Kim Allain's Christmas crackers of 2022

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! And I don’t just mean the snow.

Now I don’t believe in going into reviews cold turkey - especially when they’re dedicated to a full festive season.

So, I’ve sat and marinated on some of the best and worst Christmas ads (and campaigns) this year to see which ones have aged like wine, and which ones have aged like eggnog.

First up are my Christmas Tree Toppers: John Lewis and ASDA.

John Lewis

The first sparkler in my rankings is the John Lewis’ ad. Now originally, I feel like I saw it, loved the music but frankly moved on. But the magic of the Christmas season, and the ads that are part of it, have a job in creating emotion and feeling within us all—and that is what the John Lewis ad did for me.

Following the journey of a dad, seemingly having a mid-life crisis (aren’t we all); however, readying himself to welcome in a skateboarding fanatic foster child to the family.

At the point that life started to slow down for me for Christmas, I feel like I reflected on the ad and was moved.

And so were many others. I’ve already had conversations with a range of people on how foster care can change so many young people’s lives – as well as those reflecting on their own foster care experience.

Good on John Lewis for dedicating themselves to a purpose often overlooked and for creating a heart-warming ad that will have us all thinking twice.

ASDA

We all look forward to the nostalgia of Christmas and boy did this ad bring it.

Everyone has had that moment in a brainstorm where someone throws out deep faking it, and we all get excited, but that idea falls out of the load because it can just end up looking really naff. Well not here.

Asda brilliantly took one of the classics and, using great editing skills, slotted it into one of its stores.

It's one of those ads with legs—maybe we could have had Buddy the Elf's voiceover at the checkouts?

One of the only ads to make me smile this year.

Special Christmas Cracker

This one's not even an ad – and to be honest, it’s not the most innovative Christmas idea – but I got a warm and fuzzy feeling and my brain started singing “holidays are coming, holidays are coming” (I bet you just did too).

Coca-Cola launched its very own 'Caroloke' in the heart of London, uniting crowds with the spirit of Christmas Carols. With a lot of people suggesting they haven't felt the Christmas spirit this year, this would have warmed their cockles.

With Coca-Cola being the reason we have a red Santa, they nailed the traditional Christmas.

Coca-Cola truck (check), Christmas billboard (check), Christmas Carols (check).

Finally, here is the one that didn't make it: Tesco

Maybe the first one in this section for me is because this year I AM TIRED - literally and figuratively. And the tiredness, partly, has been due to the news agenda. From war to politics, to the cost of living – I am exhausted from the news always being controversial, sad and stressful.

Tesco’s Christmas Party, is just one more thing I didn’t need. Christmas is the one time of the year that I would like to be reminded of family, love and a little magic.

The notion of reminding people that this political year was embarrassing and just total BS, in a clunky way, didn’t sit well with me and was not what Christmas joy should be about. Not to mention its increasing food prices will mean the great feasts in the ad will not be replicated by many of its shoppers this year.

Needless to say, it most definitely doesn't have my vote.