Lidl has entered the race for the most memorable Christmas advert of 2026, unveiling a musical campaign featuring EastEnders actor Shaun Williamson and former footballer Chris Kamara.
Williamson, best known for playing Barry Evans in the BBC soap, takes centre stage in the supermarket’s festive promotion, delivering a reworked version of Slade’s Christmas classic, Merry Xmas Everybody.
The campaign also features Capital FM presenter Kemi Rodgers and comedian Abi Clarke, who join Williamson as he moves from one neighbour’s doorstep to another, gathering an increasingly large crowd along the way.
The advert follows Williamson as he spreads Christmas cheer and helps make his neighbours’ festive wishes come true.
Carrying bags filled with Lidl’s seasonal products, he promotes the supermarket’s Christmas food range, including turkeys, Brussels sprouts, chocolate gonks and mince pies.
The retailer’s campaign combines the familiar Christmas song with newly written lyrics and scenes celebrating friendship, generosity and festive gatherings.
Williamson said: “Christmas is all about bringing people together, having fun and spreading a little festive cheer, so I jumped at the chance to help Lidl kick off the festive season in style!”
He added that putting a new spin on the Christmas classic had been an enjoyable experience and expressed hope that viewers would sing along and embrace the festive spirit.
Joanna Gomer, Marketing Director at Lidl GB, said the campaign marked the beginning of the supermarket’s Christmas celebrations, with further surprises and seasonal products expected throughout the festive period.
Sainsbury’s brings back the BFG for third consecutive Christmas advert
Sainsbury’s has reunited viewers with Roald Dahl’s beloved Big Friendly Giant (BFG) for its third consecutive Christmas advertising campaign.
The two-minute film centres on the giant falling ill with a cold just days before Christmas, leaving him concerned that he will miss out on the celebrations.
Determined to ensure her friend enjoys the festivities, familiar Sainsbury’s colleague Annie sets off on a delivery mission to Giant Country.
She is accompanied by her sidekick Fred, with their van loaded with festive products from the retailer’s Taste the Difference range.
Their journey is interrupted by several obstacles, including a mischievous 48-foot Greedy Giant who attempts to steal their food by disguising his mouth as a tunnel.
Annie and Fred also encounter an enormous Squizzly Scotch-Hopper blocking their route.
During the journey, their van is left hanging over the edge of a rocky cliff before the Greedy Giant resumes his pursuit.
Annie eventually finds a way to stop the food thief by scattering Brussels sprouts across the road, causing him to slip.
Despite the setbacks, the pair successfully reach the BFG’s cave with an assortment of Christmas treats, including Black Tiger Tempura Prawns and English Pigs in Blankets.
The advert concludes with Annie, Fred and the BFG sitting down together for a festive meal.
Annie reminds the giant that “nobody should miss Christmas”, before the campaign closes with the slogan: “For everything that makes Christmas unmissable”.
The advert is scheduled to premiere on television at 6.26pm, with shorter versions also being released across television and online platforms.
Sainsbury’s will additionally share the full campaign through its website and social media channels.
Tesco reunites old school friends in Christmas campaign
Tesco has enlisted Irish comedian Roisin Conaty and actress Anna Maxwell Martin for its 2026 Christmas advert, titled The Wrong Address.
The three-minute film follows Conaty as Polly, a Tesco delivery driver, and Maxwell Martin as Lizzie, a former school friend she unexpectedly encounters after several years apart.
The story begins when Lizzie mistakenly has her Christmas food shopping delivered to her previous address, which is hundreds of miles away from her new home.
Concerned that her family could miss out on their Christmas food, Lizzie receives an offer of help from Polly, who agrees to get the shopping closer to her current address.
What initially appears to be a straightforward delivery arrangement develops into a road trip across the country.
As they travel together, the former school friends revisit memories of their time together and gradually reconnect.
The campaign highlights friendship, kindness and helping others during the Christmas period, while also presenting Tesco’s commitment to supporting its customers throughout the year.
The Perfume Shop explores family memories in emotional Christmas advert
The Perfume Shop has taken a more emotional direction with its 2026 festive campaign, unveiling a 90-second black-and-white film titled Let Love Last.
The advert follows a mother and her two sons as they prepare for their first Christmas without their father, whose absence becomes apparent through the family traditions they previously shared.
When the youngest son asks about putting up the Christmas lights, his mother explains that his father was traditionally responsible for the task.
His older brother subsequently steps in to help.
The brothers begin recreating some of their father’s Christmas traditions, including preparing mince pies using his old recipe and decorating the family Christmas tree.
During the preparations, the older son discovers a nearly empty bottle of perfume that his father had given their mother every Christmas.
Wanting to continue the tradition, he secretly purchases the same fragrance for her and presents it on Christmas morning.
The gift includes an engraved message from both boys, creating an emotional moment as the mother embraces her sons.
The advert ends with the family finding a way to preserve their father’s memory through the traditions and gifts he left behind.
The campaign builds on The Perfume Shop’s The Power of Perfume brand positioning, focusing on the connection between familiar fragrances, personal memories and lasting relationships.
