Christmas ads 2026: Walmart, Tiffany, Debenhams and more unveil festive campaigns

Brands are competing for festive attention with big-budget storytelling, comedy and surprises as the 2026 Christmas advertising season gets under way. These are the latest campaigns and the agencies behind them.

Bully Max: ‘The Gift of Power’

Dog food brand Bully Max is returning to Christmas with ‘The Gift of Power’, a commercial that has since collected a 2026 Mid-Atlantic Regional Emmy Award.

Video lead Brian Marczewski produced the 60-second ad without outside help. Set in an old working machine shop, it shows Santa sharing a festive treat with an American Bully.

The film first aired for Christmas 2025 and was filmed on location with dogs and crew from the brand itself, with no advertising agency involved. Its Emmy came in the Commercial – Single Spot category, showing that a small in-house team can compete with productions on larger budgets.

Wayfair: ‘Holiday Spirit’

Wayfair’s festive campaign turns a friendly rivalry between neighbours into a full-scale inflatable war. Residents try to top one another’s ever more extravagant lawn displays, from oversized decorations to excessive festive setups, with Wayfair supplying the ammunition.

Soundtracked by DJ Snake and Lil Jon’s ‘Turn Down for What’, the ad plays up the chaos as the contest escalates, presenting Wayfair as the place to buy whatever is needed to outshine the house next door.

Tiffany & Co.: ‘Love Is a Gift’ by American Haiku

Amanda Seyfried stars in Tiffany & Co.’s two-minute cinematic Christmas film, which Derek Cianfrance directed for American Haiku. Titled ‘You & Me’, it switches between New York today and in the 1990s as it tracks a mother and daughter through ballet practice, the brand’s famous holiday windows and a present that gains meaning as the years pass.

Instead of conventional luxury sparkle, the film dwells on small, quiet scenes in which the daughter comes to see her mother as more than a parent. Set to a reworked version of The Wannadies’ ‘You and Me Song’, it shows a simple present becoming a keepsake that carries memories and traditions down the generations.

Walmart: ‘A Who Knew Carol’ by Dept W and Pub W

Walmart has brought back The Muppets, with Walton Goggins playing Ebenezer Scrooge in a festive take on The Muppet Christmas Carol. The campaign reunites Kermit the Frog, Gonzo, Miss Piggy and Rizzo the Rat, with Stephanie Beatriz as Scrooge’s niece, and restages the film’s opening song with the retailer woven in.

Along the way Scrooge is visited by three new spirits, the Ghost of Christmas Presents, the Ghost of Deals to Come and the Ghost of Christmas Fast, who promote Walmart’s gifts, savings and quick delivery.

The Perfume Shop: ‘Let Love Last’ by Boldspace

The Perfume Shop’s campaign from Boldspace explores the way a fragrance can preserve memories. Running to 90 seconds, the film tells the story of two brothers through their first Christmas since losing their father, with the older boy quietly taking on the family traditions his dad used to handle.

Finding an almost empty bottle of the perfume their father bought their mother every Christmas, he decides to keep the ritual going. Filmed in black and white, it ends on Christmas morning as the brothers give their mum the familiar fragrance.

Casper: ‘A Christmas Casper Carol’ with Paramount Pictures

Mattress brand Casper has partnered with Paramount Pictures around the 13 November release of Ebenezer, starring Johnny Depp. Built on the idea ‘If Only Scrooge Had a Casper’, the campaign recasts the famous Christmas grump as someone who is simply short of sleep.

Running under the line ‘More Snooze, Less Scrooge’, the tie-in includes a 30-second ad and a festive immersive experience in New York City, as well as limited-edition nightcaps and a sweepstakes with a private screening of the film as the prize.

Ohio Lottery: ‘Spreading Fun’ by The Shipyard

Independent agency The Shipyard has created a nostalgic spot for the Ohio Lottery centred on a miniature train set. The ‘Ohio Lottery Express’ transports six new festive Scratch-Off games across a snow-covered model of Ohio of tiny towns and festive scenery.

As the camera pulls back to show two adults playing the games next to the train set, it becomes clear that the snow is made of Scratch-Off shavings. Made in partnership with Loud Cloud, the film relies on handmade miniatures and practical effects rather than digital techniques.

Classic FM: ‘Classic FM Christmas’ by Persuasion Comms

Classic FM is launching its first Christmas radio station by thawing Aled Jones out of a huge block of ice. In the short film from Persuasion Comms, the opening bars of ‘Walking in the Air’ revive the singer, who starts to sing and breaks free of the ice.

Classic FM Christmas is a dedicated station playing festive music, from traditional carols and orchestral pieces to the scores of Home Alone and Love Actually.

Debenhams: ‘Christmas. For Everyone’

Debenhams’ in-house team has made a four-minute festive romcom with a cast of Emily Atack, Kym Marsh, Mathew Horne and Gabrielle.

Set at a village Christmas party, it follows Tina, played by Atack, who is reunited with Chris, a friend from childhood played by Horne, before a snowstorm and power cut disrupt the evening. Gabrielle performs her hit ‘Dreams’ as the villagers rally to rescue the night, with the retailer celebrating the unplanned moments and mishaps that make Christmas memorable.