Ford tucks Santa in, Uber Eats feeds the conspiracy crowd, Ikea unleashes a flock of chaos and Peta turns Christmas into a horror reel as brands find new ways to break the holiday formula.
The idea treats Santa like any overstretched person trying to get through December, which makes the service benefit feel human instead of technical.
Why it works:
Ford’s new holiday ad, “Naptime,” hands Santa something he never gets in December: a quiet minute to himself. The spot from VML follows him as he drops off his Bronco for Ford Pickup & Delivery and settles in for a well-earned sleep while the service handles the rest. It is an easy premise that works because it treats Santa like any overworked person staring down a long to-do list.
The campaign plays its joke straight, which keeps it warm instead of wacky. The charm comes from the simple truth that time is the one thing no one has enough of, especially in December. Andrea Howard, Ford’s US retail service marketing lead, says the goal was to highlight that convenience without losing the holiday spirit: “We are proud of the work with VML and excited to demonstrate the convenience of Ford Pickup & Delivery in such a memorable way. The campaign is a charming reminder that everyone could use more time to rest and showing that through a character as iconic as Santa Claus makes the message resonate perfectly.”
Robert Guisgand, chief creative officer for WPP Ford North America, adds that the team wanted something rooted in culture that still landed as a smile: “For the holidays, we wanted to create something that connects with owners, puts a smile on their face and showcases the benefits of Ford Mobile Service in a fun memorable way.”
“Naptime” ties the service benefit to a relatable truth rather than a technical one, which gives it more personality than most automotive service work. It is not trying to sell a fantasy about Santa or reinvent holiday advertising. It is simply reminding people that saving an hour can feel like a gift and letting Santa take a nap is a quiet way to make that point.
The brand returns to its running gag about football being one long hunger trap, this time with a bigger star and sharper timing.
Why it works:
Uber Eats doubles down on its food-focused football conspiracy with a new wave of spots starring Bradley Cooper, who is convinced the sport secretly exists to make fans crave something to eat. Cooper trades theories with football legend Troy Aikman and nudges the Cowboys legend to consider whether players with food-coded names have turned the roster into a dinner lineup. The timing is intentional since the ad drops during the Eagles-Cowboys matchup, which keeps the gag close to the moment.
A second spot pairs Cooper with Baker Mayfield as he questions the quarterback’s baking touchdown celebration. The joke snaps back to Uber Eats’ spread of sandwiches and slices, giving the campaign its signature rhythm. Cooper’s delivery keeps the absurdity grounded, which is why the work depends on conversation rather than spectacle.
The charm of the series is that it never oversells its premise. It just follows the logic of a joke fans already get and lets the athletes poke fun at themselves. If football fuels cravings, Uber Eats wants to be the obvious next step and these spots make that leap feel natural instead of forced.
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The animal rights group uses horror iconography to disrupt the usual festive advertising and confront viewers with the realities of meat-focused celebrations.
Why it works:
Peta has launched a hard-hitting Christmas campaign titled “Happy Christmassacre,” aiming to expose the animal suffering behind traditional festive meals. The work from Grey London rolls out across cinema, social and outdoor and asks people to consider a vegan Christmas instead of relying on long-standing habits tied to animal slaughter. The tone is sharper than most holiday advertising, which is exactly the point.
At the center is a two-minute hero film by Emmy and Cannes Lions winning director David Shane. It opens on what looks like a warm family dinner before shifting into a horror-style reveal of the violence behind the feast. The wider visual world follows that pattern, replacing familiar seasonal symbols with unsettling images such as Santa’s suit shown as if it were sewn from animal pelts. The effect is designed to unsettle without tipping into parody.
The campaign runs in UK cinemas and globally online with Germany, the UK and the US as key social markets, supported by nationwide OOH and fly-posting across London. Helen Rhodes, chief creative officer at Grey London, says the goal was to expose what people have learned to overlook: “Nothing says Christmas like carving up the corpse of a once sentient being in front of your nearest and dearest. This year, we wanted to shine a light on that dark festive tradition, to expose the quiet normalized savagery that plays out at millions of dinner tables across the country. We hope our message resonates so that this Christmas, more people choose compassion over cruelty and that nut roast sales go through the roof.”
The brand leans into animation and warmth to elevate a bite-size menu item into the star of its seasonal story.
Why it works:
Dunkin’ has released its holiday ad, “The Little Holiday Munchkin,” an animated short that turns its tiniest treat into the season’s most unlikely hero. Narrated by Mindy Kaling and produced by Artists Equity, the film follows a lone Munchkin who finally feels seen when a child picks it as the “best bite.” The tone stays light and inviting, which makes the story feel more like a small celebration than a hard sell.
The animation gives the character room to shine and Kaling’s narration adds a charm that keeps the piece from tipping into syrupy territory. Dunkin’ ties the film to a children’s book released in tandem with the ad, with proceeds supporting the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation. The broader rollout sits alongside the brand’s festive 2025 packaging, building one cohesive holiday world.
The work moves Munchkins from casual add-on to something more iconic by treating small joy as its own reward. It is a gentle reminder that the smallest things often stick with people the most, especially during the holidays. Rolling out across TV, digital video and social, the spot fits neatly into Dunkin’s ongoing push to give its seasonal stories more heart.
The platform utilizes classic memories and modern fandom to show how its stories travel with people throughout their lives.
Why it works:
Disney+ has launched its festive campaign and new brand platform, “A Lifetime of Great Stories,” created by VCCP to honor the streamer’s blend of century-old classics and contemporary hits. The idea is built around the way Disney stories become emotional markers over time. The campaign invites viewers to see these titles not as isolated favorites but as part of the rhythm of growing up.
A 60-second hero film directed by Frédéric Planchon follows one woman’s lifelong relationship with Disney, from childhood Home Alone marathons to Modern Family at university and The Bear on her commute, before she passes that magic to her daughter. Mickey Mouse appears as a thread linking each era. The structure lets the emotional beats land without distraction.
Darren Bailes, chief creative officer at VCCP, says the work draws from something nearly everyone can relate to: “We all grew up falling in love with one of the Disney characters and whichever one it was, they stay with us through our lives. A Little Mermaid T-shirt or a Mickey Mouse mug, every household has them. Each one is a reminder that Disney+ brings us incredible storytelling at every stage of life, from the classics we grew up with to new favorites like Shōgun.” By grounding the brand in lived experience, the campaign frames Disney+ as a place where entire lifetimes of stories coexist.
The brand revisits the actor’s most notorious night with a mix of mischief and dry humor.
Why it works:
Pantalones Organic Tequila dryly focuses on Matthew McConaughey’s infamous “bongo incident” with a new anniversary spot that finally puts the story on the record. The video features a dramatic reading of the 1999 police report by Steve Zirnkilton, the voice of Law and Order, while Camila McConaughey narrates the officer’s account and Matthew reacts as if he is hearing it for the first time. The setup is minimal, which makes the reactions funnier and keeps the spotlight on the couple’s chemistry.
George Dewey, co-founder of Maximum Effort, says the project only worked because the pair were open to revisiting the moment. “You can imagine how the subject might be off-limits for some celebrities, so this ad was really conceived in concert with them and with their playfulness woven in,” he tells The Drum. “It really is just Camila reading the report, maybe for the first time ever, and Matthew reacting to it, which he had not heard in over a decade.” Dewey notes that the team intentionally avoided heavy embellishment. “Advertising consistently makes the mistake of trying too hard. That is never really Matthew’s style and certainly not what we try to do at Maximum Effort.”
The spot arrives with a limited-edition drink called the Pantsless and Famous, a twist on the Naked and Famous, giving fans a way to raise a glass to the story. The combination of McConaughey’s comfort with his own chaos and Maximum Effort’s taste for absurd sincerity creates a holiday ad that feels loose and self-aware. Instead of sanitizing an old headline, the brand turns it into a celebration and the result fits both the tequila and the man selling it.
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The retailer turns a centuries-old carol into a fast, funny reminder that useful gifts beat forgettable ones.
Why it works:
Ikea’s new holiday campaign revives The Twelve Days of Christmas and pushes it into pure pandemonium. The spot from Rethink Canada imagines every bird from the song showing up at once, creating a flapping, feathered mess that swallows the screen. The chaos becomes the setup for Ikea’s point: a practical gift is far more welcome than a novelty someone will never use.
The team worked with fifteen live animals under strict welfare oversight, but nature refused to stick to the storyboard, so CGI filled the gaps and kept the tone light. The result has the energy of a holiday cartoon and the clarity of a retail message that knows exactly what it wants to say.
In Québec, the brand builds on its “Ih Ké Ah” platform with three seasonal vignettes that utilize the province’s humor and the familiar pressure points of the holidays. Both the national and Québec work run across TV, cinema, out-of-home and social, giving Ikea a unified seasonal push anchored in one simple truth, thoughtful beats gimmicky every time.
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Uber Eats
Disney+
Dunkin' Donuts
Peta
Ford
Ikea
IKEA is a Swedish-founded Dutch-based multinational group, that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture, kitchen appliances and home accessories. It has been...