The Top 10 Best Christmas Commercials Ever

Happy Holidays, fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

With the season now underway, our newsfeeds, spam E-mails, and Youtube videos are likely filled with some kind of Christmas commercial. Just lowbrow, cheap, and highly insulting crap. It might be hard to believe, but there was a time where Christmas commercials were legitimately magic. These commercials were really heartfelt, and it is/was pure joy to see them. Even in the 2010s, there are Christmas commercials that really have something behind them. After scouring Youtube, I managed to find 10 Christmas commercials that are simply the best. Without further delay, here are the top 10 best Christmas commercials ever. Enjoy!

10) Welcome to Overwatch's Winter Wonderland! 2016 (Commercial) & 2017 (Commercial) & Heroes of the Storm: Winter's Veil 2017 (Commercial)

We start off this list with some fairly recent commercials. In it’s inaugural year, Overwatch hit some pretty big milestones just months after it’s release. It gained millions of players in the span of a few months, and thanks to the release of new heroes, maps, and special events, it keeps people coming in. Although the summer games & Halloween events are fun, it’s the trailers for the game’s Winter Wonderland event that’s the best. Blizzard really captured the magic of the season: there’s merriment about, lot’s of yuletide cheer, and it shows off the content it provides quite nicely. Good job Blizzard, and season’s greetings Overwatch!

Another great trailer is for Heroes of the Storm's 2017 Winter's Veil event. Though their 2015 & 2016 trailer, it's their video for this year's event (Which coincidentally came out today) that really stands out to me. It depicts Valla & Malfurion at a bar (JoeyRay's Bar II, oddly enough), and the atmosphere is rather dour. In comes the bundle of Protoss happy Probius, and he doesn't like what he sees. So, he readily speeds around the bar, bringing in some great holiday cheer, putting of great music, laying down some cookies, giving Valla an elvish makeover, the works. All seems fine, except Malfurion still seems incredibly down. After a few seconds, Probius come up from behind with a gift, and the gesture of kindness warms the druid's heart. I was genuinely surprised by how touching this trailer was, and no lie......but it actually got me to shed a single tear. It might do the same for you as well.

(BTW: I delayed this post a day to wait for the Overwatch & Heroes of the Storm's trailers until today)

9) The Santa Clause (1994) Original Trailer (Commercial)

Since I included some game trailers, I thought it was only appropriate to include something related to cinema. If you were a kid of the 90s, chances are you probably remember this movie trailer. In fact, I bet that a majority of 90s kids went and saw this movie in theaters (I know I did). If there was a reason why kids saw this movie back then, it was probably because of this trailer. Capturing the childhood essence of the holidays, while simultaneously showing off a little bit of the story’s seriousness. Though it’s been ages since I last saw this Christmas movie trailer (As well as the movie itself), finding it recently brought back a lot of nostalgia for me, and I bet it will for you as well!

8) Coke-Cola Polar Bear Commercial (Commercial)

For a long while, I’ve had the coke drinking Polar Bears pop up around this time of year. Their playful antics, coupled with the love they have for one another, makes for something really sweet. However, I’ve always been slightly confused by these, as for the most part they’re not really Christmas-ey. A select few are definitely, but they’re really not. If anything, these fuzzy polar bears just seem to be living it up in the north pole, and Coke Cola somehow manages to come their way. That said, it’s always a treat to see them on my TV screen, and it strangely makes me want a coke sometimes. Guess it’s doing it’s job.

7) Budweiser Christmas Advert 1987 (Commercial)

Continuing on with simplicity, we’ve got the classic Budweiser Clydesdales. To be perfectly honest, I’ve never really had an attachment to this commercial. It was never in my childhood, and since I obviously couldn’t drink when I was younger, I wouldn’t be able to even if I saw this! That being said, it’s a nice commercial. Though there’s a 2006 version, it’s shorten down, and somehow feels less special. The original from 1987 is the one to watch, as it’s a nice minute long piece. The Clydesdales are hooked up to a big sleigh, a tree is put into the sleigh, and from there it’s just a nice trip with the horses. Down the road, past a few houses, it’s just a sweet glimpse of the holiday season, and it just makes me smile.

6) Hershey Kisses Christmas Commercial (Commercial)

Sometimes a Christmas commercial is a lengthy affair, but other times it’s a bite-sized piece of wonder. Case in point is the iconic Hershey Kisses commercial. For just over 10 seconds, a cute group of kisses (Holiday colored of course) complete with a conductor, perform a quick rendition of We Wish You A Merry Christmas. It’s a really sweet commercial, and it’s made all the more remarkable when you find out that it first aired in the 80s (It technically wasn’t even supposed to exist). Since then, an updated version of the commercial has aired on TV ever since, and that’s cool if you ask me.

5) M&Ms Christmas Commercial: THEY DO EXIST! (Commercial)

What the Hershey Kisses commercial was to the 80s, the M&Ms commercial is to the 2000s. Like the previously mentioned commercial, it’s a few seconds long, but at the same time those few seconds were all that was needed. In this case, it’s the red & yellow M&Ms walking into a living room with a bowl of red & green M&Ms (Cannibals maybe?), when they stumble upon Santa who just got in. Both sides get startled, and then the famous lines are spoken:

“He does exist!”

“They do exist.”

The two faint, and the yellow M&M is all alone, holding the bowl that was to be offered to Santa. He simply says “Uh, Santa?”, and the commercial ends. Short, sweet, and to the point. Perfect!

4) Chrismahanukwanzakah - Virgin Mobile (Commercial)

For the longest time, I had the world/phrase “Chrismahanukwanzakah” stuck in my head. For an even longer time, I recalled that I first heard this since 1999. Since then, I kept constantly trying to find the commercial it came from, and while I knew it was from a cellphone commercial, I didn’t know which one. Cut back to a few weeks ago, and low & behold I finally found the commercial in question! It happened to be for Virgin Mobile, and aired in 2007 instead of 1999 (Although I might be wrong). Mistaken year aside, I’m quite surprised by this commercial. As they say in it, it’s all inclusive. There’s a Scientologist (A girl wearing a cellphone outfit), a caveman, 2 Rabbi, 2 African Americans (1 is dressed in Kwanzaa clothing, and the other I’m assuming is Muslim), and a few others I can’t remember. Keep in mind, this display of inclusiveness occurred in 2007, years before Bullshit Justice began taking over. It seems quite genuine, and not at all fake like what I was talking about a second ago. There’s a weird charm to the spectacle, but I guess that’s how it worked so well. What can I say, but to give it a look. Speaking of inclusive.....
                   
3) Priest & Imam Amazon Prime (Commercial)

Yet another recent Christmas commercial that also happened to air back in 2016. I’m not exactly sure if I should call it a Christmas commercial, as it actually aired weeks before December, and there’s really no holiday imagery. At the same time, I can see why people would call it a Christmas commercial. A Christian/Catholic Priest and a Muslim Imam (Who are real life friends) meet for tea, talk, and have a nice time. Shortly after, it’s shown that both suffer from knee problems, and as a act of kindness, the two ship the other a pair of medical knee pads. Again, this commercial doesn’t come across as holiday-related, but the act of pure love & kindness is just so charming, it’s hard to not smile. Definitely a commercial people should watch.

2) 7UP Christmas Commercial 1988 (Commercial)

Storytime: long before DVD, my folks had a recording of Rudolph on tape. Every year, all 3 of us would sit down & watch the movie, commercials & all. The one commercial I always remembered was for 7up. The stars of the commercial were the classic 7up dots, and as usual they were in some kind of shenanigans. In this case, Santa happens to be leaving a house, when a toy firetruck falls out of his sack. Knowing that the toy was for a deserving child, the dots drive it back into the house. Wacky hijinks ensue, as they drive into a tree & pop out the otherside. They get back inside the house, almost running over the family cat, before finally stopping in front of the tree. The dots are flung into the tree, just as a little boy comes into the room, his face sparkling at the sight of the toy firetruck. The commercial ends with a quick pan to the tree, with one of the dots hanging upside down, giving a little “Hush” so as not to disturb the boy. This commercial is really heartwarming, as it feels like it comes from a far simpler time. Even though my Mom, Dad, and myself watch a DVD rendition of Rudolph, I’ll always remember the 7up dots making a night special for one little child.

Before we get to my number one, I wanted to briefly talk about some honorable holiday mentions. Commercials that, while incredibly charming & devoted to the season, don’t quite seem to make it to the main list. Maybe they’re too strange, maybe they’re too obscure, or maybe they don’t hold up as well as more iconic commercials. In any case, let’s take a look at some honorable Christmas commercial mentions.

HM1) Frankenstein Gets A Very Special Christmas Night (Commercial)

There have been Christmas commercials that have, in the past, been odd, but nothing has ever made me scratch my head so hard as this one. Released in November of last year, it’s a holiday commercial for the Iphone. This is nothing new, but the owner of the phone in the commercial happens to be Frankenstein, who is played by Brad Garrett. WTF!?

Anyways, he’s at his home on the mountainside, recording a little bit of music box music onto his phone, all the while sitting next to a fireplace. Come the next day, he happens to find a small package on the ground near his mailbox. Picking it up, he heads into the town below, and proceeds to head towards the main square. With shocked citizens looking on, he inserts a red light onto one of his neck bolts, and a green one onto the other (The package contained the lights). He gets out his phone, and starts up the song he recorded. It turns out that the song in question was There’s No Place Like Home For The Holidays, and Frankenstein begins to sing. Shortly after, the green light goes out, and he stops singing. The crowd of people begin for some reason to get angry, and then a little girl comes over to fix the light that was broken. The two begin to sing, and then the rest of the people sing along as well.

Again, this is perhaps the most bizarre way to advertise for a phone. An Apple phone no less! However, it has so much love & charm put into it on the level of an old-school commercial, that it’s somehow endearing. I’ll never buy an Apple product for myself as long as I live, but I can’t deny how surprisingly touching this commercial is. What else can I say but give it a watch.

HM2) Folgers Incest Commercial - Extended Cut (Commercial)

Alright, I had to have at least one parody commercial on this list. I think by now we’re all familiar with the Christmas commercial for Folgers from 2009 (Correct me if I’m wrong about the year): A young man comes back from a trip, and he’s greeted by his sister. The two seem happen to see each other, and they go into the kitchen for some coffee. After a little small talk, the brother gives his sister a gift, only for her to take the bow, put it on him, and say “You’re My Present This Christmas”. From there, it’s the most creepy few moments on television ever, as the two stare at each other in which looks like an incestuous moment. The intense look in their eyes, all the way to the movement of their lips, give the impression that they may have.....you know.

Anyways, this naturally gave the internet fuel for countless parodies. The one I happen to like is the so-called “Extended Cut” version: it starts out with the original commercial as the setup, then it cuts to the parody. The two parents walk in like usual, and then begins the most embarrassing conversation a family around the holidays ever had. It’s eventually revealed that the brother & sister happen to be going at it, and the present that the brother was going to give was a ring. From their, even more bizarre things occur, and the end result is a hilarious pile of WTF. If you’re in the mood for darker humor, then this parody is for you!

1) Sainsbury Christmas Advert 2014 (Commercial)

Not going to lie, but I’m ripping off the Nostalgia Critic for this one!

For anyone not in the know, Sainsbury is a very old & very famous British grocery store chain. Since 1869, they offered quality products to the people of England, and have effectively become the second de-facto store franchise in the United Kingdom (Think Wal Mart but with 1/4th of the evil or less). Since 2013, the company has put out some phenomenal Christmas commercials. However, it’s their 2014 ad that really tugs at the heart strings, and delves into some incredible history.

In the week leading up to Christmas 1914 during World War 1, French, British, and German soldiers crossed into No Man’s Land all over, and exchanged gifts & pleasantries with one another. The commercial in question sees English & German forces engaging in such activity, and it’s all started by two young soldiers. You see a soccer game, gifts are exchanged, soldiers talking to one another, and I think there’s even someone getting a haircut. Unfortunately, mortar fire signals both sides back into their respective trenches, but not before one last moment of kindness occurs. I won’t say what happen, but suffice it to say you’ll feel a little sniffly when it’s done.

What makes this commercial so remarkable is just how devoted to history Sainsbury was when making this. For just 3 something minutes, the company put in an incredible amount of time & detail. They had an incredible amount of respect for the story, and given that this was released near the 100-year anniversary of the original truce, makes it that much more significant. I can’t say anymore, other than to go watch it.

So those are what I consider to be the top 10 best Christmas commercials of all time. Coming from different eras, it’s a safe bet to say that Christmas commercials will be with us until the end of the world. So, the final post of 2017 for the Heavy Metal Otaku blog is near us, and in a first, it will be a review for a non Heavy Metal album. I’ll leave now, and let the suspense rise.




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If you’re interested in the history of the Christmas Truce, check out the link below:

Christmas Truce (Wikipedia)