The 2026 Christmas advertising bunfight has officially opened, with retailers first out of the blocks. And, with only 53 shopping days – and 53 sleeps – until December 25, it seems there is no time like the present to polish up your baubles as the fight for seasonal spend begins.
While John Lewis, Aldi and Lidl have so far only launched “teasers”, Debenhams was first of the blocks late last month, working directly and collaboratively with Pulse Films director Tom Day to deliver a four-minute film for YouTube, alongside 30-second social cutdowns.
With an all-star cast, the film sees Emily Atack (of ‘The Inbetweeners’ fame) arrive back to her hometown in time for the holidays. As she reconciles with her former surroundings, she finds herself swept up in the comforting nostalgia and festive bustle of her old stomping ground, leading to a chance reunion with her former flame, played by Mathew Horne (‘Gavin and Stacey’).
With a host of other cameo appearances, including Kym Marsh as the pub landlady, Mark Hayes as the event MC and Russell L Daniels as the doorman. Even the venue’s bathroom becomes a spotlight of recognisable faces, featuring digital stars Saffron Barker, Sammi Maria, and Paris Townsend as Emily’s hometown friends. R&B singer Gabrielle, whose soulful tracks soundtrack the duo’s quiet reconnection, makes a guest appearance, too.
Together, they create a picture of a British night out during the holidays, setting the tone for the festive season ahead.
Next up is Argos, which is aiming to tackle a common misconception born from British nostalgia that the retailer is just for toys.
Devised by T&P, “Tales of Argos Past” sees long-running mascots Connie and Trevor as A Christmas Carol-inspired ghosts, with actor and comedian Richard Ayoade taking on the role of a Scrooge-like character who is bound by his fond memories of the past.
The duo take Ayoade on a journey of enlightenment to show him that Argos has premium gifts, high-end tech, and homeware for everyone on the list. Launching on across TV, social media, and out-of-home sites, the work aims to builds upon the “There’s More to Argos” brand platform first introduced in 2023.
Argos head of campaigns Laura Boothby said: “The beauty of what we’ve built over the last couple of years with the Argos brand and our advertising is we’ve got a really strong platform. I talk about it as a TV series all about Connie and Trevor as interventionists and we’ve got these different episodes. Every episode we’re trying to find the new spin on it, make it engaging and interesting, but let’s not move too far away from the things that work.”
Meanwhile, Tesco’s 2026 Christmas ad “The Wrong Address” is a festive story about rekindled friendships, relatable mistakes and some “extra little helps” from Tesco.
Devised by BBH, the activity moves away from last year’s vignette-style moments to deliver a single, sweeping cinematic narrative.
The narrative follows Lizzie (played by Anna Maxwell Martin), who accidentally orders her big Christmas delivery to her old address, hundreds of miles away. Tesco delivery driver Polly (Roisin Conaty) offers to meet Lizzie halfway so her family doesn’t go without their festive treats.
What should be a simple handover quickly turns into an unexpected reunion road trip as the protagonists reminisce and reconnect. And all of this is set to the iconic track ‘Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic’ by The Police.
Beyond the film, the wider campaign integrates into retail and loyalty, as well as a social spin-off. The social series ‘Tesco Kitchen’ is returning for Christmas, featuring Roisin and Anna cooking up festive flavours later this month alongside hosts Greg James and Seema Pankhania.
Rival Sainsbury’s, however, is ensuring Roald Dhal’s family are still in the money this Christmas by bringing back the BFG for the third year running. As Christmas approaches, the ad – created by New Commercial Arts – finds the BFG in need of a helping hand while he feels under the weather.
Aiming to ensure that her giant friend doesn’t miss out on Christmas and a proper festive feast, Sainsbury’s staffer Annie returns to lead a high-speed delivery attempt into the otherworldly Giant Country, dodging oversized Squizzly Scotch-Hoppers and outwitting a tummy-rumbling Greedy Giant along the way.
Sainsbury’s marketing director Radha Davies said: “The BFG has become a much-loved part of Christmas for our customers, so we wanted to bring him back for another adventure this year.
“At the heart of the story is a simple idea: nobody should miss out on Christmas. Whether that’s Annie making sure her friend gets the festive feast he deserves, or the moments families create around the table, it’s those acts of care and generosity that make Christmas special.”
The 120” ad will also be supported by a series of 90”, 60”, 40” and 20” films across TV, social and online.
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