The Best Holiday Ads of 2024

This post was previously published at an earlier date.

The holiday season seems to come around quicker each year, with brands leading the way into festive celebrations.

For many advertisers, the period is a prime creative opportunity as much as a commercial one. Some of the best ads of the year drop during this time.

This year’s holiday ads began rolling out in mid-October, as advertisers navigate around election season in the U.S. Highlights include plenty of nostalgia, music from both up-and-coming creators and stars such as Jennifer Hudson, memorable characters like Waldo from the children’s books, and of course, storytelling that tugs on the heartstrings. 

ADWEEK will round up the best festive offerings from brands here as the season continues.

Oatly

Everyone leaves out (cow’s) milk and cookies for Santa, but what if he is lactose intolerant or sustainably-minded? It’s a good thing Oatly has kept this in mind. The brand is encouraging people to substitute its oat milk and croquembouche on Christmas Eve instead. In a totally scientific taste test, Oatly presented its alternatives to 31 professional Santas, and found 96.774% of the assembled Saint Nicks preferred Oatly and croquembouche, while only one went for the old-school milk and cookies. –T.L. Stanley

Liquid Death x Gopuff

In a holiday-themed stunt, Liquid Death and Gopuff will deliver “a powerful new machine” that’s “high-performance and winter-optimized” directly to your driveway, according to a just-dropped video. Could it be a luxury car?

Nope, it’s a co-branded hot tub, build to resemble a Liquid Death can and hyped with a commercial that takes its cues from stereotypical auto marketing. But, predictably, there are irreverent Liquid Death-style flourishes: a fully naked dude, shown with strategically placed pixelation, is among the ad stars frolicking in an outdoor sauna.

The partnership aims to “give our collective fans more of what they love from both a product and content perspective,” according to Tyler Stewart, Gopuff’s head of marketing, who dubbed the effort “one badass collaboration.”