From John Lewis to Coca-Cola, Christmas ads have become a cultural event—part entertainment, part national sport, and occasionally the trigger for a heated debate about the true meaning of festive storytelling.
In this special holiday episode of UnTrended, Nicole Jones is joined by Jamie Fewery, Louise Brooks, and Billy Hamilton-Stent to unwrap the history, nostalgia, and creative madness behind Christmas advertising, including the ones that make us cry, the ones that make us cringe, and the ones that make us immediately donate £50 to charity.
The team also sits down with Franki Goodwin, Chief Creative Officer at Saatchi & Saatchi, to talk about taking the reins on the iconic John Lewis Christmas advert, the pressure that comes with it, and how you build a festive film that becomes not just a campaign but a cultural moment.
Plus: stuffing discourse, office party confessions, Christmas jumper controversies, and the eternal question… will B2B brands ever make a truly great Christmas ad?
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Chapter Markers:
(01:00) How Christmas Ads Became a Cultural Phenomenon
A whistle-stop tour from Coca-Cola Santa to John Lewis’ “The Shadow” and the birth of the Christmas ad as an annual national event.
(09:00) This Year’s Standout Christmas Ads
Shelter’s hard-hitting realism. Tesco’s painfully relatable family vignettes. Morrisons’ behind-the-scenes take on working Christmas. What lands and what doesn’t?
(13:30) The Shift in Christmas Storytelling
Why brands are moving from sweeping universal emotion to more specific, lived-in stories and why that might be the smartest path forward.
(19:00) Will B2B Ever Make a Christmas Ad?
The team explores seasonality, budget realities, category constraints, and whether a B2B brand will eventually take the leap. (Spoiler: it’s “inevitable” according to Jamie.)
(22:00) If We Could Make One: Our B2B Christmas Ad Pitches
Twilio emotional storytelling. Aviation rom-coms. Santa supply chain logistics. Red-and-white Caterpillar diggers. Genuinely good ideas? You decide.
(31:00) What We’re Looking Forward to This Christmas
Family reunions, young kids’ excitement, Boxing Day bubble & squeak, home cooking, and a rare chance to do absolutely nothing.
(32:00) Making the John Lewis Christmas Ad
Franki reveals how the team builds the brief, the early inspiration, and how music shaped this year’s story.
(36:00) How the Process Really Works
From open briefs to agency-wide idea generation and why everyone wants to work on the John Lewis Christmas ad.
(44:00) Story First, Product Second
Why John Lewis will always lead with emotion, not product, and how that shapes the creative process.
Useful Links
Get to know Franki Goodwin on LinkedIn
Follow Nicole Jones on LinkedIn
Touch base with Louise Brooks on LinkedIn
Connect with Billy Hamilton-Stent
Learn more from Jamie Fewery
For more information visit the Publicis Pro Website
