Christmas TV ads: the good, the bad and the emotional
We found out which elements make a great Christmas advert, and what it takes to bring viewers to tears. Here's the full results of our survey.
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From this shortlist of memorable Christmas ads (some loved, others not so much) which is your all-time favourite? |
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| Answer options | Response percent |
| Coca-Cola 1993 - Holidays are coming | 22% |
| John Lewis 2011 - The Long Wait | 15% |
| John Lewis 2013 - The Bear and the Hare | 11% |
| John Lewis 2014 - Monty The Penguin | 11% |
| Sainsbury’s 2014 - World War 1 | 7% |
| Irn Bru 2006 - The Snowman | 5% |
| Yellow Pages 1992 - kiss under the mistletoe | 5% |
| Boots 2014 - #SpecialBecause (nurse coming home to her family) | 3% |
| OXO 1984 - "And Mummy…. Mummy made the gravy." | 3% |
| The Famous Grouse 1995 - the famous grouse | 2% |
| M&S 2014 - magic & sparkle | 2% |
| Boots 2013 - Small Town Boy | 1% |
| Asda 2012 - Behind every great Christmas, there's mum | 1% |
| Woolworth’s 1981 - Have A Cracking Christmas | 1% |
| Hellman’s 1992 - 12 days of Christmas | 0% |
| Littlewoods 2014 - Myleene Klass as Santa’s helper | 0% |
| None of these / don't know | 6% |
| None at all - don't like Christmas TV ads at all | 5% |
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Do you look forward to the annual flurry of Christmas TV ads? |
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| Answer options | Response percent |
| Yes | 65% |
| No | 28% |
| Don't know | 7% |
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If yes - why do you look forward to Christmas TV ads? (All that apply) |
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| Answer options | Response percent |
| They get me in the mood for Christmas | 81% |
| They signal the start of the Christmas season | 74% |
| I enjoy watching them | 66% |
| They tend to be great ads | 43% |
| My children enjoy watching them | 37% |
| They give me ideas for Christmas presents and food shopping | 29% |
| They remind me to start planning Christmas | 17% |
| They remind me of brands/shops I wouldn't normally look at / visit / consider | 13% |
| My partner enjoys watching them | 8% |
| Other | 3% |
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Has a Christmas TV ad ever moved you to tears? |
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| Answer options | Response percent |
| Yes | 51% |
| No | 47% |
| Don't know | 2% |
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If yes - which TV ad moved you to tears (most recently if more than one)? |
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| Answer options | Response percent |
| John Lewis 2014 - Monty The Penguin | 28% |
| Sainsbury’s 2014 - World War 1 | 23% |
| John Lewis 2013 - The Bear and the Hare | 18% |
| John Lewis 2011 - The Long Wait | 15% |
| Boots 2014 - #SpecialBecause (nurse coming home to her family) | 6% |
| Irn Bru 2006 - The Snowman | 1% |
| Boots 2013 - Small Town Boy | 1% |
| Asda 2012 - Behind every great Christmas, there's mum | 1% |
| Other | 7% |
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Thinking about your favourite Christmas TV ads, which of these elements are essential to you? (Top three) |
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| Answer options | Response percent |
| Great music | 50% |
| A quirky take on what Christmas is all about | 29% |
| Magic | 27% |
| Snow | 26% |
| A nostalgic storyline | 25% |
| A twist or element of surprise | 25% |
| Humour | 23% |
| A tear-jerking story | 17% |
| Father Christmas | 10% |
| Sleigh bells on the soundtrack | 9% |
| Realism about all the effort needed to create a great Christmas day | 8% |
| A cute animal | 7% |
| A cute child | 6% |
| Animation | 3% |
| Reindeer | 3% |
| Piles of presents | 2% |
| A famous cast | 1% |
| Elves | 1% |
| Other | 5% |
Survey of 1089 Mumsnet users in the UK. Conducted in October 2015.
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| This year's TV adverts | Why we love Christmas ads | Top festive family films |
Last updated: almost 5 years ago