What Christmas Adverts Tell Us About Britain in 2025

It may only be November, but Britain is already deep into its annual festive ritual: stopping everything to watch, analyse, occasionally cry or simply shrug at this year’s Christmas adverts. And I’ll admit it immediately: if a brand uses a 90s dance classic from my youth, I’m hooked before the story even begins. I think you know where this is going… John Lewis could have played Where Love Lives over a black screen with its logo and I’d still have cast my vote for advert of the year - never mind Christmas advert of the year.

But this year’s campaigns genuinely merit closer analysis. On the surface, quite a few are entertaining; collectively, they form an unexpected snapshot of Britain in 2025. They touch on masculinity, affordability, community and – at least in one high-profile case – the limits of AI creativity. And because they arrive at a time when many households are still struggling to meet the demands of the cost-of-living crisis, the brands behind them have had to judge tone, subject and sentiment with real care.

John Lewis once again anchors the national conversation with an advert already being debated on social feeds, over coffee and in offices up and down the country. Set to Labrinth’s reimagining of Alison Limerick’s Where Love Lives, it follows a teenage boy who struggles to express affection for his dad. When the father finds an unopened vinyl gift and places it on the turntable, he’s swept back to a 90s club. It’s stylish yet emotionally grounded, weaving nostalgia, memory and masculinity into something that feels both contemporary and timeless.

For me, the advert’s echoes of Netflix’s hit series Adolescence are unmistakable. Its focus on male emotion and communication feels entirely of the moment, and in many ways, it responds to the wider conversation about a ‘crisis of masculinity’ that has shaped so much of 2025. John Lewis has reframed the classic Christmas theme of togetherness in a way that speaks directly to the challenges facing men and boys today.

The story resonates precisely because it feels real. Many families will recognise the dynamic: affection expressed through gestures, shared interests and long silences rather than words. And in a month shaped by early nightfall and a national sense of fatigue, it’s no wonder this is the advert prising open tear ducts across the UK.

Waitrose takes a different route but lands a similar emotional truth. Its surprisingly effective pairing of Keira Knightley and comedian – and doomed Celebrity Traitors faithful – Joe Wilkinson, playing a lonely widower, produces a lightly surreal romcom that begins at the cheese counter and ends with a home-baked turkey pie on a Notting Hill doorstep. It’s warm, odd, self-aware and distinctly British – exactly the sort of grounded charm audiences look for as winter settles in.

M&S also taps into that mood. Dawn French, trapped in traffic, transforms an idle food lorry into a cosy festive haven with modest party snacks rather than lavish spreads. It’s quirky but rooted firmly in reality: a reflection of celebrations built on warmth and connection rather than extravagance. For many households managing careful budgets this year, it feels relevant.

Asda takes a lighter but still topical approach this year by enlisting the Grinch for its festive shop. It’s a cheerful, brightly coloured reminder that even the nation’s most notorious Christmas cynic can be won over by low prices – a not-so-subtle nod to the cost-of-living pressures shaping how many households will shop this season. It’s playful, self-aware and it lands because it recognises that affordability is as much a part of the national conversation as sentimentality.

Aldi, meanwhile, offers an entirely different kind of relief. Kevin the Carrot’s multi-part saga, complete with vegetable puns, Arctic mishaps and a cauliflower dog crying out for its own merchandise line, succeeds because it doesn’t attempt to mirror real life. It’s pure joy. Barbour, meanwhile, delivers handmade British nostalgia through its Wallace and Gromit collaboration – gentle, crafted humour in a year when authenticity is a welcome counterpoint to digital noise.

Which brings us to Coca-Cola. The brand promised something new this year, but what emerged was an AI-generated snowy world filled with uncanny animals (why pandas?), glazed expressions and a jingle that made even the iconic red truck feel out of place. It inadvertently demonstrates something important: while AI can scale production, it cannot yet replicate the emotional intuition, cultural awareness or storytelling instincts needed to make a Christmas advert land with heart.

Taken in the round, these adverts offer a clear reading of Britain at the close of 2025. Advertisers are expected to spend around £12bn this festive season, and with that level of investment comes the responsibility to reflect the public mood with care and consideration. Audiences don’t want fantasy; they want recognition. They want stories that understand their year, not escape it entirely.

This year, the strongest campaigns do exactly that. They lean into connection, community, memory and emotional honesty – while still leaving room for joy. And if those stories come wrapped in a 90s dance anthem? Even better.