Tis the season. Christmas decorations are up, the shopping frenzy is underway and the airwaves are overrun with Christmas music. That also means that its the time of year that advertiser try to blend warm wishes with their product pitches. In the spirit of the season, and as a holiday present to all of the ad lovers out there, I have compiled this list of 25 of the all-time greatest Christmas commercials. They range from true classics, to hilarious contemporaries, with a few bizarre twists thrown in for good measure. Enjoy, and Happy Holidays!
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M&M's: "Christmas Faint"
Red and Yellow aren't quite prepared for this Christmas Eve encounter.
Target: "Nutcracker"
The savings with Target's Red Card are just plain nuts.
Lowe's: "Lights Across America"
Lowe's brightens up the holidays with this whimsical spot.
Corona Extra: "Feliz Navidad"
Christmas wishes in an unmistakably Corona style.
Heineken: "Let it Snow"
Heineken shines a holiday light on the naughty and the nice.
Oreos: "Waiting for Santa"
This classic from 1987 is pure joy and innocence, with a catchy jingle.
Honey Nut Cheerios: "Scrooge"
Apparently, a little touch of honey can sweeten anybody's disposition.
Hershey's Kisses: "Holiday Bells"
Hershey's musical greeting is beautifully simple, creative and elegant.
Coca-Cola: "Snow Globe"
Coke let's Santa spread holiday cheer by shaking things up.
Coca-Cola: "Holidays Are Coming"
Coca-Cola brings the holidays over the river and through the woods to your town.
Coca-Cola: "Christmas Tree"
One of the earliest commercials featuring the iconic polar bears.
Miller High Life: "Home for Christmas"
In 1981, Miller decided to give us all a video Christmas card.
Toys "R" Us: "Toys R Us Time of Year"
A classic from 1976 shows Geoffrey the Giraffe and his family preparing for Christmas morning.
Folger's Coffee: "Peter Comes Home for Christmas"
Classic story of a surprise Christmas visit. Pure Americana.
Apple: "Under the Covers"
Santa embraces technology with the iPhone 4 and FaceTime for a very special video chat.
Apple: "Santa Claus"
Apparently, "PC" has a slightly different set of lyrics than the rest of us do.
Apple: "Tree Trimming"
Mac and PC take a break from the feuding to decorate a Christmas tree together.
Apple: "Goodwill"
Mac and PC try to set aside their differences for the holidays.
Polaroid: "Too Quick"
A pair of young kids try to catch Santa in the act with their Polaroid camera.
Harley-Davidson: "Hell's Bells"
Leave it to Harley-Davidson to offer a completely different (and brand-appropriate) take on Santa Claus.
Fruity Pebbles: "Tis the Season"
Santa reminds Fred that ‘tis the season for sharing in this classic spot.
Miller Brewing: "Christmas Lites"
Miller lights up the holidays with the help of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
eBay: "12 Days"
Sometimes the best way to get your point across is with song.
Bing Originals: "Bumble-Less"
Bing shows that the right search can turn your holiday around.
Bing: "Christmas Overload"
Bing offers the Christmas-themed spot from it's "Search overload" campaign.
Also, if you liked this post, you may also like my "Ultimate List of Halloween Commercials".