Staff Reporters
Dec 20, 2011

Top 10 Christmas Ads

In celebration of the silly season, Campaign takes a look at Christmas ads from around the world that have stood out this year.

Famous for its cheeky ads, fast food chain Nando's pokes fun at Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe in this ad created as part of the company's festive season campaign. As 'the last dictator standing', Mugabe is shown sitting alone at a dinner table set for dictators past. He reminisces about his time spent with fellow leaders, making sand angels with Saddam Hussein, and riding a tank 'titanic style' with Uganda's Idi Amin. The very amusing ad has unfortunately been pulled since its November debut after Nando's staff in Zimbabwe received threats from Mugabe supporters, accusing the brand of depicting Mugabe as a man without values....

Coca-Cola pulls on the heartstrings with this Christmas ad reuniting Filipinos living and working abroad as part of its 'Happiness is home' project. Make sure you have a box of Kleenex handy for this five-minute 'Where will happiness strike again' video. The winners surprise their unsuspecting families with an impromptu visit, courtesy of Coca-Cola, after years away from home.

The festive season will no doubt bring about a few 'walks of shame' as Christmas parties and New Year's celebrations continue into the early hours of the morning. Harvey Nichols tells us to avoid morning runs in their 2011 Christmas ad by opting for their 'friendlier' clothes unlikely to raise more eyebrows the next morning than it did the night before.

A disgruntled girl hijacks her family's rendition of '12 days of Christmas' in Ebay's commercial for the season. She uses the opportunity to highlight what she really wants for Christmas and it does not include her aunt's needle-point throw pillow, or her uncle's acid-washed jeans. Luckily dad is on the ball with his smartphone to make her wishes come true.

Bonds in Australia puts its own spin on '12 days of Christmas' with Rachael Taylor and more than 60 street-case locals. This ad has it all - drumming toddlers, laughing babies, bikini clad girls, more six packs than you can shake a stick at, and Ms Taylor drinking pear juice in a tree.

EA Sports enrolls the help of star footballers Wayne Rooney and Gerard Pique to advertise its new 'FIFA 12' Playstation game. Poking fun at unwanted Christmas gifts, including socks and a puppy, the sportsmen make it known that all they really want for Christmas IS THE BALL.

It seems nothing these days is complete unless Justin Bieber gets involved. Macy's gives the teen idol the starring role in its commercial advertising Black Friday - the store's first ever midnight opening for the festive season. The pop phenomenon's star power reduces even the toughest of men to hysterical screams as he makes his way to the sale.

If Coca-Cola's 'Happiness is home' project ad didn't bring you to tears, this one will send you over the edge. John Lewis puts a new spin on an old concept in this heartfelt Christmas ad for 2011. A little boy is shown miserably watching the clock in the countdown to Christmas. When the day finally arrives, he rushes past the big pile of gifts at the end of his bed to give a gift to his parents instead. Awwwww...

Marks & Spencers, along with the finalists from the X-Factor, turn on the charm in this Christmas advert to put you in a festive mood. Your stereotypical Christmas scenes - excited children and delighted faces opening gifts next to log fires - set to 'When you wish upon a star' will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. 

This year Santa is being upstaged by 'the girls' in UK chemist Boots' thoroughly entertaining Christmas advert. The fast moving group of women are on a mission to spread the joys of Christmas while the neighbourhood is asleep. When the gifts are wrapped and the houses decked in lights, they bow out in style, Charlie's Angels style.

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