The most memorable Christmas TV adverts of 2023

Virgin Radio

4 Nov 2023, 16:28

It's not really Christmas without an incredible selection of stellar adverts to get the festive hype going, and 2023 truly had some of the most memorable features to date.

We've had Venus flytraps masquerading as Christmas trees, incredibly well-dressed farm animals and even the King of Christmas himself Michael Buble hit the small screen for fresh yuletide ads, but what were the most eye-catching ones out there? Check out our favourites below!

Argos

While it’s unsurprising that the home of potentially the most beloved Christmas catalogue would also do well in the advert category, we’re still mightily impressed with Argos’ 2023 ad, which features fan-favourite toys Connie the doll and Trevor the dinosaur. 

“Lights, camera, coffee machine…” Trevor says while filming on a snazzy smart phone, as Connie gets ready for her dazzling kitchen countertop performance to Chic’s Le Freak. 

After finishing with showstopping splits, it turns out Trevor wasn’t recording all along, too busy staring at himself with (albeit hilarious) Christmas selfie filters. 

Baileys

Clearly making her claim as this year’s Queen of Christmas (watch out Mariah!) Ted Lasso’s Hannah Waddingham stars in not one but TWO massive campaigns this year. 

Not only does she feature in the M&S ad, but she’s also the face of Baileys, in a glittering ad that focuses on a Christmas choir taking a musical break while enjoying a quick creamy tipple.

TX Maxx

“Name a more famous farmyard. We’ll wait,” the ad description for the TK Maxx feature reads, and to be fair, we’re struggling to think of a more sartorially sophisticated barn than the one they have in their new Christmas offering. 

The store’s 2023 ad shows some incredibly well dressed alpacas, geese and even a hedgehog, who all stroll out of their barn in some rather chic designs while strutting to Eve’s killer track Let Me Blow Ya Mind. 

Asda 

Somehow we didn’t think Asda’s 2022 ad, featuring Will Ferrell as Buddy The Elf, could be topped, but then they went and got freshly-defrosted King of Christmas Michael Buble involved for 2023. 

In the first of two ads proclaiming to kick off the festive season, Asda employees are trying to find the source of some strange noises in their store, while fellow workers are making the aisles glisten with Christmas cheer and sparkling decorations. 

The source of all that noise? Mr Buble himself, much to the delight of the wandering employees, but there’s no time to waste, as the second ad shows everyone's favourite crooner as Asda’s Chief Quality Officer. 

M&S Food

You might recognise a couple of famous voices in another sickly sweet advert for M&S Food. 

Hollywood A-listers Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney star in the ad as a pair of mittens, who are discovered by Dawn French’s Fairy. 

Reynolds voices the ‘Right’ mitten, with co-owner of Wrexham FC and It's Always Sunny star McElhenney voicing ‘Left.

The mittens share jokes before introducing themselves, and explain that they were lost in the snow after being left behind by their owner, Lily. The Fairy then sprinkles them with M&S magic to show them the beauty of the festive season. 

Waitrose

It’s truly party season and Waitrose knows it!

In this advert, featuring Virgin Radio’s very own Graham Norton, a couple get ready for their massive Christmas shindig, and while things keep going wrong (lock stuck on the bathroom door, police showing up unannounced) it’s all OK as the good vibes and good food keep rolling on. 

Graham himself shows up with a showstopper of a dessert, which we may or may not have added to our list for this year already. 

Sainsbury’s 

Speaking of very famous faces, Rick Astley shows up in a mission to figure out what Father Christmas would want for his festive dinner. 

While simply making his way down the dairy aisle of his local shop, the Never Gonna Give You Up hitmaker asks if Santa would prefer a slice of cheese instead of a pudding, to which a mildly disgruntled employee tells the singer: “C’mon Rick, cheese before pudding? You know the rules…”

Well..you can probably guess the next line. 

Morrisons 

Another 80s classic gets a festive outing in Morrisons’ Xmas feature. 

Starship’s 1986 power ballad Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now is the focal point of this hilarious ad, which shows the hardworking oven gloves getting ready for the season they see the most action in. 

From taking out the roasted spuds to the grand finale of the turkey, the oven gloves are left with a smile on their faces as they contribute to yet another stand-up Christmas dinner. 

Debenhams 

Forget oven gloves and supermarket aisles, Debenhams is turning the glamour all the way up with a rather star-studded Xmas affair. 

The likes of Alison Hammond, Zandra Rhodes and Sophie Habboo feature in this glittering advert, featuring fragrances, make-up and a season staple, sequin dresses.

Lidl

It’s not Christmas without an advert making us want to bawl our eyes out. 

Case and point is the 2023 Lidl Christmas advert, in which a loving raccoon watches on as a family gets ready for the festive season. 

The friendly critter spots that the child loses his favourite toy monkey while out and about, and the tiny hero goes to great lengths to return it. 

Putting it under the Christmas tree, the raccoon is then startled by the family dog, but it turns out the boisterous pup just wants to be friends as the family sit down for Christmas dinner. 

All together now….awwww! 

Aldi

Aldi have decided bring back Kevin the carrot, as well as taking a page out of Timothée Chalamet's book for this Christmas

The ad sees Kevin take on the role of a Charlie Bucket like character, wondering through William Conker (not Willy Wonka's) Christmas Factory, as the narration by Jim Broadbent explains.

All the staple components of a Classic Christmas feast fill in for the other characters, with sprouts and plumbs becoming Oompa loompas as various other veg take on the roles of the other gluttonous children, in this nod to Roald Dahl's beloved tale...and yes, don't worry, all the veg meet just as gruesome ends as the kids in the original.

Yet fear not as William Conquer and Kevin finally bring in the Christmas spirit as when Kevin is revealed to have past all the wickedly festive tests and understanding the importance of doing good, before being being given the cheese (key) to the factory and sharing his wealth with the world.

John Lewis

The John Lewis Christmas advert for 2023 decided not to go for the tearjerker this year, but instead opted for a sweet story all about a Venus flytrap set to celebrated tenor Andrea Bocelli. 

In the two-minute ad, a young boy is at a local market sale with his family when he stumbles upon a ‘grow you own perfect Christmas tree’ box, which he pleads with his gran to buy him. 

Months roll on, and the youngster is besotted with his plant, watching it grow daily from a tiny one-headed flytrap to a staggeringly tall, multi-headed behemoth - much to the dismay of his family. 

While the action ensues, Bocelli is belting out a Italian rock opera-style track Festa, which captures the chaos of the anthropomorphic plant, lovingly dubbed ‘Snapper’.

After Snapper gets into too much trouble, he's forced to live outside in the garden, much to the disappointment of the youngster who, come Christmas Day, decides to take his presents outside.

Clearly moved by the boy and his love of an outrageously large plant, his family decide to take their gifts outside too - but are quickly left totally gobsmacked when Snapper decides to gobble them all up!

No fear here though, as the foliage was simply unwrapping them, and spits out the presents, much to the delight of the boy, his mum, grandma and sibling.