How Christmas ads aren't just selling products, they're telling stories

In 2007, John Lewis did something quietly revolutionary. They released Shadows – their first big-budget Christmas advert with a cinematic feel, which captured something much more valuable than market share: the nation’s hearts.

In the years that followed, the retailer continued to invest in cinematic ads which led to a real sense of anticipation with questions of, ‘Have you seen the John Lewis Christmas advert yet?’. Brands both big and small followed suit, creating an annual social movement.

We’ve had Sainsbury’s deliver a heart-stopping World War One narrative of peace and chocolate sharing; an endearing but pesky celebrity carrot from Aldi; and a loveable Paddington Bear adventure from Marks and Spencer. The fervour generated around the latest festive advert offerings is seemingly ceaseless, so why do we care so much about a two-minute advert which, at its core, is designed to tempt us into spending money?

It doesn’t take a marketing or advertising expert to understand that this approach is essentially an uncommercial, commercial approach. Particularly clever, though, is the way adverts like, let’s say, Man on the Moon or The Bear and The Hare, aren’t overt in selling products. As an audience, we collectively (and quite willingly) forget that these small pieces of cinema have been made to make us buy things – instead we get so caught up in a good story we don’t much seem to care.

Take the 2025 advert from John Lewis – which is such a big event in itself that it warrants news articles dissecting each aspect of it. So, what’s the formula? Across two minutes and six seconds, the consumer isn’t questioning what products are in shot, but asking what this advert is, in fact, about. We become so hooked in the emotion and narrative of the ad so that, by the time the John Lewis logo shows on screen, we’re already invested in the company and, perhaps later, its products.

It’s undeniably smart, and whether they meant to or not, John Lewis started a movement in 2007 that has given way to an annual societal ritual resulting from the alchemy of storytelling, emotion and tradition. A not-so-secret sauce, if you will:

• Emotion builds trust faster than logic - facts make us think but feelings make us lean in and act.
• Tradition builds belonging and devotion - watching these ads have become a natural part of our festive season rhythm; for brands this is the holy grail.
• Less selling, more storytelling - people tune out the hard sell. Narrative marketing, whether social media, film or consumer storytelling creates impact through discussions or dissections with family and friends, that mere slogans or statistics can't achieve.
• Consistency builds credibility - the Christmas adverts are not a one-off stunt. This yearly, highly anticipated, emotion-led storytelling approach reflects real marketing still and care that, ultimately, builds trust. In a competitive marketplace, these are invaluable commodities.

The investment in these adverts undeniably work, with the biggest retailers reporting big returns. And yes, while they are cleverly made to drive sales and get us on the shop floor with our purses out, the adverts are, generally, joyful. As human beings, with human feelings, we love to cheer and, on occasion, jeer. We feel connected, often recalling a soundtrack or sharing a clip. We have favourites, and love to re-watch old ones that brought a tear to our eye. We even happily open our wallet to purchase a carrot named Kevin, because his antics in animated adverts please us that much.

It’s simple, but it’s smart, and it means that a Christmas ad is no longer just an avenue for sales, but a memorable tradition and an emotional connection we have wholeheartedly embraced.