If you thought Christmas ads couldn’t get any more diverse, 2025 may just change your mind.

This year delivers a mix of familiar festive clichés, unexpected goth appearances and creative ideas that range from absolutely delightful to “why the hell did they do this?”.

While some brands play it painfully safe, others lean right in with fun, chaos and connection.

Although Australia remains the home base, I’ve gone global this year to uncover some of the most entertaining Christmas commercials from around the world.

Aldi – Go on it’s Christmas

ALDI once again swerves the usual supermarket Christmas clichés and delivers on a brilliantly simple insight – we’ll always make room for more if we’re enjoying what we’re eating.

In true ALDI fashion, it’s fun, self-aware, refreshingly clutter-free and aligned with the brand’s promise of value without compromise.

Big W – How good is Christmas?

Christmas is great, but this ad certainly isn’t it!

Has Big W forgotten Christmas is all about joy and celebration?

Yes, we know there’s a lot of organising and effort involved but we certainly don’t need to be reminded.

QIC Shopping centres – Take Joy To The Limit

The talent casting and film directing in this commercial are sensational.

Set to a Flashdance-esque soundtrack, we follow a super mum prepare for Christmas in the most fun and entertaining way.

That’s how you do it Big W!

Woolworths

Interestingly, Woolworths didn’t produce a festive season commercial this year, opting instead to re-run last year’s.

A spokesperson said money was redirected from creating a new large-scale TV advert to cost-of-living relief initiatives.

The ad wasn’t great last year and it certainly hasn’t improved with age.

Coles – For every kind of Christmas

Coles once again serves up a series of vignettes depicting family and friends enjoying their Christmas spread.

To add interest to an overcooked ad recipe, it has included a wandering basset hound named Rudolph.

It would have been more amusing if it was a Labrador, as we know they eat absolutely anything!

Perfectly serviceable but very much the socks and jocks of this year’s Christmas ads.

Myer – Give something special

This ad leans heavily into every festive trope imaginable – smiling families, loads of gift giving, feel-good music and as a result instantly forgettable.

Nothing special here!

Telstra – Together is for Christmas

Isn’t it great to see Telstra producing some highly engaging and effective advertising.

Its Christmas ad is no exception.

It’s not traditional and won’t be everyone’s cup of egg nogg, but at its heart it tells a warm story of two social misfits crossing paths and connecting.

Nice work, it’s really captured the Christmas spirit!

Coca-Cola – Holiday are coming

Globally, this year Coca-Cola has used artificial intelligence to create its festive holidays campaign.

The ad features the obligatory red delivery trucks and a menagerie of winter-faring creatures including polar beers, seal, squirrels, rabbits and even a tropical sloth.

The quality of AI video is on a trajectory, and we’ll see much more of this on our screens in 2026.

Anyone who is relying on animal “talent fees” may want to rethink their career path.

John Lewis (UK) – Find the Gift

John Lewis is a British retailer and traditionally sets the Christmas ad benchmark.

This year’s commercial tells the story of how a simple, but meaningful, gift of a vinyl record titled Where Love Lives brings a teenage son and his father closer together.

The LP is available in-store with profits supporting the John Lewis-aligned Building Happier Futures fund. An all-round class act.

Waitrose Supermarkets (UK) – The Perfect Gift

OK, I admit it. I watch Love Actually every Christmas and this British supermarket romcom starring Keira Knightley and Jon Wilkinson (Postman Pat in Ricky Gervais’ After Life) has all the hallmarks.

With food, romance and a few laughs, it has all the makings an opening scene of Love Actually 2.

Orange – Whatever Your Christmas

The European telecommunications giant’s Christmas lands a smart festive punch by using humour to prove its point.

Through a series of escalating and entertaining scenarios, the ad subtly reinforces what matters most with customers – security, reliability and staying connected when it counts.

Confident, playful and refreshingly different.

Not every present’s a winner

This year’s Christmas ads are much like the presents under the tree.

Some are thoughtfully considered and chosen, while others have you smiling politely and wondering if the receipt’s still in the box.

The best, though, feel like the gift you didn’t know you wanted but end up loving.