The Christmas Ad Paradox: In the Age of AI, We Still Want to Feel

Every November, amid endless scrolls, skips, and swipes, something rare happens; we all stop and watch. Christmas adverts have become one of the last true shared traditions in our digital age. Moments that bring audiences together, spark emotion, and signal the unofficial start of the festive season. Whether it's John Lewis’ storytelling mastery, Aldi’s beloved Kevin the Carrot, or Coca-Cola’s misjudged AI experiment, these campaigns still capture our attention and remind us that, despite changing technology, we still crave stories that make us feel connected.

Why We Still Watch

The real paradox of Christmas adverts lies in their enduring relevance. In an age of Netflix, Prime, and ad-free streaming, few people sit down to watch traditional television anymore. Yet every year, Christmas adverts still find their audience. They’re the rare campaigns that unite millions across screens and platforms, providing a shared cultural experience in an increasingly fragmented digital world. The channels have changed, but the human need for storytelling remains. We don’t just watch them, we talk about them, rank them, and share them. A campaign people actually want to talk about is what every marketer hopes for.

The Christmas Hits

John Lewis has long dominated the category of Christmas adverts, with audiences eagerly awaiting their release every year. Each year, their advert feels more like a short film than an advertising campaign. It’s a carefully crafted story that taps into human emotion rather than product promotion. The adverts beautifully capture the real feelings of the Christmas season, such as warmth, generosity, and togetherness, while evoking a strong sense of nostalgia in viewers. This emotional resonance is what makes them so memorable and eagerly anticipated each year.

Where John Lewis goes cinematic, Aldi goes comedic. What started as a light-hearted joke has become a Christmas icon, with Kevin the Carrot even receiving his own range of plush toys. Over the years Aldi has built up a playful storyline, building continuity that people genuinely look forward to. It’s proof that you don’t always need to tug at heartstrings to make people feel something. Sometimes, a well-loved carrot is all that it takes.

Then there’s Irn-Bru, whose iconic “Snowman” advert has been running since 2006. Set to a nostalgic Christmas soundtrack, it has changed very little over the years and that consistency is part of its appeal. It transports us back to a simpler time before the world was dominated by an overwhelming amount of content, algorithms and AI-generated campaigns. The advert offers something rare, a sense of familiarity. It reminds us that even as technology evolves, people still respond to stories rooted in tradition and shared experience.

Festive Fails

Not every Christmas campaign lands perfectly, even for the world’s biggest brands. Coca-Cola’s attempt last year serves as a cautionary tale. In an effort to appear modern and innovative, the brand leaned on AI to recreate its iconic Santa Claus advert. The result was widely criticised online, with audiences describing the imagery as unsettling, uncanny, lazy, and lacking the warmth of the original. While the technology was new, the emotional connection was missing. Audiences didn’t respond to the spectacle; they responded to the absence of human storytelling, nostalgia, and familiarity. The backlash was a reminder that even a brand as iconic as Coca-Cola cannot rely on novelty alone.

The broader lesson is clear: during the festive season, audiences respond to stories that feel familiar, authentic, and rooted in tradition. Even in a world of ever-evolving technology, AI cannot replace the emotional resonance that allows Christmas adverts to endure.

Even in a world dominated by streaming, social media, and ad blockers, Christmas adverts retain a unique cultural pull. Nostalgia is at the heart of the ritual, and these ads are moments audiences genuinely anticipate. Innovation is valuable, but it must be grounded in storytelling, emotion, and shared experience. Ultimately, Christmas adverts endure not because they chase the latest technology but because they capture the warmth, familiarity, and shared joy of the season.