Christmas campaigns always play a key role in annual planning. Brands prepare for them for months and usually allocate huge budgets, practically entering an “emotional competition” with one another. Today, alongside strong emotional storytelling, real human stories are taking centre stage, and humour plays a much bigger role as well.
In this article, we’ve brought a few international examples of how to create a Christmas campaign that really works.
“Not perfect, just Christmas” – Tesco: That’s What Makes It Christmas
Tesco’s 2025 campaign, “That’s What Makes It Christmas” goes completely against the airbrushed, picture-perfect Christmas ideal. The campaign is not built around a single film, but shows multiple everyday situations where consumers can easily recognize themselves.
John Lewis – Where Love Lives
John Lewis’ 2025 campaign, “Where Love Lives” brings back the emotional storytelling that has made the brand’s Christmas ads so popular in previous years. The central film tells the story of a father who receives a vinyl record from his son as a gift. Alison Limerick’s 90s house anthem Where Love Lives, re-released in a limited edition, first takes the father back to his youth, then shows how music can build a bridge between generations.
Aldi – Kevin the Carrot turns 10
In 2025, Aldi celebrates the 10th birthday of Kevin the Carrot. Over the past decade, we’ve seen the character dropped into settings inspired by Mission: Impossible, Home Alone, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Top Gun. This year, he stars in a romantic story inspired by Love Actually.
Value, giving, community: Lidl – “Why do we love Christmas so much?”
The message of Lidl’s 2025 campaign is simple, yet never loses its relevance: it’s not about what we receive, but what we give. In the campaign film we see Christmas through the eyes of a little girl, who keeps wondering why we love this holiday so much. She eventually realizes that the answer lies in the time spent together, in sharing, and in the joy we bring to others.
Lidl also puts strong emphasis on social responsibility: through its Toy Bank initiative, customers can donate new, unopened toys, books and board games into the boxes placed in stores. These are then distributed to children in need via local charity partners.