It's that time of year again, as the magic of the festive season brings joy to our hearts – and hopefully bumper sales to our checkouts.
Our team of merry elves at ESM has joyfully scoured the European landscape to uncover the most enchanting Christmas adverts from retailers, for our annual 12 Ads Of Christmas contest.
Without further ado, we invite you to join in the festive spirit and help us choose the merriest gem from this season's Yuletide collection!
Watch the commercials below and vote for your favourite via the form provided by 20 December. Winners will be revealed on Thursday 21 December.
THE 12 ADS OF CHRISTMAS 2023
Albert Heijn (Netherlands)
A lonely sports coach gets a Christmas surprise from his team in this ad from Dutch retailer Albert Heijn, which boasts the theme 'Christmas is mainly about who you sit at the table with'.
Aldi Süd (Germany)
Christmas is an exciting time, even for those that are supposed to have 'grown up', as this ad from Aldi Süd demonstrates.
Conad (Italy)
Despite an injury, a young boy realises his dream of playing Santa in the Christmas school play in this ad from Italian retailer Conad.
Coop (Switzerland)
Store employee Lulu aims to put a smile on customers' faces in the hectic run-up to Christmas in this ad from Coop Switzerland. Lulu (along with her partner, Louis) previously appeared in Coop's 2019 Christmas commercial.
El Corte Inglés (Spain)
More a short film than a Christmas ad, El Corte Inglés' effort sees a young boy, Félix, discover the magic of floor 2½ of his local department store.
Lidl (Germany)
An adventurous racoon defies the odds to return a toy to its owner in this ad from Lidl Germany.
Migros (Switzerland)
A budding astronomer gets her Christmas wish with a little help from Finn the elf, in this commercial from Swiss retailer Migros.
Pingo Doce (Portugal)
Who brings the magic of Christmas? Portugal's Pingo Doce teams up with singer-songwriter Fernando Daniel to present a catchy Christmas commercial.
PLUS (Netherlands)
Two former friends put aside their differences to share a Christmas meal together in this ad from PLUS.
Rohlik Group/Knuspr.de (Germany)
An enterprising child puts his own twist on the weekly food delivery with this ad from Knuspr, which bears the theme 'You already have the most precious things at home, we'll bring everything else'.
Sainsbury's (UK)
What would Santa Claus have for Christmas dinner? A little girl poses the question to Sainsbury's employees... and 80s pop star Rick Astley.
Tesco (UK)
If you thought your family were strange... Things get 'bizarre' in Tesco's Christmas ad, as a village's population gets transformed by the festive season.
