Dynam's 2023 Christmas Ad Awards

Every year, brands go all out to create the best Christmas advert, and 2023 was certainly not shy of humour, emotion and a little bit of controversy. This year, we asked the Dynam team to pick the adverts they found the most creative, the most disappointing and finally, their favourite of the lot (you’ll be surprised at the results)!

Most Creative

Apple aren’t usually the first brand on your mind when it comes to showstopping Christmas adverts, but they warmed our hearts with ‘Fuzzy Feelings’. What stood out the most was their use of stop-motion animation and the subtle promotion of the creative potential of Apple products. Our team enjoyed the timeless charm of the animation technique which paired well with a familiar Christmas story - a little bit of kindness goes a long way.

Most Disappointing

Unfortunately for John Lewis, expectations were high and for us, this year's ‘Snapper’ didn’t quite cut the mustard. After years of iconic Christmas ads, the high street retailer’s gigantic carnivorous plant, coupled with Andrea Bocelli’s high-octane operatic number didn’t quite put us in the festive spirit. While we enjoyed the advert’s theme of creating new traditions, John Lewis adverts are becoming somewhat formulaic. We are certain they will be back with a bang next year!

Honourable Mentions

Before we reveal the winner of our favourite Christmas ad of the year, we couldn’t ignore the efforts of some of the big supermarket chains. Tesco’s humorous take on the typical Christmas preparations was definitely a contender for most creative, and for the Michael Buble fans amongst us, ASDA was the top pick.

And the Winner is…

The Dynam team’s favourite Christmas ad of 2023 goes to Amazon’s ‘Joy Ride’. The best Christmas ads pull on the heartstrings, and that’s exactly what Amazon achieved. At this time of year, Amazon is more associated with frantic last-minute gift buying than anything else. However, with ‘Joy Ride’, they’ve told a wonderfully simple yet tear-jerking story of nostalgia and friendship. Well done, Amazon, our #1 spot goes to your sledging grannies!

Every year brands push for the best Christmas advert, whether that means bigger and better CGI or a partnership with a celebrity sensation. What we found this year is that it is often the most simple Christmas narratives, those that have both a sense of humour and a heartfelt message, that are the most memorable.

If you are thinking of creating an advert, but aren't sure how to create a message that will resonate with your audience or how to communicate your brand's value, we are always willing to lend a hand. Reach out, give us a shout and let's talk about you...