Debenhams has fired the starting gun, John Lewis is keeping quiet, and the nation is set to spend almost £94 billion. Here’s what we know so far.
The leaves are still on the trees. The clocks haven’t gone back yet. But the first Christmas TV advert is already out.
Debenhams gets in first
On 16 October, Debenhams launched a four-minute film called Christmas. For Everyone. Emily Atack plays Tina, coming home for Christmas after ten years away. Mathew Horne plays the old school friend she bumps into. There’s karaoke, a snowstorm, and a whole village coming to the rescue. And Gabrielle sings her 90s hit, Dreams.
Four minutes is a long time for an advert. Some reviewers loved it. Some didn’t. That’s half the fun.
All eyes on John Lewis
John Lewis hasn’t said a word yet. No date, no title, no song. But since 2014 their advert has always landed between 4 and 15 November, usually on a Thursday. Last year’s, Where Love Lives, came out on 4 November. So keep the tissues handy in a fortnight’s time.
Then the rest will follow: Aldi, M&S, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Boots. By mid-November the nation will be arguing about carrots, cartoons and cover versions again.
A record Christmas
The adverts have a job to do. VoucherCodes reckons we’ll spend a record £93.76 billion this Christmas, about £1,411 each over the six weeks from mid-November. Toys are the biggest gift spend at £2.1 billion.
And here’s a fun one. Christmas Day falls on a Friday this year. A third of us say we’ll take no extra days off at all and just enjoy the long weekend.
Our Top 10 is back
Last year our Top 10 Christmas Adverts video was the most-watched thing we posted. So we’re doing it again. Watch them all on our Christmas TV Adverts page, then tell us your favourite on Facebook or Instagram. We’ll count down the winners on air in December.
The advert that matters most
The big adverts make us cry for a minute, then we go and put the kettle on. Our story is a little different. It’s about real children in Guatemala and Honduras who need a safe place, a hot breakfast and someone to believe in them.
Radio Christmas goes live from our Amersham studio on 1 December. Every penny you give goes straight to the projects in Central America that help over 800 children every week.
Got a local business? You can have your own advert on Radio Christmas from just £75. It’s a lot cheaper than four minutes on ITV, and it helps keep the station running.