The best Christmas adverts ever – from John Lewis’ Monty the Penguin and Boxer the Dog to the famous Coca Cola truck
CHRISTMAS is on it's way so to get you in the mood we've rounded up some of the best ever festive TV ads.
There's already been a few strong contenders this year for the best Christmas advert - but here's our top picks from all time...
Coca Cola - Holidays are Coming, 1995
Christmas really is coming when we see Santa in his Coca-Cola truck accompanied by the catchy 'Holidays are Coming' theme tune.
The red-faced cherry chap with his cheeky wink from the side of the vehicle catapults us into a warm, glittery glow of festive spirit.
The original advert, which screened in 1995, is heaped with nostalgia, snowy scenery and the original shots of the glitzy soft-drink lorry.
Cheers to that.
John Lewis - Monty The Penguin, 2014
This little black and white winged cutie has us all wishing he was our BFF too.
The touching telly advert from John Lewis had us gripped with heartwarming scenes of a schoolboy playing outdoors with his new mate before they collaborate on a Lego toy.
After a trip to the park and a sneaky fish finger feast a snowy winter finally comes and the penguin gets the partner he's always been after.
Irn Bru - Snowman, 2006
More high fives to the festive season from the fizzy drinks sector, this time with zingy Iron Bru proving popular with none other than The Snowman.
This cheeky adaptation of the teary movie starring Raymond Briggs' character is given a light-hearted feel with a choir boy blasting out lyrics like: "I tell him once again, the Irn Bru is mine."
Can popped open, a young lad grabs the hand of his frozen friend and takes to the skies.
Sainsbury's - Christmas is for sharing, 2014
Proof that Christmas CAN be about more than cheery images of Father Christmas and his merry band of reindeer, supermarket chain Sainsbury's pulled at every heartstring going with this commercial.
The thought-provoking minutes start with as soldier in the barracks looking at family photos on Christmas Eve, 1914.
His fellow officers then burst into a poignant rendition of carol Silent Night with the German forces doing the same in their own camp.
We won't spoil the rest, but have the tissues ready.
John Lewis - The Long Wait, 2011
Who can forget the pouty kid who was waiting restlessly for Christmas.
The little boy tried everything from magic to get the clock to move faster, to eating his food as quickly as possible so he could sleep as soon as possible.
The emotional ending involved a huge twist when he couldn't wait to give his parents a present instead of opening his own.
Marks & Spencer - Magic and Sparkle, 2013
This one's a spot-the-celeb fest for those who favour a spot of fairytale magic ahead of their Christmas adventures.
As Rosie Huntington-Whiteley falls down the rabbit hole Alice in Wonderland style, model hunk David Gandy is lying in wait.
Fans of blonde model Rosie see her stripped to her undies as she rides on a magic carpet before the green Oz-like Helena Bonham Carter. An M&S classic.
MORE ON CHRISTMAS 2018
John Lewis - Boxer the Dog, 2016
The advert focuses on six-year-old Bridget who is so excited for Christmas that she can't sleep.
She is watched by the family pet, Buster the Boxer, who is the real star of the two-minute long tale, which also features an array of computer-generated stars - including a fox, badger, squirrel and even a hedgehog.
Bridget’s mum and dad buy her the trampoline and hide it in the garden to surprise her on Christmas Day.
John Lewis - The Boy and The Piano, 2018
The emotional advert starts with today's Elton John sitting by the piano and starting to play his hit record Your Song.
We are then taken on a retrospective journey down memory lane in which we see him playing the piano and performing and younger and younger ages.
After seeing Elton at a school recital nervously playing the piano and meeting his mother's eye for encouragement, we see the star at an even younger age as a little boy in pyjamas.
He runs into his living room to find that his mother's Christmas gift to him is a piano.
Moments after the young Elton touches the keys of the piano, we are taken back to the initial shot of today's Elton John.
And, as ever, the advert slogan sums it all up in one powerful statement at the end: "Some gifts are more than just a gift", which hints at how a simple gift can lead to a career of a lifetime.
Iceland - Say Hello to Rang-tan, 2018
Narrated by Emma Thompson, the advert tells the heartbreaking story of deforestation through a baby orangutan named Rang-tan.
When a little girl catches him rummaging around her bedroom, she asks him why he's in her room, to which Rang-tan responds by explaining how humans are destroying his home and hurting his family to harvest palm oil.
He says he was hoping he could stay with the little girl which inspires the little girl to promise she'll fight to save his home and make sure the future is theirs.
The advert was prevented from airing on TV for being too political however the advert spread across social media and touched the hearts of many regardless.