Animated Christmas adverts remain some of the most best-loved videos of the year because of their emotional impact, memorable characters, and surprise and delight storylines.
We’ve rounded up a bunch of our favourite, hot off the press Christmas adverts from this year, and spliced in with a few timeless animated classics to illustrate the power of animation in visual storytelling!
Animated Christmas adverts remain some of the most best-loved videos of the year because of their emotional impact, memorable characters, and surprise and delight storylines.
We’ve rounded up a bunch of our favourite, hot off the press Christmas adverts from this year, and spliced in with a few timeless animated classics to illustrate the power of animation in visual storytelling!
Tamara's Favourite Christmas Advert
DFS (2020) – A Comfy Carol
Tamara has chosen DFS’s 2020 ‘A Comfy Carol’ advert as her best-loved animated Christmas release. As one of her all-time favourite pairs, this playful resurrection of Wallace and Gromit blew all of the other Christmas ad contenders out of the water for her.
A Comfy Carol is a cheerful advert created by animation heavyweights Aardman Animations. In this short but sweet clip, Wallace and Gromit attempt to bring Christmas joy to their neighbours with a rousing “ewe-phonia” carol version of ‘Deck the Halls’. As the jingle finishes, Gromit gets distracted by a family inside, who are comfortably cuddled up on a sofa by the fireplace.
The colour palette is a warm mix of oranges and blues that visually supports the beloved duo in emphasising how DFS could bring comfort to families this Christmas. The advert is concise, but memorable, with an injection of Wallace & Gromit classic humour.
DFS (2020) – A Comfy Carol
Tamara has chosen DFS’s 2020 ‘A Comfy Carol’ advert as her best-loved animated Christmas release. As one of her all-time favourite pairs, this playful resurrection of Wallace and Gromit blew all of the other Christmas ad contenders out of the water for her.
A Comfy Carol is a cheerful advert created by animation heavyweights Aardman Animations. In this short but sweet clip, Wallace and Gromit attempt to bring Christmas joy to their neighbours with a rousing “ewe-phonia” carol version of ‘Deck the Halls’. As the jingle finishes, Gromit gets distracted by a family inside, who are comfortably cuddled up on a sofa by the fireplace.
The colour palette is a warm mix of oranges and blues that visually supports the beloved duo in emphasising how DFS could bring comfort to families this Christmas. The advert is concise, but memorable, with an injection of Wallace & Gromit classic humour.
Theo's Favourite Christmas Advert
La Loteria (2015) – Justino
Theo has chosen La Loteria’s 2015 ‘Justino’ advert as his favourite animated Christmas release. Drawn in by the Spanish advert’s beautiful narrative and its high production value, he cannot help but revisit it every year without fail.
The main character is Justino, a solitary night custodian at a mannequin factory who never has the chance to see his daytime co-workers. To bridge this lonely divide, he begins staging the mannequins in playful poses and places to communicate creatively with them. The advert ends with a heart-warming twist and surprise for the lonesome night watchman. Using progressively uplifting music and clever, animation reminiscent of Pixar’s UP, the video delivers a really powerful and empathetic message.
La Loteria (2015) – Justino
Theo has chosen La Loteria’s 2015 ‘Justino’ advert as his favourite animated Christmas release. Drawn in by the Spanish advert’s beautiful narrative and its high production value, he cannot help but revisit it every year without fail.
The main character is Justino, a solitary night custodian at a mannequin factory who never has the chance to see his daytime co-workers. To bridge this lonely divide, he begins staging the mannequins in playful poses and places to communicate creatively with them. The advert ends with a heart-warming twist and surprise for the lonesome night watchman. Using progressively uplifting music and clever, animation reminiscent of Pixar’s UP, the video delivers a really powerful and empathetic message.
Yunjuan's Favourite Christmas Advert
John Lewis & Waitrose (2019) – Excitable Edgar
Yunjuan has chosen John Lewis and Waitrose’s 2019 ‘Excitable Edgar’ advert as her favourite animated Christmas release. She was drawn to its fantastical, imaginary setting and thought that it mimicked that special warm fuzzy feeling that you only get at Christmas.
The advert lives in a world we aren’t used to. It tells the story of an excitable fledgeling dragon, Edgar who can’t control his fire breathing abilities from repeatedly ruining the town’s festivities. After locking himself away to prevent further disaster, his best friend and the story’s heroine, Ava, finds him a unique role at the Christmas feast. Following on from John Lewis’ poorly received 2018 Christmas advert, this release cleverly ties into the brand’s key seasonal focus of bringing people together with food and thoughtful gifts.
Just like that notorious Penguin scene in Mary Poppins (1964), the mix of live-action footage and 3D characters adds an engaging and whimsical effect to the advert’s narrative. Its uplifting narrative, dreamy music and playful character animation are what makes it one of the many shiny gems in the legendary John Lewis Christmas trophy cabinet.
John Lewis & Waitrose (2019) – Excitable Edgar
Yunjuan has chosen John Lewis and Waitrose’s 2019 ‘Excitable Edgar’ advert as her favourite animated Christmas release. She was drawn to its fantastical, imaginary setting and thought that it mimicked that special warm fuzzy feeling that you only get at Christmas.
The advert lives in a world we aren’t used to. It tells the story of an excitable fledgeling dragon, Edgar who can’t control his fire breathing abilities from repeatedly ruining the town’s festivities. After locking himself away to prevent further disaster, his best friend and the story’s heroine, Ava, finds him a unique role at the Christmas feast. Following on from John Lewis’ poorly received 2018 Christmas advert, this release cleverly ties into the brand’s key seasonal focus of bringing people together with food and thoughtful gifts.
Just like that notorious Penguin scene in Mary Poppins (1964), the mix of live-action footage and 3D characters adds an engaging and whimsical effect to the advert’s narrative. Its uplifting narrative, dreamy music and playful character animation are what makes it one of the many shiny gems in the legendary John Lewis Christmas trophy cabinet.
Kingsley's Favourite Christmas Advert
McDonald’s (2020) – Inner Child
Kingsley has chosen McDonald’s 2020 ‘Inner Child’ advert as his favourite animated Christmas release. With its sentimental message, the emotional storyline nearly reduced Kingsley to tears!
It follows the story of a mother desperately trying to get her teenage son into the festive spirit by taking part in various familiar childhood rituals. At each interaction with his mother, the angsty teenager plays it cool while the inner child inside him can be seen jumping for joy. The heart-warming tale peaks as the son has a sudden change of heart and his inner child becomes reflected outwardly. The ‘cherry on the top of branding moment’ cake occurs when the pair bond over reindeer treats, saved from their trip through the McDonald’s Drive-Thru. The relatable character-led narrative and stripped back cover of Alphaville’s ‘Forever Young’ is ultra-effective in pulling on the viewer’s heartstrings.
McDonald’s (2020) – Inner Child
Kingsley has chosen McDonald’s 2020 ‘Inner Child’ advert as the pick of his favourite animated Christmas adverts. With its sentimental message, the emotional storyline nearly reduced Kingsley to tears!
It follows the story of a mother desperately trying to get her teenage son into the festive spirit by taking part in various familiar childhood rituals. At each interaction with his mother, the angsty teenager plays it cool while the inner child inside him can be seen jumping for joy. The heart-warming tale peaks as the son has a sudden change of heart and his inner child becomes reflected outwardly. The ‘cherry on the top of branding moment’ cake occurs when the pair bond over reindeer treats, saved from their trip through the McDonald’s Drive-Thru. The relatable character-led narrative and stripped back cover of Alphaville’s ‘Forever Young’ is ultra-effective in pulling on the viewer’s heartstrings.
Lara's Favourite Christmas Advert
IGA (2019) – ‘Inseparable’
Lara has chosen IGA’s 2019 ‘Inseparable’ advert as her most-loved animated Christmas release. With no voiceover, she loves how the narrative speaks for itself and illustrates the joy of sharing.
The 3D animated advert shares a movie’s worth of a story in a mere two minutes. It follows the equally heart-warming and heart-breaking tale of a childhood friendship between Anto and Maxime. The video spotlights children’s curiosity and openness, as the pair build a strong bond by trading items from their lunch boxes. Much like the ‘Excitable Edgar’ advert, this animation is not overtly brand forward as it chooses to encapsulate the spirit of the festive season with a focus on food and friendship.
IGA (2019) – ‘Inseparable’
Lara has chosen IGA’s 2019 ‘Inseparable’ advert as her most-loved animated Christmas release. With no voiceover, she loves how the narrative speaks for itself and illustrates the joy of sharing.
The 3D animated advert shares a movie’s worth of a story in a mere two minutes. It follows the equally heart-warming and heart-breaking tale of a childhood friendship between Anto and Maxime. The video spotlights children’s curiosity and openness, as the pair build a strong bond by trading items from their lunch boxes. Much like the ‘Excitable Edgar’ advert, this animation is not overtly brand forward as it chooses to encapsulate the spirit of Christmas with a focus on food and friendship.
The Animation Video Workbook
The 1-stop shop for everything you need to know about making the most awesome video possible
