Tonight is the return of Inside M & S, and to celebrate we’ve decided to look back on the best M & S Christmas ads of all time – so does the 2023 offering hit our top spot?
A whole host of stars feature, but does it beat Paddington or Dawn French dressed as a fairy?
Read on and we’ll tell you…
10. This is M & S Christmas Food, 2019
This one might be a love-it or hate-it job, and because we sit in the latter category, M & S’s 2019 celebration of the Brussels sprout doesn’t work for us. Tom Hardy‘s sultry voiceover does a fantastic job at making the “jiggy” vegetable more appealing, but we’d still rather leave them off our dinner plates.
9. When You Wish Upon A Star, 2011
This might not seem nearly so cool nowadays, but at the height of X Factor TV dominance in 2011, this was the bomb. In 2011, the X Factor finalists performed Disney classic When You Wish Upon A Star for the M&S Christmas advert. There were appearances from eventual winners Little Mix, as well as some other finalists who you’ve definitely forgotten (and may hurt your ears, sorry).
8. This is M & S Christmas Food, 2020
Olivia Colman did a stellar job of narrating the 2020 Christmas M&S Food advert, despite it being a year we really wanted to just be over already. As usual, the food visuals are are stunning. Given that eating M&S food was one of the few luxuries we were allowed that year – most of these items (okay, the gin) ended up in our Christmas stocking.
7. Love Thismas, Not Thatmas, – the M & S Christmas ad for 2023
We’re putting this year’s Christmas advert at number seven, because it is rather a lot of fun. Hannah Waddington, Tan France and Sophie Ellis-Bextor all star as a trio who are fed up with boring old Christmas traditions. They decide to mix things up, abandoning the old to make their own joy and the fun (plus the accompanying cover of I Would Do Anything for Love… But I Won’t Do That) is infectious.
6. Gifts That Give, 2022
Made alongside The Neighbourly Foundation to help local communities, the 2022 advert is pure joy with some amusing moments. We love the bizarre elements of a marching band walking straight through one’s home, or llamas knocking at the window. This one also does a lovely job of showcasing different communities enjoying the festivities together.
5. Adventures in Christmas, M & S Food 2015
Did M & S invent food porn? The mid-2010s saw the retailer return to the succulent food filmography that it was infamous for in the noughties. The addition of the eternally good song Rather Be by Clean Bandit just elevates it even further. Excuse us for a moment while we watch this melting chocolate pudding on repeat.
4. M&S Food, 2022
Comedy legends Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders reunited in 2022 for this adventure with M & S. French stars in her established role as the festive fairy and brings the dog toy Duckie (Saunders) to life alongside her. The fairy brings Christmas cheer in the shape of some mouthwatering food and drink options. In fact, this advert was so successful we still have three bottles of that sloe gin sitting in our liquor cabinet.
3. Magic and Sparkle, 2013
A runaway pooch leads Rosie Huntington Whiteley into a fairytale-themed extravaganza in M & S’s 2013 Christmas ad. There are so many fun elements to this: an Alice in Wonderland-themed dinner party, with David Gandy as the sexy Mad Hatter; a gingerbread house; a flying carpet; a yellow brick road; and Helena Bonham Carter as a talking head. Excuse us while we catch our breath.
2. Paddington & The Christmas Visitor, 2017
M & S joined forces with another British cultural icon, Paddington Bear, in 2017’s Christmas ad. In this fun-filled advert, Paddington mistakes a burglar for Santa and re-delivers all his stolen gifts. The result is both comical and touching, exactly what we’d expect from the brand and the bear.
1. Christmas with love from Mrs Claus, 2016
For us, this was an instant classic. In 2016, M&S asked the question: What about Santa’s missus? In this wonderful festive ad, Mrs Claus is on hand to help her husband with his gift delivering duties. She spreads Christmas cheer in style (aka a sleek red helicopter) as she helps a young boy surprise his sister. Who cares about Santa? We want presents from his wife.
Inside M & S airs tonight (November 9) on ITV1 at 9pm.
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