The Best Christmas Ads Of 2013 (So Far)

As anyone in advertising will tell you, creating commercials for the holiday season can be more than daunting. There’s so much poorly produced, cliche advertising happening this time of year that it’s tempting to tune it out (or feel like this kid).

But there’s a silver lining.

Here are a few brands (and the ad agencies behind them) who have taken Christmas advertising by the horns and created awesomely memorable stuff. To these advertisers I say, “God bless you — every one!”:

Because Harvey Nichols is a UK company, we Americans don’t get to benefit from the store’s ads. But their “Sorry, I Spent it on Myself” Christmas campaign this year is garnering attention on the colonial side of the Atlantic, too — lucky us!:

KFC’s “Taste that Unites” campaign this holiday season is a catchy one for sure. I’m a fan:

Kohl’s opted to pull at the heartstrings with their latest Christmas ad, showcasing a young couple covertly decorating their elderly neighbor’s apartment. I’m a sucker for this ad (mainly, I think, because it reminds me of the heartwarming ads Publix puts out at the holidays), but I also think its very subtle branding is a nice touch. Makes it feel more like they mean it, you know?:

I’m loving Acura’s “Season of Reason” campaign this year. There are a handful of clever spots, but I think the one featuring Bette Midler as star caroler is my fave:

Admittedly, I’m kind of over most of Kmart’s ads (“Ship My Pants,” “Big Gas Savings” and the like), but this commercial for Christmas toys is pretty great:

Have you seen this great new holiday ad Planters Peanuts released a couple of weeks ago, voiced by the wonderfully funny Bill Hader?:

Here’s another UK ad to throw into the mix — this time by John Lewis, a retailer offering everything from iPads to sofas. It’s a long one, but is definitely a unique take on a Christmas ad, and represents the trend toward longer commercials (and ones that encourages engagement with a larger story behind them):

What good stuff have you seen from advertisers so far this holiday season?