It’s that time of year again. October has passed, Halloween is over and by default, that means it is officially Christmas. And despite festive food and Christmas decorations now filling the supermarket shelves, the true telling that Christmas has arrived is the Christmas adverts that are now flooding our TV screens.

All year round brands prepare to stand out amongst the busy crowd of competitors, fighting for consumer attention. Past adverts heavily relied on giving the gift of tears, where a good advert was simply one that could make you cry. John Lewis has undoubtedly taken the tear-jerking crown in previous years. But this Christmas is not like any other and with lockdown and social-distancing rules in place, the way we celebrate Christmas looks to be very different and the priorities consumers hold will be even more so. 

This year has seen adverts from brands and businesses we haven’t previously seen adverts from before and the competition is looking fierce. So here at NEON, we’ve made things a little easier for you, and we’ve ranked our top 3 Christmas Ads of 2020 so far. 

Aldi – Kevin the Carrot returns 

Kevin the Carrot was accidentally ejected out of a fighter jet and falling to earth with an aflame parachute in the first part of Aldi’s festive ad released earlier this month. However, we can now sleep again, knowing that Kevin is safe, and in fact ends up reunited with his loved ones in time for Christmas. Although there are a few bumps along the way… 

As the Aldi brand and reputation has strengthened over the years, so has the fanbase for Kevin the Carrot. Aldi Christmas Adverts are undoubtedly giving other supermarket chains a run for their money. See the full advert here. 

Amazon – The Show Must Go On

Amazon’s Christmas Advert focuses on the story of a young dancer whose spirit and determination triumphs through the COVID-induced challenges of 2020. With a little help from her family and community, the young dancer is able to pull together a stage and dance for the whole neighborhood in an emotional finale. 

The campaign even features an original arrangement of Queen’s “The Show Must Go On” and enlisted Melina Matsoukas, known for directing music videos for Beyoncé’s “Formation” and Rihanna’s “We Found Love,” to direct the campaign. Not that we could expect any less from the retail business giant that Amazon is. See the full advert here: 

John Lewis – Give A Little Love

A last-minute entry to the race for the best Christmas advert of 2020, John Lewis focuses on celebrating kindness and giving a little love. The same sentiment for which they stood by when selecting multiple artists to work on the animation. Rather than using a single production team, John Lewis aimed to give employment to as many people across the creative industry as possible. In fact, they used 8 different artists and production houses for this one advert.

This year’s campaign aims to be uplifting and to inspire everyone to give some kindness in their own way this Christmas, especially to those who need it most. See the full advert here:

Only time will tell which advert takes the top spot for Best Christmas Advert of 2020. The jury is definitely still out on this one and we’re curious to know what your thoughts are. Make sure to head over to our social channels to join the conversation.