travel ads were all about blissed out escapism and relaxation, as people dreamed of de-stressing after a seriously tough few years. In 2023, though, adventure came back on the agenda with ads like this Exodus Travels spot scoring 5-Stars with the emphasis on thrilling not chilling. It’s a shift in emphasis that may herald a return of more adventurous consumers in other ways – keep an eye out in 2024.

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38
Ferrero / MullenLowe

New Ferrero Rocher and Raffaello Ice Creams

“Ferrero Rocher meets ice cream and becomes... Ferrero Rocher Ice Cream!” - this isn’t an ad that’s shy about its product message. But it also knows how to put that product across emotionally, with a ton of between-ness and meaningful glances over shared ice creams that make for a highly engaging ad that’s probably the sexiest on our list.

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39
Dogs Trust / VCCP

A dog is for life

Charities like Dogs Trust have the difficult job of continually finding new ways to deliver the same message, that a dog deserves a lifetime commitment. In the past they’ve run tear-jerking ads about abandoned pets and heart-warming ads about dogs who’ve found a forever home. This ad skillfully combines the two, with a huge spike in sadness as it looks like the lead character has given away his pet... before resolving it with a flourish. It’s the Dogs Trust’s highest ever Test Your Ad score and rightly so – this is a beautiful piece of storytelling. 

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40
Battersea Dogs & Cats Home / FCB London

Wear Blue for Rescue

Part of Battersea Dogs & Cats Home’s ongoing – and very effective – efforts to make the public realise the value of rescue pets. In this ad they’re promoting an initiative to “Wear Blue for Rescue”, but the heart of the ad is, of course, the lovely scenes of rescue animals and their owners. Charity ads are some of the trickiest to get right – Battersea Dogs & Cats Home consistently make it look easy.

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41
Sandals Resorts

The Gift of Blue

Sandals Resorts stand out with their high Star scores, attributed to breathtaking scenes of crystal-clear seas that create a picturesque backdrop. The universally loved backing music of Bob Marley’s "Three Little Birds" adds a soothing touch to the holiday atmosphere. Couples revel in loving embraces, enhancing the resort's romantic ambiance and the combination of stunning visuals, melodic tune, and affectionate moments makes this a 5-Star Sandals ad.

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42
TK Maxx / Wieden + Kennedy London

Spoil all your loved ones for less

TK Maxx scores 5-Stars with a delightfully silly and original Christmas ad, which takes fashion’s category codes and chucks them in the recycling like a pile of used wrapping paper. It takes the central idea of clothes and gifts and goes in a charming and festive direction, featuring a creature catwalk with alpacas, geese and a hedgehog showing off designer outfits bought for them as presents by a farmer. And it brings back the star of TK Maxx’s 2020 Xmas ad, Little Goat – hopefully it’s not the last time we’ve seen him.

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43
Yazoo / Digital Natives

Shake it up

In this ad, three guys sitting in a parked car re-enact the 90’s as they start lip-syncing to TLC’s 1999 hit “No Scrubs” (at least until a girl gets in the passenger side of her best friend’s ride and interrupts them). By using a classic tune Yazoo has a built-in cultural reference, and “No Scrubs” has a melodic hook that helps drive broad-beam attention. Best of all for Yazoo, with this scenario set up, there’s a ton of opportunity for the brand to build on a great start with later activations.

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44
TUI / Leo Burnett

City breaks made easy

TUI serve up a dynamic, upbeat ad focusing on the company’s citybreaks, with adventure and new experiences on offer across a wide range of world cities. It’s another travel ad where the emphasis is on variety and discovery not just on relaxation and beautiful scenery, and it also stresses the human connection with lots of between-ness (including a nicely inclusive moment of sign language).

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45
Irn-Bru / The Leith Agency

Snowman

Irn-Bru's Christmas ad with Raymond Briggs’ classic “Snowman” character first aired in 2006 and has turned up regularly on Scotland’s screens ever since. This year it got a general UK re-release, and we were delighted to find it scoring 5-Stars, a sign that a great ad hardly ever wears out its welcome. For many Scottish consumers “Snowman” is the best ad ever made, a delightfully dark take on the ‘Walking In The Air’ sequence in which a cheeky lad learns the hard way about not sharing your Irn-Bru.

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46
Booking / Zulu Alpha Kilo NY

Somewhere, Anywhere

Comedian Melissa McCarthy stars in Booking.com’s global ad, singing a comic song about the perils of travel (and the reliability and variety of booking.com, naturally). McCarthy doesn’t have the high profile in the UK she does back home, so this use of a celebrity might be a risk – but her charisma and humour turns the ad into a hit, with the musical theatre elements making the commercial highly distinctive in a category full of pretty but unimaginative work.

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47
The National Lottery / adamandeveDDB

A Christmas Love Story 2023

The National Lottery’s beautifully told storytelling ad brought a touch of romance to our screens last Christmas and it was a smart play to bring it back for a second year. The ad still scores 5-Stars and it’s just as easy to see why: it’s full of gestures, glances and human between-ness, and it has characters you root for. A real gem and well worth seeing again.

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48
Marks & Spencer / in-house

Farm To Foodhall

When you hear the soothing sounds of Fleetwood Mac’s “Albatross” you know you’re in the world of M&S Food’s ads, where celebrity chef Tom Kerridge chats to British farmers about the produce they sell to M&S. In this case it’s a premium strawberry farmer talking about his crop. The ads are friendly, down to earth and gentle – a relaxing breath of fresh air which stands out in a busy commercial landscape.

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49
Walkers / in-house

Actually made for sharing

Walkers Crisps get in on the Christmas ad action in their uniquely cheeky way. Their ad points out that while Christmas is the season of goodwill and sharing, plenty of Christmas traditions are certainly not best shared. Walkers’ Crisps, on the other hand, are designed to be shared and Christmas is the perfect time for it. It’s a fun way for an everyday FMCG brand to insert itself into the Christmas conversation and audiences loved it.

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50
Waitrose / Saatchi & Saatchi

Golden Buche De Noel

One final Christmas ad in a year where they’ve often been the highlights. Waitrose put the emphasis firmly on the festivities with a joyfully chaotic ad about a couple hosting a giant party. Guests, including celebrities like Graham Norton, dance, play games and show off a lot of delicious Waitrose food. A classic 80’s soundtrack from Depeche Mode puts the finishing touch on an ad which is pure party atmosphere.

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Honourable mention

Whyte & Mackay / Mr. President

The Woodsman Whisky

This ad for The Woodsman Whisky would have landed in our Top 50 if we hadn’t included reissued commercials, so we thought it was worth a special shout-out – especially as it’s the most effective whisky ad we’ve ever tested! It’s no secret why – those lovable, highly expressive animated beavers. Agency Mr. President specially designed the Woodsman beavers to work as a fluent device, using puppets rather than CGI to increase the emotional connection and response. The result is an ad which delights audiences and breaks away from category conventions to get an all-time high score for its sector. As the ad says, well earned.

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