Genevieve Norris
Genevieve Norris
Global Communications Manager

Published: 2 December 2025

The Stars of Christmas 2025

The Stars of Christmas 2025

Every year, Christmas takes over adland. Opinions and rankings fly around, headlines pop up everywhere, and it becomes a real moment in the spotlight. It’s also one of the most exciting seasons on the calendar because brands show up with their very best work, bringing craft, carefully designed characters, intricate narratives, and beautiful sets.  

And as predicted, the first flurry of Christmas ads landed earlier than ever this year, with front runners emerging fast. From furry friends to romance and campaign consistency, it’s been an extraordinary season so far. With so much at stake and competition hotter than ever, we’ve pulled together the latest leaderboard for you to explore, ranked not just by Star Rating but by category uplift and short-term sales potential too. Because at Christmas, great is just the starting point, the real magic is standing out from your competitors. 

So here’s to the merry and marvelous ads cutting through this festive season.12 ads for the 12 days of Christmas, and because frankly, 10 just isn’t enough to do justice to all this brilliant creativity! 

12. Disney+ & VCCO  

  • “A Lifetime of Great Stories”  
  • 5.8 Stars  
  • Uplift versus TV & streaming category +3.3 Stars 

11. Barbour & Aardman  

  • “Wallace & Gromit x Barbour” 
  • 5.8 Stars  
  • Uplift versus fashion category +3.2 Stars 

10. Disney & Adam&EveDDB  

  • “Make Someone’s Holiday Magic” 
  • 5.8 Stars  
  • Uplift versus TV & streaming category +3.1 Stars 

9. Aldi & McCann  

  • “The Proposal” 
  • 5.8 Stars  
  • Uplift versus supermarket category +2.4 Stars 

8. Etsy & Orchard  

  • “Little Drummer Boy” 
  • 5.8 Stars  
  • Uplift versus retail category +3.1 Stars 

7. Marks & Spencer  

  • “Traffic Jamming” 
  • 5.9 Stars  
  • Uplift versus supermarket category +2.5 Stars 

6. Heathrow & St Luke’s  

  • “Must Be Love” 
  • 5.9 Stars  
  • Uplift versus travel category +2.6 Stars 

5. ASDA & Lucky Generals  

  • “A Very Merry Grinchmas” 
  • 5.9 Stars  
  • Uplift versus supermarket category +2.5 Stars 

4. Lego 

  • “If it’s Play, You’re Looking For” 
  • 5.9 Stars  
  • Uplift versus retail category +3.1 Stars 

3. Coca-Cola

  • “Holidays Are Coming”
  • 5.9 Stars  
  • Uplift versus soft drinks category +2.8 Stars 

2. Waitrose & Saatchi&Saatchi 

  • “The Perfect Gift” 
  • 5.9 Stars  
  • Uplift versus supermarket category +2.5 Stars 

1. Amazon

  • “Joy Ride” 
  • 5.9 Stars  
  • Uplift versus retail category +3.1 Stars 

Create with Confidence  

System1’s Test Your Ad platform helps you see exactly how your advertising is landing emotionally on screen, all year round. With second-by-second emotional response, you can pinpoint the moments where your story, characters, and creative choices come together to spark feeling, and where the narrative might need strengthening to drive impact in any season. 

Our expert team is on hand to help interpret the data and translate it into practical creative decisions that elevate narrative and emotional impact across your advertising calendar. 

If you want to create more emotionally powerful advertising year-round, get in touch with the team today.

Contact Us