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Christmas advertising campaigns in 2025

14 January 2026
Coca Cola Mi XR The Cider Press Bristo

Christmas 2025 might be over, but the billboards are still top of our minds. This year’s Christmas advertising campaigns showed that outdoor led the festive conversation. Big visuals, emotional storytelling and familiar festive cues cut through the noise, with brands borrowing from old Christmas advertisements to bring back that warm, cosy feeling we all associate with the season.

Christmas advertising trends in 2025

This year, Christmas advertising felt more human. Less polished, more real. That shift came through in the much anticipated John Lewis TV ad, but it translated just as strongly into outdoor.

The most effective billboard campaigns focused on moments audiences immediately recognised: travelling home, last-minute shopping trips, or brief pauses of calm amid festive chaos - connecting brands through relatable snapshots of everyday life.

Brand characters make a comeback

Brand characters were everywhere this Christmas and billboards gave them the space to shine. Barbour’s collaboration with Wallace & Gromit introduced Sita, bringing a much-loved animation into the brand’s festive story-telling. The character appeared across billboards and shopfronts, blending heritage, humour and nostalgia in a way that felt instantly Christmassy.

Aldi’s Kevin the Carrot also returned and proved, once again, why consistency matters. Kevin is now part of the festive calendar, and his presence on Christmas billboards cut through effortlessly - especially in busy family-focused environments. Familiar, playful and unmistakably Aldi.

Kevin the carrot

Nostalgia did the heavy lifting

If one thing defined the best Christmas advertising campaigns of 2025, it was nostalgia.

John Lewis’ “Where Love Lives” campaign leaned heavily into shared memories and togetherness, echoing the emotional tone of some of its most loved Christmas ads from over the years. What really made the campaign land, though, was how well it travelled across channels.

The release of a limited-edition vinyl added a tangible, nostalgic layer to the campaign - turning the soundtrack into something people could own, collect and talk about. In the true spirit of Christmas, all profits from the vinyl went to John Lewis’ Building Happier Futures charity, reinforcing the campaign’s message of care, generosity and community.

By connecting TV, outdoor, music and retail so seamlessly, the campaign became more than just an ad. It felt like a proper Christmas moment - familiar, emotional and designed to be experienced everywhere, not just watched once and forgotten.

AI Found its places in Christmas advertising

AI continued to make its way into festive advertising this year, with mixed results. Coca-Cola introduced AI elements while staying firmly rooted in its “Holidays Are Coming” campaign style.

Scaled across outdoor placements, the campaign demonstrated how AI can be used to evolve a classic, not overwrite it. It’s a trend we expect brands to keep exploring into 2026, as long as the emotion stays front and centre.


The best Christmas billboard campaigns 2025

Some of the most effective festive campaigns this year weren’t flashy - they were well-placed, well-timed and confidently on brand.




Rituals Cosmetics delivered a strong outdoor presence across major UK and Irish cities, placing festive bus shelters and retail placements throughout November and December. Calm, seasonal messaging worked perfectly in busy shopping environments.

Rituals xmas





Sainsbury’s backed up its TV campaign with consistent OOH support, using large roadside billboards and retail-adjacent bus stops to keep festive visuals front of mind.

Sainsburys



EE also grabbed attention with its first-ever Christmas campaign, The Christmas Double, which leaned into how hectic the season really is. Instead of the typical Christmas story, the campaign followed a mum trying to juggle hosting and visiting two family Christmases in one day - all supported by EE’s mobile and broadband. It showed how EE keeps people connected through the chaos, from maps and video calls to music and presents. Rolled out across channels including TV, OOH, and leisure and hospitality screens, the campaign positioned Christmas as a season of connectivity, - proving that relatable moments can resonate just as strongly as traditional Christmas storytelling.

EE Mi XR The Cider Press Bristol 147

What’s next for Christmas billboard advertising in 2026

As Christmas 2025 wrapped up, one thing was clear: the most effective campaigns weren’t chasing attention - they were earning it. Billboard-led ideas that leaned into emotion, brand familiarity and strong creative fundamentals consistently cut through seasonal clutter.

Looking ahead to 2026, we expect brands to double down on what worked. More investment in large-format outdoor, more character-led storytelling, and a continued pull towards nostalgia that feels earned rather than recycled. AI will keep evolving, but the brands that win will use it to enhance creativity, not replace it. For Christmas 2026, we expect emotion to continue to do the heavy lifting and the campaigns that understand that will continue to stand out.