John Lewis Christmas advert: Top 7 Christmas ads of all time from 1983 Woolworths show to WWI truce portrayal

John Lewis released its highly-anticipated 2024 Christmas advert today (November 14).

The two-minute advert titled ‘The Gifting Hour’ follows a woman reliving her memories with her sister, as she searches for the perfect gift for her.

With all the talk surrounding Christmas adverts, we’ve decided to revisit some of the favourites from over the years including a John Lewis snowman love story and a Woolworths Christmas show.

7. Kevin the Carrot

In 2016, Aldi introduced Kevin the Carrot into the public consciousness. Kevin ventures across a dining table laid out for Christmas dinner - equal to an obstacle course for a mini carrot - and reaches the chimney breast. As he waits for Santa to appear, Kevin falls asleep and is awoken as he is swept across the night sky by Santa’s sleigh.

Kevin the Carrot became a well-loved character and continues to feature in Aldi’s adverts. Customers can even buy Kevin the Carrot plush toys.

6. Joy Ride

Amazon’s 2023 Christmas advert Joy Ride celebrates friendship. The minute-long advert, set to an instrumental version of ‘In My Life’ by the Beatles, shows three older women reliving their youth by going sledging. They laugh and cheer as they travel down the slope, before the advert cuts to them sledging as young girls. It’s joyful and is certain to make you smile.

5. Santa in the supermarket

In 2005, Morrisons’ Christmas advert featured Father Christmas nipping into a Morrisons store to buy some carrots for his reindeers. As he walks around the shop, children are shocked and excited to see him. Having purchased his carrots, he leaves the store and comically unlocks his sleigh, before launching into the sky. The advert is simple, but brilliantly effective.

4. The Journey

In 2012, John Lewis brought us The Journey. The advert follows a snowman’s journey to buy his snow-wife a gift. Set to a version of The Power of Love by Gabrielle Aplin, we see the snowman on a mountainside and travelling through a blizzard, before reaching the bustling city to purchase a present. He returns and gifts his snow-wife a hat, scarf and gloves set. The advert finishes with a touching shot of them holding hands.

3. Coca-cola Holidays Are Coming

In 1995, Coca-cola’s iconic Holidays Are Coming advert debuted. The long-standing advert, which features an illuminated Coca-cola truck weaving through wintry roads, signals the countdown to Christmas -with many singing along to the catchy Holidays Are Coming tune. This year’s Holidays Are Coming advert features an AI-generated reinterpretation of the classic advert.

2. The Spectacular Woolworth Christmas Show

This fun-filled 1983 Christmas advert for Woolworths sees shoppers doing the conga around the store! Some of the products advertised include Pac-Man, an Alba SS220 Hi-Fi Tower, Memorex C90 tapes and a Kodamatic 950 Instant Camera. Many celebrities featured in Woolworths’ Christmas adverts over the years. This advert features singer Joe Brown, actress Rula Lenska and the late athlete Geoff Capes to name a few.

1. 1914

Sainsbury’s 2014 Christmas advert portrayed the 1914 Christmas truce in the First World War. The advert shows a British soldier Jim and a German soldier Otto leaving their trenches and walking into no man’s land to greet each other. Other soldiers follow as they shake hands and talk about their families, before impromptu games of football break out. The truce ends and the soldiers return to their trenches. Otto finds Jim has hidden a chocolate bar in his pocket.

Profits from the Sainsbury’s chocolate bar, which featured in the advert, were donated to The Royal British Legion.