The festive season is a magical time for advertisers – a golden opportunity to be creative and truly connect with Christmas audiences.

While some brands rise to the occasion with entertaining, heartwarming or downright funny ads, others unfortunately play it safe, delivering campaigns that fail to capture the Christmas spirit.

Let’s unwrap this year’s offerings and see who’s delivered the best  – and worst – presents.

Westfield – Feels Like Christmas

I’m feeling absolutely nothing after watching Westfield’s Christmas campaign, apart from thinking they’ve missed a massive opportunity.

Lacking emotional resonance or a memorable story, it’s hard to see what this campaign achieves.

A far smarter angle would have been emphasising the convenience of having everything you need for Christmas under one roof to drive foot traffic to their shopping centres. Instead, this ad feels more like a stocking full of missed opportunities.

AAMI – When the Festivities Are Over

This ad is an absolute standout!

While most brands focus on the lead-up to Christmas, AAMI takes us to Boxing Day where the aftermath of festive indulgence unfolds.

A groggy couple, still recovering from a big celebration, is jolted awake by the garbos – and of course they’ve forgotten to put the bins out.

Chaos ensues, with AAMI cleverly reminding us that insurance is a year-round necessity.

It’s a perfect blend of strategy and creativity, delivering a great minute of entertainment!

Myer – Share the Joy

Myer introduces us to Humbug, a mischievous little critter who’s decidedly anti-Christmas.

Wreaking havoc on festive traditions, Humbug seems to be the Grinch we didn’t ask for.

‘Enter a curious young girl who finds joy in his chaos and offers him a gift, wrapped with an unmistakable Myer ribbon – clearly the marketing team were concerned about branding.

Without spoiling the ending, this campaign feels more like Share the Misery than Share the Joy. Humbug, indeed.

Coles – All the Trimmings

Sticking to its tried-and-true formula, Coles has all the trimmings you’d expect including a cameo appearance from Curtis Stone.

This year’s Christmas commercial follows hardworking elves (AKA Coles employees) who search high and low to bring the finest prawns, cherries, and festive fare to the shelves.

It’s charming but they used all the magic dust in the second scene.

ALDI – Go A Little Extra

Once again, ALDI proves it’s the champion supermarket advertiser.

This year’s ad taps into a universal insight – times are tough, but with ALDI, you can afford to go a little extra.

It’s clever, relatable, and perfectly aligned with the brand’s promise of value without compromise.

ALDI continues to set the bar and deserve great supermarket share in the new year.

 Woolworths – Make This Christmas a Classic

Woolies this year takes us to the countryside, where a young girl fears Santa might miss her remote home on Christmas Eve.

With the help of her community, she builds a giant glowing carrot (at least, we think it’s a carrot because it’s not an ad for Sexyland) to create a beacon for Santa.

It’s a terribly convoluted story which will leave many viewers asking, ‘what the?’.

If you haven’t already seen it, take a look and judge for yourself.

Telstra – Together is for Christmas

Telstra nails it with a delightful story of a donkey who accidentally swallows a phone and gains the ability to repeatedly sing Have a Holly Jolly Christmas.

Two opportunistic strangers take her on a whirlwind tour as the “amazing singing donkey,” but after a few gigs she’s missing family and decides to head home for Christmas.

Beautifully produced and subtly reinforcing Telstra’s extensive coverage, this ad is as heartwarming as it is humorous.

Definitely worth a watch!

That’s a wrap!

Much like a Christmas feast, this year’s festive ads are a mix of hits and misses.

Some have delivered like a well-basted turkey, while others are more like an off prawn in your seafood salad.

A handful prove that with the right ingredients, a Christmas ad campaign can be truly memorable.

Steve Doherty is a marketing communications consultant and business adviser