Christmas ads on my Nice List
Christmas 2025: The ads that made my Nice List.
We’ve arrived at Christmas again, apparently. Whether you like it or not! As the self-proclaimed Head of Christmas Cheer of my family, the festive season is inexplicably my favourite time of year. No Scrooges allowed here please.
So, it’s no surprise that I’m always eager to see what our favourite brands bring to the table as they compete for the unofficial yet fiercely contested title of Christmas Ad of the Year. Expect a healthy dose of emotional manipulation, offset by at least one attempt to introduce a mascot destined for the shelf as a novelty ornament or soft toy.
Here’s a rundown of my top 5 from the 2025 season –
5. Uber Eats: Ding Dong Deals
Who doesn’t love a Bad Santa. Inspired by Aussies’ nuanced humour and penchant for swearing, this short & sweet instalment of their latest brand platform sees a shopping centre Santa drop the ball, and the F-bomb, in front of a small child and their mother as he discovers the bargains you can get on the food delivery app. No frills, no fuss. Just a bit of f**king fun.
4. ALDI: Go On, It’s Christmas
We’ve all been there. You want to dress up “because it’s Christmas” but really you just want to be in your comfies, elasticated waistband and all, ready to eat as much as possible in a single sitting. ALDI hit that nail on the head here, encouraging Aussies to say yes to all the trimmings and reminding us that it’s our pants that we should be stretching this Christmas, not our budget.
3. Coles: For every kind of Christmas
Between Coles and Woolies, it’s Coles celebrating the premise that they are your go-to this festive season, whatever your kind of Christmas might be, that cinched it for me. Its depiction of a wide range of Aussie Christmas scenes means that there’s something for everyone. But really, it’s the adorable performances from Archie, Monty and Lola the Basset Hounds who stole the show here.
2. Disney: Best Christmas Ever
Coming in at a very close second place is Disney – from the loveable characters to the plot, to the soundtrack, it wreaks of Disney. Directed by none other than Taika Waititi, this sparkling gem pays tribute to the power of your imagination, telling the story of a young girl whose drawing comes to life and becomes her best friend. It’s a cheerful, inoffensive piece and it’s proof that long-form storytelling is far from dead.
1. Waitrose: The Perfect Gift
Turning to the top spot… predictable but charming, I hope. Next year I promise we’ll find someone other than a pom to give their opinion.
It’s a gorgeous story about finding love over the cheese counter (one can dream, right?) and the blossoming of a new romance through shared moments over food during the festive season.
From the romcom royalty of Keira Knightley and the nods to Love Actually, to the inherently British wit of Joe Wilkinson, it’s everything I think a Christmas ad ought to be – funny, charming, heartwarming…and centred entirely around food.