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Christmas ads are as much a part of the holiday season as mince pies and awkward family board games. This year’s line-up has sparked plenty of chatter – not just from ad critics but from the most discerning audience of all: mums.

Armed with tea/coffee, pens and a healthy dose of honesty, mums of ±±¾©Èü³µpk10 staffers watched, judged and laughed their way through this season’s ads.

It’s a mixed bag of emotions. Some ads sparked joy with their nostalgic nods, heartwarming family moments and humour that hits just right. Others? Not so much. Long run times, confusing messages and the occasional uninspired plot line earned their fair share of side-eye.

Mums spot everything – whether it’s the lack of a clear message, an over-complicated storyline or even a missed opportunity to tap into what makes the season truly special. From surprise reunions to party-ready food spreads, the ads that were a triumph for them were the ones that managed to blend humour, relatability and just the right amount of Christmas sparkle.

Enjoy their verdicts below. 

UK editor Maisie McCabe’s mum
Ads picked: O2, Greggs, Zalando

Maisie’s mum appears to have very much enjoyed the novelty of watching ads, choosing to pick out what she sees as three themes from the work in ±±¾©Èü³µpk10’s Christmas round-up. 

Political

O2 "Snowing sims" by VCCP: Well, it makes the point very clearly that we have real issues with people's lack of access to IT and I’m impressed they're doing something about it. This hits home as I have an elderly mum who doesn’t even have access and family members who “pay as you go”. I’m wondering why we stopped our 02 account and whether our current provider has/is doing anything.

Popular culture

Greggs “Greggs x Nigella Lawson” by Drummond Central: I like this because I love the fact Nigella has gone with a company that has good credentials, including hiring ex-prisoners (sorry, this is meant to be popular culture section). But I also like it because my mum, who is 90, loves its Steak Bakes and I like the Cheese and Onion Bakes. It also reminds me of Maisie moving to London to go to university and being thrilled there was a Greggs on the Strand. Proud moment. 
(PS: Dad read this and wants to watch the Nigella ad now.)

Creative

Zalando “What do I wear?" by Mother: I liked the story arc and the music. I wanted each scene to be slower, which I guess makes you keen to watch it again to make sense of what’s going on. It felt that there had been some real creativity brought to this ad and it made me think about people in the industry and how talented they must be.

Media editor Beau Jackson's mum
Ads picked: Aldi, John Lewis, Waitrose

An overall negative response from Beau’s mum, who seeks heartfelt messages in her festive ads and submitted a homemade video of a family Christmas as an alternative to this year’s batch. Thankfully, Kevin the Carrot’s mission to save the Christmas spirit did bring some cheer – like mother, like daughter.

Aldi “Kevin the Carrot's Christmas mission" by McCann UK: I tend to look forward to the heartfelt message they bring, but this year I find there’s no emotion in any of them – with the slight exception of the Aldi lost Christmas spirit, where I found the subtle humour lifting my spirits and I couldn’t resist a chuckle.

John Lewis & Partners "The gifting hour" by Saatchi & Saatchi: John Lewis’ gifting message I just didn’t get until I’d watched it several times and didn’t find it moving. Too long and confusing for an ad.

Waitrose & Partners "Sweet suspicion" by Saatchi & Saatchi: The mystery ad was too contrived – it didn’t deliver any sound Christmas message. I did take part in the voting of who did it but purely out of nostalgia. It went on too long and I had to watch several times to feel I got the point.

Tech editor Lucy Shelley's mum
Ads picked: Tesco, John Lewis, Waitrose

Lucy’s mum was underwhelmed by the three ads from the so-called “commercial big boys” that she was asked to review. Tesco and John Lewis tempted a lukewarm reaction but, thankfully, Saatchi & Saatchi’s Waitrose ad brought her some Christmas cheer. (Although we’re not sure if that’s just because of the casting of Matthew Macfadyen.)

So, my daughter has given the task for me to watch three Christmas ads from the commercial big boys at this time of year. As we usually watch programmes on catch-up, I actually rarely watch the ads anyway. However, taking my task seriously, with pen and notebook at the ready, I indulged myself in some festive Gogglebox-style fun.

Tesco “Helping feed your Christmas spirit” by Bartle Bogle Hegarty London: First up was Tesco, this one I found way too lengthy with annoying music and I lost interest halfway through. It didn’t make me empathise with the loss of granny and felt it all a bit lacking in every way.

John Lewis "The gifting hour" by Saatchi & Saatchi: Next was John Lewis, of which I had great expectations. The story began with a Narnia-esque scene about two sisters, which, although touching, didn’t really fill me with Christmas cheer.

Waitrose "Sweet suspicion" by Saatchi & Saatchi: And for the grand finale came Waitrose: wow! I loved it; it had all the ingredients of a great Christmas ad. Good acting, great story, funny with real relatable characters and, unlike the others, gave me a warm festive glow.

The Brits love a good Christmas ad, telly is important to us at this time of year. Nostalgia brings a cosy homely feel, which is what they all tried to imbue. Strangely, they are all trying to remove us from the commercial world that we all now live in. 

Waitrose won it hands down with a gripping story and a huge bonus of including Matthew Macfadyen.

Premium content editor Nicola Merrifield's mum
Ads picked: Sainsbury’s, M&S Food, John Lewis

Nicola's mum says it's the festive ads that give her that warm Christmas feeling which get her vote. Not one for the fast-moving scenes in John Lewis' ad, she is firmly in the BFG and Dawn French fan clubs, offered up by Sainsbury's and M&S Food. 

Sainsbury's "Sainsbury's big Christmas" by New Commercial Arts: I really liked this ad. The BFG is a loveable character who makes you feel fuzzy inside. The relationship between him and Sophie is wonderful and together they make you think about where Sainsbury’s produce and ingredients come from. They succeed in encouraging you to try something different this Christmas and I love the finale in which they depict a wonderful Christmas family scene in the home.

M&S Food “Christmas food” (in-house): I love this. It makes me smile from start to finish. It’s very cleverly put together with Dawn French playing both herself and the Christmas Fairy. Dawn’s one liners and facial expressions are so funny. Ultimately the party food takes centre stage and looks delicious. I definitely get the message "go easy on yourself and buy M&S party food".

John Lewis & Partners "The gifting hour" by Saatchi & Saatchi: I didn’t like this very much. I watched it a few times before I understood the message they were trying to portray. I couldn’t relate to the memories idea for choosing gifts and I don’t think it was very festive. I think it goes on too long and it seems very chaotic by jumping from scene to scene.

Creativity and culture editor Alessandra Scotto di Santolo's mum
Ads picked: Disney, John Lewis, Vodafone 

Ale’s mum didn’t sign up for this, but here we are – 20 ads later, opinions as sparkling as Italian Prosecco. Despite not speaking a lick of English and living far from the UK’s holiday ad obsession, she’s here to tell it like it is. 

Disney "The boy & the octopus" by Adam & Eve/DDB: The ad had a nostalgic fairytale atmosphere that I loved, with The Little Mermaid playing softly in the background and all the references to Disney films. The unusual story added a magical touch, making it feel like a classic Disney moment. 

John Lewis & Partners "The gifting hour" by Saatchi & Saatchi: This was, without a doubt, my favorite. It felt more Christmassy than the others, with a strong sense of sharing and focus on gifts. The music was perfect, and the sisterhood concept was refreshing. I especially loved the final part because of its clever copywriting – it tied everything together beautifully. Overall, it felt the most complete in terms of its visuals, music and atmosphere.

Vodafone “40 years of Christmas on the nation’s network" by Leo Burnett: This ad also struck a chord. It reminded me how important family connections are. The last bit was my favorite part, with the son surprising his mum on Christmas Day – it really captured the warm, family feeling of the holidays.

Bonus point for Amazon, a bit of a banal idea but good music. Coca-cola ruined childhood memories of one of my favourite ads. Tesco takes last spot: boring, heavy and obsolete idea of Christmas. 

Deputy creativity and culture editor Charlotte Rawlings' mum

Ads picked: John Lewis, Sainsbury's, McDonald's

Charlotte’s mum is full of festive cheer this year. John Lewis was a firm favourite, as she credits the film’s emotional pull and use of music. She probably had Richard Ashcroft’s Sonnet stuck in her head for a while though since she had to watch it a few times to really understand what was happening. Sainsbury’s reminded her of her very own BFG (Charlotte’s dad) while the McDonald’s ad’s “spectacular” light show wasn’t quite enough to get her craving a Maccies. 

(Note from Charlotte: thanks very much for writing these down on paper and sending photos of the comments, that was thrilling to type out…)

John Lewis & Partners "The gifting hour" by Saatchi & Saatchi: First up is John Lewis “The gifting hour”, and as someone who loves a soppy JL Christmas ad, it would be a crime not to talk about this one. I really like John Lewis Christmas ads, and this one is no exception. They have more emotional pull than most other ads. This story of two sisters and their intertwined lives with all the ups and downs of their relationship is neatly captured in this ad. There’s no hard sell here but you’re left with the feeling that John Lewis is the place to go for that special present. I had to watch it a couple of times to really understand what was happening, so maybe it’s a little frantic in places with too much going on, but it’s a good effort and the music (Richard Ashcroft’s Sonnet) really works. 

Four out of five mince pies!

Sainsbury’s "Sainsbury’s BIG Christmas" by New Commercial Arts: Now it's time for Sainsbury’s “Sainsbury’s BIG Christmas”, and they certainly have gone really big this year. They’ve employed the talents of Roald Dahl’s BFG. He’s a brave choice. Initially I didn’t find him attractive but I warmed to him when he went to work creating the perfect Christmas feast. It also gave me a nice dose of nostalgia as my children loved the BFG growing up, but not sure if looking at those big ears and that Snozzcumber at the beginning quite put me in the festive mood. 

I have my own BFG at home. He loves Sainsbury’s and he’ll be working his magic in my kitchen at Christmas. 

Three and a half mince pies out of five!

McDonald’s "The gift of McDonald's" by Leo Burnett: Lastly, McDonald’s “The gift of McDonald’s”. The fast-food restaurant has used the pulling power of Christmas lights to great effect in this ad. It shows a couple ticking off an extensive shopping list as they drive around suburban streets after dark. As they drive past the houses, they light up with an amazing neon Christmas light display. Some not so subtly directing them to a McDonald’s drive-through. 

It’s a bit mad. The timing of the dog crossing the road in its little elf outfit made me chuckle and the crazy neon lights work well with the beat of the music too (Satisfaction by Benny Benassi), even though that song isn’t really my thing (shocking, I know). The light show is spectacular but I’d rather have a cup of tea and a slice of Battenberg (I could be tempted by a milkshake, though!).

Three mince pies out of five!

Deputy media editor Shauna Lewis' mum
Ads picked: Asda, John Lewis, Aldi

Shauna’s mum took a critical look at this year’s Christmas crop, as she has done with every ad she’s seen since Shauna joined ±±¾©Èü³µpk10. She thought that Morrisons’ ad was appropriately jolly, while Asda and John Lewis left much to be desired. She also sneaked in a dig at Kevin the Carrot and kept trying to talk about the Nationwide ads featuring Dominic West (not included).

Asda "The gnome of Christmas" by Havas London and Morrisons “The greatest show at home” by Leo Burnett: The Asda one had too many puns in it. They wouldn’t leave you alone with it, but I liked the Morrisons one. It made me laugh. It was more creative than Asda’s ad and more thought had gone into it, it thought outside the box. It was a bit, like, if I were at home with my children and they decided to use Christmas socks as puppets – it’s just using a bit of imagination, isn’t it? The ad could actually inspire families to do that. I like the background music as well, it’s more jolly. The music behind the Asda one isn’t very festive and it’s associated with The A Team. That’s what all the dads will think straight away – not Christmas. 

John Lewis & Partners "The gifting hour" by Saatchi & Saatchi: The John Lewis ad is quite hard to understand. We didn’t really get it. We could see what was going on, but just couldn’t figure out what it was. [Shauna] explained it to us and I know it’s about the ups and downs of family life, but I don’t find it Christmassy, I just see her running around and rushing, a bit like myself.

Aldi “Kevin the Carrot's Christmas mission" by McCann UK: Also I’m bored with the Aldi carrot.