Best Christmas adverts 2021: from John Lewis to M&S and Aldi

And that’s not all. Amazon has also released an advert promoting kindness, while Asda has been playing its Christmas TV advert choreographed by Dancing on Ice champion, Daniel Whiston, on repeat.

It goes without saying that our favourite brands and retailers are pulling out all the stops this year.

As our commercial breaks become packed to the brim with Christmas adverts, we’ve rounded up the best and most-talked about clips in one handy place.

Without further ado, read on for the very best Christmas adverts in 2021. Make sure to keep this page bookmarked as we’ll be updating it with new releases as we get them.

Best Christmas adverts 2021

Amazon: Kindness, the greatest gift

Amazon released an advert showing a woman helping her anxious neighbour out following the pandemic. As she feeds the birds in her garden, the woman shares a smile with the neighbour, before handing her a bird feeder of her own.

A celebration of small acts of kindness, the advert is soundtracked by Adele’s ‘Hold On’ and is bound to get you in the Christmas spirit. So you better get watching!

Watch the Amazon Christmas advert.

McDonald’s: Imaginary Iggy

'You’re never too old to have an imagination', is the sweet message behind Maccie D’s Christmas advert this year.

Premiering on Friday 12th November during Channel 4’s Gogglebox in a takeover of the full 90 second advertisement break, the ad begins with young Matilda looking shy as she feeds her imaginary friend Iggy some McDonald’s Reindeer Treats (carrot sticks). Soon his comforting presence will brings her out of her room and encourage her to embrace those precious Christmas moments only a child can…

However, as Matilda grows older, her love for Christmas fades and soon so does her relationship with Iggy. It’s only when she sees a young boy with his Reindeer Treats that she rushes home to reunite with her imaginary friend. But will she find her?

Accompanied by the mesmerising classic Time After Time, which is performed by UK pop star Mabel, the advert is sure to tug at your heart strings and put you in a festive mood.

With 10p from every download of Time After Time going to food charity, FareShare, McDonald’s are also spreading the spirit of giving for Christmas this year!

On the Christmas campaign, Michelle Graham-Clare, Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer said: “Christmas is such as joyous time for children and adults alike – with this year set to be better than ever as families reunite all over the country after a difficult few years. We want to make sure that McDonald’s is on hand to help the British public get Reindeer Ready on the lead up to the big day. We’re very proud once again to be supporting our charity partner, FareShare through our Christmas campaign, helping those in the greatest need.”

Watch the McDonald's Christmas advert.

Aldi: A Christmas Carrot

Kevin the Carrot is back, so don't worry, those rumours of him being axed were completely false, though he is a ghost now... But, they did bring out the stars for this year's commercial, riffing off Charles Dickens' (or Charles Chickens, in this ad) A Christmas Carol. The puns are extremely good in this one, with Ebanana Scrooge and Marcus Radishford making an appearance.

There's not much else we can say about this one, except you just need to watch it, it's brilliant.

Sports Direct: Go All Out

Jack Grealish, Declan Rice, Mason Mount Jordan Pickford, Emma Raducanu, Jessica Ennis-Hill and Big Narstie all appear in Sports Direct's 2021 campaign which is encouraging viewers to get up and go play some games this Christmas, all while wrapping up warm in the latest sports fits.

Sports Direct chief marketing officer Beckie Stanion said: “From your TV screens to your smartphones, Go All Out is a truly integrated campaign that shows up consistently, and natively, across multiple channels.”

Watch the Sports Direct Christmas advert.

JD Sports: Welcome to JD Street

Like Sports Direct above, JD Sports brought out the stars for their offering, too. KSI, Jadon Sancho, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Aitch, Maya Jama and Kalvin Phillips all appear in the global campaign which aims to reflect youth culture today.

Watch the JD Sports Christmas advert.

Barbour: Paddington, Please Look After This Bear

Now, here's a tear-jerker. Barbour has collaborated for the first time with Paddington Bear for arguably the cutest Christmas campaign this season. The commercial follows Paddington Bear as he makes his way through his list of people to buy gifts for, and as he gets to Mr Brown, there's only one very sentimental present that will do the trick – a re-waxing of the Barbour jacket Mr Brown wore when he found Paddington Bear.

The beloved character sets about re-waxing the coat before gifting it to Mr Brown on Christmas Day along with a message from Paddington Bear in the pocket: "Thank you for looking after me."

Paul Wilkinson, Group Marketing Director, Barbour said: “Paddington Bear is a much-loved children’s character who is kind hearted and full of good intentions even if he does get into scrapes along the way! To celebrate our Re-Waxing Centenary, we have centred the story around a thoughtful gift from Paddington as he re-waxes Mr Brown’s beloved Barbour jacket for Christmas. It’s nostalgic, humorous and sentimental and shows just how much our Barbour jackets are loved and become an important part of the family; if re-waxed at least once a year, they can last a long long time.”

Watch the Barbour Christmas advert.

Debenhams.com: A Christmas Like Never Before

We guarantee this one will leave you with a lump in your throat. After a tough Christmas in 2020, Debenhams.com is on hand to remind us of the Christmas we missed last year – one of togetherness. The commercial is narrated by a young girl and her father and reminisces on everything we didn't do last year, and highlights everything Christmas should be this year. The now-online retailer encourages us to make this Christmas one to remember, adding: "This year, being together is top of the list."

Patrick Duggan, Head of Creative at Debenhams.com said of the advert: “The concept for this Christmas ad started whilst I was working from home, like many of us, surrounded by my family; my children doing homework, whilst I was on zoom calls. In the end, they all got involved, developing the idea and even writing the poem, which is what Debenhams.com is all about; we’re part of the family. It’s a very simple message really; kids have lost out on hugely important life moments that they can never get back, so make sure this Christmas is one they won’t ever forget.”

Watch the Debenhams Christmas advert.

Very: Very Best Excuses

Online retailer Very has dropped a humorous advert for their festive campaign, allowing people to cut themselves some slack this Christmas. Set to a remix of Holly Jolly Christmas, Very indulges in your guilty pleasures including drinking gin in your Pjs, treating yourself to a better gift than you plan to give and even giving a risky Secret Santa gift to your work colleague.

This one's definitely an ear worm, and we'll defy anyone to not hum this one as they open their second box of chocolates before the big day arrives – as Very say, blame Christmas!

Carly O’Brien, Chief Marketing Officer at The Very Group, commented: “At Very, our purpose is about enabling people to purchase what they need – be it treats or everyday items – that create joy 'this Very moment'. After Christmas was pared back for many last year by last-minute lockdowns, we wanted to get into the spirit early and unashamedly embrace the season as soon as the leaves start to fall. As the ultimate Christmas enthusiasts and champions of now, we have focused on empowering and enabling our customers to say yes to all the excuses that make their Christmas so wonderful.”

Watch the Very Christmas advert.

Lidl: Big on a Christmas you can ALWAYS Believe In

Lidl went futuristic for their 2021 Christmas advert with a funny family-based commercial taking us on a whistle-stop tour through time. The whole ad centres around one family who enjoy all the trimmings for their festive time - no matter what the year. Yes, one day we're going to be carving our turkey with a laser, you heard it here first.

Watch the Lidl Christmas advert.

Asda: Make Christmas Spectacular

We love any opportunity to get our ice skates on, and Asda has the perfect advert for that very thing. The commercial is set to the Bolero and as you'd expect, takes us around every aspect of Christmas, from parties to school plays, all while on ice. And fun fact: this advert was choreographed by none other than Dancing on Ice champion, Daniel Whiston!

Watch the Asda Christmas advert.

John Lewis: Unexpected Guest

The one we'd all been waiting for. John Lewis brought an out-of-this-world advert to our screens on 4th November, with the tale of Nathan, a young boy who sees a UFO crash near his home. Inquisitive Nathan meets Skye, an alien who's never experienced Christmas before. Nathan takes it upon himself to show her all the wonders of the season, all while becoming best friends.

The cute clip also features a soon-to-be-popular-hit from Lola Young, who performs a cover of Together in Electric Dreams.

• John Lewis Christmas adverts ranked: from Monty to Moz

Speaking of the new advert, Claire Pointon, Director of Customer, said: “There is nothing more magical than discovering the joy of Christmas for the first time and enjoying your favourite festive moments with loved ones. After the last 18 months, we wanted our advert to really celebrate this as we look forward to a brighter future. We know our customers are excited for this festive season more than ever, as they reconnect with family and friends. Through the story of Skye and Nathan we celebrate friendship and are reminded of the joy of experiencing Christmas for the first time.”

• John Lewis – seasonal offers, including some lines at 20% off, plus you can claim a £100 John Lewis gift voucher when you buy selected electricals

M&S: Percy Pig Comes to Life

Marks and Spencer actually released not one but two Christmas adverts this year – one to show off their fabulous food and another to show off their clothing and gifting selection. The first features none other than Percy the Pig as he's finally brought to (animated) life when Dawn French's fairy drops her magic wand on some Percy wrapping paper. The nation's favourite pig is voiced by Spider-Man himself, Tom Holland.

The second features a woman having *the time of her life* in a winter wonderland, dancing around trees, presents and a whole load of festive fabrics to the tune of Marshmallow World by Darlene Love. Our dream come true.

Watch the second M&S Christmas advert.

Boots: #BagsOfJoy

Boots brought in an A-lister for their Christmas advert this year, with former Doctor Who star Jenna Coleman introducing us to the ultimate Christmas gift from her nan - a bottomless bag. Filled to the brim with Christmas wonder and excitement, Jenna's character finds everything she needs, and somethings she didn't realise she did, in the handy red and gold tote.

Making everyone's Christmas dreams come true, Jenna heads back to see her nan to try and repay her for the ultimate gift by offering her a bottle of her favourite perfume, reminding her it's what "love" feels like. Ahh.

• Boots – Black Friday offers now live, including better than half price on selected fragrances

TK Maxx: Christmas to the Maxx

Laurie just wants to make a hit at his local festive concert, and what other way to do so than play the organ in metallic blue winklepicker boots? The young boy dons his "early Christmas present" and gives the performance of his life. Where can we get a pair?

Watch the TK Maxx Christmas advert 2021.

Disney: The Stepdad

Ah, we can always count on Disney to make us feel warm and fuzzy inside - and their Christmas offering for 2021 has certainly done the trick. This year, Mickey and Co. have expanded upon their festive campaign "From Our Family To Yours", in support of Make-A-Wish, for a heartwarming advert with family and love at the heart of it.

Following on from last year's advert, "Lola", this year we see a grown-up Nicole (the granddaughter from Lola) with her two children, Max and Ella, as stepdad Mike moves in. Any change in the family home takes time, and Mike must learn from doting mum Nicole on how to be the best stepdad to Max and Ella possible.

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At the heart of the advert is a very special storybook - a gift from Max's birth father. It's packed to the brim with Disney and Pixar stories which come to life as the family comes together. But as Christmas traditions go awry, can Mike bring together his new family?

Gregory Porter performs original track Love Runs Deeper, which provides narration from Mike's perspective.

Watch the Disney Christmas advert.

Looking for something to watch? Check out our TV Guide.