2023 Christmas Ad Review — From John Lewis to KFC

As Autumn winds blow the last of the leaves onto the train tracks, heavy pullovers replace light sweaters and crucially, Halloween skeletons are re-coffined for another year, it means the floodgates are open for Christmas Adverts. I thought I’d have a look and see what this year’s crop had in store:-

JD Sports / Bag for Life / Uncommon

Somebody more qualified than me called this a Christmas ad. It’s not — it’s a music video in the guise of a Kidulthood sequel that launched in November. Starring Central Cee And Kano, it’s fresh, fast paced and has an eminent truth at its heart, in that those drawstring bags are utterly ubiquitous within a certain cohort of school aged trainer buyers, but it’s about as Christmassy as a post-cheeseboard bout of explosive diarrhoea.

KFC / KFT/ Mother

There’s no love lost between me and the nations most prolific chicken eviscerator (I still stand by the damning article I wrote a few years ago — link in comments) but they do tend to do highly effective ads, This one teases the possibility of a ‘KFT’ turkey burger at Christmas in response to consumer demand. They’re bluffing, of course, and reveal a chicken burger with stuffing by way of a compromise. Foul play, surely?

Morrisons / Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now / Leo Burnett

The title gives away the tune, and yes, this is a significant plus. Buoyant, breezy, carefree oven gloves belt out Starship’s classic track. Inoffensive…