The Starbucks Christmas coffee cups are out, the shops are full of Christmas treats and advent calendars and some people are even writing their Xmas gift lists already – so it's no surprise that Britain's biggest retailers, from supermarkets to department stores and everything in between, are getting in on the festive action and launching their Christmas adverts for 2018 too.
Christmas adverts have become a bit of phenomenon over the last few years, with brands competing to see who can produce the most hilarious one or the one that gets everyone weeping - John Lewis' 2011 Christmas advert, The Long Wait, set the bar and left us all sobbing with its delightfully simple yet heart-warming story of a boy excited for Christmas – because he couldn't wait to give his parents a present he'd made them. What John Lewis have in store for us this year, we've yet to see.
Since then, we've seen Sainsbury's recreate the First World War Christmas truce in 2014, and last year saw Marks & Spencer team up with Paddington Bear for a cute Christmassy extravaganza. So what do they have in store for us this year? Here's the best of the Christmas ads for 2018…
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury’s Christmas advert, The Big Night, sees a group of children come together and take centre stage…although they weren’t acting alone. Directed by The Greatest Showman's Michael Gracey, the ad shows a school Christmas show following a young girl dressed as a star stepping on stage before stunning the audience, including her emotional mother, with a stellar rendition of the New Radicals’ classic nineties song, You Get What You Give.
Boots
Challenging other brands for their song to be the Christmas tune of the year is Boots, who have reimagined Robbie Williams' hit She's The One for this heartwarming version, complete with choir, and a gorgeous mum and daughter dynamic.
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Amazon
Building on last year's theme of the singing boxes, this year, Amazon's boxes only come to life for those who have the Christmas spirit.
Littlewoods
A circus show is the theme of Littlewoods’ Christmas 2018 ad - perfect for fans of The Greatest Showman! A colourful cast of performers showcase the gifts on offer while a ringmaster mum puts on the year’s best show - Christmas of course!
Lidl
Lidl's gone for a different approach, launching three different adverts all showing a hilarious Christmas scenario going wrong, but everyone have a jolly ole' time anyway. Think a cul-de-sac transformed into an ice rink, an orchestra in a dining room and a Christmas tree too big for the room.
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Currys PC World
Currys PC World have merged a Dickensian festive scene with the latest technology for a tongue in cheek take on Christmas, with carol singers singing from tablets instead of hymn sheets and the like.
