There’s nothing quite like Christmas advertising to get the festive mood going. And if you’re in charge of getting those Christmas ads up and running, we know how stressful they can be—especially if your creative inspiration runs dry due to the pre-holiday rush and pressure.
To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of Christmas advertising examples to get your creative juices flowing.
Great Christmas ads to inspire your Christmas ad campaigns
1. Citroen, merry Christmas, Slovakia
Sometimes, a good Christmas ad can be as straightforward as playing with the logo and bringing it home for Christmas, similar to what Istropolitana Ogilvy in Bratislava did with this ad.
Why we liked it: Its simplicity. No bells and whistles. The fine layer of snow. The heartfelt “merry Christmas.” The way the creatives played with the Citroen logo for this Christmas ad campaign. Nothing over the top, just elegance delivering a clean message.
2. The unreal xmas shop
In 2021, Save the Children worked with B-Reel in Stockholm to launch an AR-driven website with a powerful message: Christmas is all about giving, but doesn’t mean excessive consumption.
Why we liked it: It’s a clever, modern, techy campaign with a heartfelt message and a big goal that fits the Christmas spirit: helping children in need.
3. Don’t have a stock standard Christmas
Nobody likes boring stock images they’ve seen a thousand times before – but what happens when Ogilvy’s behind them and they have a charitable goal?
Ogilvy NY’s 2015 Christmas campaign revolved around stock images. The entire campaign had a bigger purpose: all the stock images were put up on Getty Images to help fellow creatives, and all the earnings were donated to the World Childhood Foundation.
Why we liked it: The idea. The charitable goal. The nod to all the creatives out there.
4. You’ll miss it when it’s gone
Green Peace released this Christmas ad in collaboration with TBWAHUNTLASCARIS (South Africa) as a reminder that we’re all skating on thin ice. Although this is not a Christmas ad per se, it’s an excellent example of how advertising can play with well-recognized Christmas designs to get a powerful message across.
Why we like it: The powerful message, the clean copy, the way it sends your brain exactly where it should be regarding global warming: urgency, desolation, sadness.
Source: Oscio.org
5. Wishing you a white Christmas
This Tide Christmas advert plays with the meaning of “white” and the idea of a stain shaped like a Christmas tree, reminding the audience of their ability to keep things crisp, white, and clean.
Why we liked it: Leaving aside the little Christmas tree, the play on the word “white” is quite intelligent, too. The ad delivers a double message everyone can get behind.
6. Oh what fun it is to ride
This Budweiser Christmas ad campaign is against drinking and driving. Fun, witty, and to the point, the copy and the design take the message home very well.
Why we like it: It’s funny, catchy, and does the trick, reminding you not to drink and drive, no matter how festive the occasion may be.
7. Poverty isn’t fair
This Danish ad reminds you of what truly matters during Christmas: charity. Created for LINDA.foundation, the ad features European banknotes with gates and doors that remain shut to children from impoverished backgrounds.
Why we like it: With scenery reminiscent of The Little Match Girl and Oliver Twist, this ad taps into emotion to get its point across to audiences.
8. Smaller than a horse
Here’s how Renault tapped into the Christmas spirit: They took a fun twist on the meaning of horsepower to promote their cars and placed this storyline in a scenic environment that screams Christmas.
Why we like it: This ad feels magical and very intelligent simultaneously: it plays with technical automotive elements—both in terms of copy and visuals— enveloping it into a festive landscape.
9. What’s the color of Christmas?
We all know Tiffany’s blue shade has nothing to do with Christmas, but gifts from Tiffany certainly do. Its striking simplicity, the nod of power to the longstanding Tiffany brand, and the copy all come together to create one of the best Christmas ads.
Why we like it: This is minimalism at its finest—an “if you know, you know” if there is one.
10. McDelivery Christmas
McDonald’s Christmas ad succeeded in tying multiple classic Christmas elements—the Grinch, falling snow, coziness—to their McDelivery service in a single ad. The message is clear: Even those who don’t celebrate or particularly like Christmas can enjoy a feast in the comfort of their own home.
Why we like it: It evokes the spirit of Christmas. Its compelling visual storytelling combined with solid branding makes it a memorable ad that eases you into the Christmas spirit—whether you’re a naysayer or not.
11. Let the jingle bells ring loud this Christmas
Rarely do we ever think about sports besides skiing, snowboarding, and ice skating during Christmas. But Sixit’s Christmas ad campaign made cricket and tennis a part of it. The fun twist on “bells”—whose “e” resembles an “a”—alongside the in-motion tennis balls forming a Christmas tree created a direct link between Sixit and the festive season.
Why we like it: There are so many things to like here: the clever ad copy, the play on visuals, and the contrast of these with the black background emphasized Sixit’s branding alongside its timely message.
12. KitKat advent calendar
“Have a break, have a KitKat” is KitKat’s classic tagline. They combined it with the advent calendar craze that happens every Christmas, turning their chocolate bars into 24 must-have breaks before Christmas.
Why we like it: This isn’t just a Christmas ad. It’s a Christmas ad turned into a product. KitKat made its spin on the classic advent calendar, reinforcing its tagline and providing customers with a product that allows them to make KitKat a part of their everyday leading up to Christmas.
13. Baby it’s cold inside
There’s no better signal that Christmas is approaching than hearing the hit “Baby It’s Cold Outside”— and Hughes, a UK-based electrical company—tapped right into that, promoting their fridges using that song title as a springboard.
Why we like it: Hughes took a song that’s well-recognized as a Christmas anthem and flipped it around to fit their narrative. The result? A snappy, catchy, and compelling Christmas ad.
14. Gain presents, not pounds
The Christmas holidays are known for a few things, with gifts and great food being two significant components. R2 Fitness Club recognized this, reminding you not to get carried away and letting those pounds pile on. While this good Christmas ad is perhaps not the most festive, it definitely makes you think.
Why we like it: This Christmas ad campaign shows us that whatever your brand is and whatever it offers, you can certainly tweak it to fit any occasion with the right creative mindset.
15. Sorry, I spent it on myself
Harvey Nichols, a British luxury department store, added a humorous spin on gift-giving in its Christmas ad. It acknowledged its pricey goods, showing how customers don’t have any money left for gifts after splurging on themselves, hence why they’re gifting inexpensive gifts like gravel.
Why we like it: The ad turned the classic Christmas act of gift-giving on its head in a way that represents the brand’s luxury appeal. While most shoppers spend more during Christmas, Harvey Nichols’ shoppers can’t due to splurging on expensive goods. This is how you do an on-brand Christmas ad.
16. Ingle ells, ingle ells
This 90’s J&B Christmas ad shows you what matters by omitting the letters of a classic Christmas song. This immediately grabs your attention as it’s not what you expect, leading to J&B strengthening its brand name just in time for Christmas.
Why we like it: We’re used to Christmas ads doing more, not less. This is what makes J&B’s great Christmas ads just as—if not more—effective because you’re not noticing what’s there, but rather, what’s missing.
17. Jacquemus snow angels
Jacquemus’ Christmas ad shows without telling. With no ad copy in sight, it uses its visuals to convey the Christmas spirit. The snow angel is used as a model, with Jacquemus’ accessories and shoes stacked on top of it as a cheeky display of its products.
Why we like it: The use of snow angels in Christmas ads isn’t as common as Christmas trees or gift boxes. This ad’s bold take and ability to guide users’ gaze to all things Jacquemus—given their layering on top of a white background—creates a stark and memorable contrast.
18. Halo Top’s ice cream snowman
Ice cream belongs in the summer—or so we think. The Halo Top ice cream brand builds anticipation for the festive season by creating a snowman using scoops of its ice cream. This creates a tasty and compelling visual that makes ice cream seem like it belongs to the winter season.
Why we like it: It shouldn’t work, but it does. Halo Top brings summer to the winter and, like the fitness ad, makes something that isn’t supposed to work, work.
Ready to put your creativity to the test?
If your creativity is all fired up and you want to get started immediately, you can get started using Creatopy immediately. And if you’re still racking your brain for ideas, don’t worry, you can lean on Creatopy’s Christmas banner ad templates to jumpstart your creations.