While most commercials go the way of the Dodo before too long, some commercials can endure the test of time. Mostly because they only get played during a certain time of the year. That’s right, we’re talking about the commercials that only come around during the holiday season. The holiday season itself is one that can often get mired in nostalgia just because everyone remembers the joy and anticipation from when they were a child, and the repeat commercials only help to add to that feeling.
So, come gather ‘round, grab yourself a hot cocoa, and take a look at our (very subjective) ranking of the top 10 best Christmas commercials that first debuted in the ‘80s and ‘90s.
Like many of these commercials, the brand uses one of their most iconic mascots in their holiday commercial to really hammer home the connection and get you to associate Christmas time with their brand. Budweiser is no exception, using their Clydesdale horses in this classic holiday commercial from the late ‘80s. Budweiser has created many different Christmas clydesdale commercials over the years, but this is one of the most heart-warming, featuring the horses all decked in sleighbells, pulling a Christmas tree on a sleigh through the snow back toward town.
Coca Cola had used the polar bears in their advertising for many years (since 1922!), but it wasn’t until 1993 that they started using them in their TV commercials. The very first one featured the polar bears ice-skating around a Christmas tree, and eventually running into Santa. Another one featured two young bears trying to tug a tree up into the family cave, and needing the help of one of their parents (which is the one we’ve featured above). An enduring legacy, many different Christmas commercials with the polar bears have been featured over the years.
Kids are always trying to get a one up on Santa on Christmas night. You believe in him, but you never get to see him actually drop off your presents! What can you do but set up an elaborate trap to take a Polaroid of him. But, Santa is too wily and full of magic, and manages to drop off all the presents, leave a note, and take the Polaroid of himself in the blink of an eye. Oh Santa, you rascal!
A classic tale every kid has lived through to some degree during the holiday season – setting out cookies for Santa, with every intention of staying up so you can see him, only to fall asleep in the meantime. Santa enjoys the Oreo cookies the little boy has set out for him, and hurries back up the chimney just in time for the boy to wake up. You just missed it, kid.
Pillsbury has featured the Doughboy in many commercials throughout the years, and many different versions of holiday commercials as well. But, none of them are quite as memorable as this one featuring the Doughboy reading The Night Before Christmas and seeing Santa come to the house and leave presents.
Honey Nut Cheerios got into the game by combining their cereal with a beloved holiday classic, A Christmas Carol. Or, really, just the Scrooge part of the story, with BuzzBee as a Bob Cratchit fill-in to extol the loveliness of the honey and nut flavor of these particular Cheerios. No one can resist the charms, and Scrooge finally calms down and enjoys a bowl.
Is there anything better than coming in from a cold winter day than sitting down to a warm cup of soup? That’s what Campbell’s wants you to associate, anyway, with their cozy commercial featuring a snowman coming in from the cold, warming up with a nice bowl of soup, only to reveal a smiling boy beneath. It’s a quaint and feel-good commercial and honestly, if it doesn’t make you smile, why are you even here reading about Christmas commercials?
Certainly one the cheesiest commercials on this list, but isn’t that what the holiday season is all about? The original Folgers coming home for Christmas commercial features a young man named Peter sneaking into his parents’ house and brewing up some coffee as a surprise before everyone wakes up to welcome him home for the holidays. Folgers attempted to make an updated version of this commercial in 2009, but it quickly became a bit of a joke as everyone thought it heavily implied incestual feelings between a brother and sister. Whoops.
Created in 1989, the original version of this commercial was made using stop-motion animation with some CG product photography to show the Hershey’s Kisses in a Christmas tree formation, playing the song “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” The commercial has been running ever since, making it the longest-running commercial for the Hershey brand. It was updated in 2012 with new completely CGI graphics, and that’s what you’ll see on your TV each holiday season nowadays.
You know it, you love it, it’s the commercial with red M&M and Santa fainting at the sight of each other, with Yellow looking on. Originally released in 1996, this commercial has consistently been on the air every holiday season since, and even garnered a sequel in 2017. But the OG is where it’s at – it’s even worth stopping that fast forward on the DVR to get a dose of Christmas nostalgia.
What’s your favorite Christmas commercial? Let us know in the comments!
- In 1941, the FCC issued the first commercial licenses to 10 US television stations. On July 1st, the first-ever commercial aired, a spot by the Bulova watch company.
- From 1949 to 1951, TV ad spending increased 10X from $12.5 million to $128 million.
- In 1971, congress banned radio and TV advertising of cigarettes.
- Apple introduced the Macintosh computer in a huge Super Bowl ad in 1984, beginning the era of high-profile TV commercials.
- TiVo launched the first DVR in 1999, starting a shift in TV watching habits that led to the ability to fast-forward through commercials.
- In 1941, the FCC issued the first commercial licenses to 10 US television stations. On July 1st, the first-ever commercial aired, a spot by the Bulova watch company.
- From 1949 to 1951, TV ad spending increased 10X from $12.5 million to $128 million.
- In 1971, congress banned radio and TV advertising of cigarettes.
- Apple introduced the Macintosh computer in a huge Super Bowl ad in 1984, beginning the era of high-profile TV commercials.
- TiVo launched the first DVR in 1999, starting a shift in TV watching habits that led to the ability to fast-forward through commercials.
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