e enough, quite inoffensive, obligatory Curtis-outta-nowhere but, overall, it doesn’t resonate with me on an emotional level. Nicole Miranda: The Coles ad feels generic for the category. If brands don’t take the Christmas storytelling or emotive opportunity, they need to stand for something compelling to connect with people. Team members going the extra mile isn’t likely to do the trick in the current environment. That said, the spot is nice enough and Christmassy, with lots of good-looking festive fresh food shots, oh and a Curtis Stone cameo helps connect with the main grocery buyer. Woolworths DM: I’m probably a bit more impressed with the Woolies effort. Cute story told well. Gets me a bit more in the feels than Coles but still a little twee – especially compared to the overseas efforts. Aussies traditionally don’t do sweet or sentimental well but a pass for trying. NM: Beautifully shot, cast, produced. Includes the expected good-looking fresh food shots and features a great upbeat track. Weirdly gives me Wizard of Oz vibes in the opening sequence! I felt more warmth toward this one than Coles. Amazon DM: Amazon has come out all guns blazing trying to make us all cry. It’s a sweet story but feels cheesy to me. The whole incredulous crowd assembling and dubbed singing gets too much. Am I a bad person? Maybe. NM: Nah, but then I’m a sucker for a Christmas ad that makes you cry, so I loved it. Got me when the main character stood up to sing on stage. Nice spot. JD Sports DM: Flying in the face of all this is JD Sports. They’ve focused on one theme – family – and it’s just gorgeous. Carrying on from last year’s maiden effort, it’s human, joyous and real but with a more Christmas bent than last year. Product has been woven in effortlessly and they haven’t painted some kind of saccharine picture of what family should be – just the quiet joy we can experience in each other. This wins Christmas for me. By a margin. NM: JD embracing family, generations, real people, community – it’s really, really nice. Product integration is seamless and genuine. Made me feel good, and I get a real sense of what they stand for as a brand from this, therefore no need for overt Christmas taglines or calls to action. Nice job JD. Waitrose DM: Waitrose & Partners gets high marks for entertainment. A great cast helps of course but for a family, festive fun story centred around the home, it’s really unexpected. It’s charming and the fact it was told in two parts builds a bit more longevity into it. Nice work. NM: Agree, ticks all the right boxes and feels like it should be shown on a big cinema screen in front of an audience.  John Lewis DM: John Lewis had a welcome return to form this year – taking out all the CGI nonsense they have tended to lean towards and focusing on a beautiful story told with heart. I hope they stick to this style moving forward. NM: Someone pass me the tissues! I’m pretty close to my sister so maybe this one hit me a bit harder than the others. A bit tricky to follow all the moving parts in the story, but I kinda like that because it makes you sit forward and want to watch it again and again. Great brand spot that goes to the heart of Christmas, family and the joy of giving. Aldi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5FJIgdPnXQ DM: Aldi tops the Aussie list. Their advertising has become a self-fulfilling prophecy – kooky, relevant scenarios that engage and entertain. Once you own this space the storytelling possibilities are endless. It’s kind of nirvana for everyone because you’re keeping the brand and its value prop still absolutely at the heart of everything.  NM: Aldi has nailed it (again) with their distinct quirky humour and charm. This spot made me smile and the outtake was clear – Aldi enables people to provide a big, fabulous, ‘extra’ Christmas experience without the stress of blowing the budget. Love this. Telstra DM: I love the overall direction Telstra has taken this year – big and bold – the brand understands its place in the market and is acting like a leader. The Christmas ad is a cracker. Charming, funny, well-crafted but not trying too hard emotionally. The salience of the story and lead donkey connects with our hearts enough without feeling like it needs to confect any. The way it should be. NM: So fun, feel-good, and watchable. A different take on an emotional play for Telstra without going down the tear-jerker route. It made me smile. The donkey missing his family storyline provides relevance back to the brand. Coca-Cola DM: Let’s finish with Coca-Cola. They’ve rolled out their classic Christmas spot and run it through the AI mill. As a creative, I watch it in horror. The half-formed images, the perfect cheesy smiles, it’s confected cheesiness at its worst. I showed it to my friends and half just thought it was really good animation. The other half didn’t give a shit… because it is an ad. As sobering as a Coke after your Christmas party. NM: I clocked over 40 logos so I guess the positive is that there’s no chance of brand confusion. Yikes.