Lumen Research and TVision have released three years of aggregated eye-tracking data, revealing the top fifty Christmas ads that best captured audience attention in the UK. Aldi, The National Lottery and McDonalds have come out as the top “winners” of Christmas advertising.
Lumen’s latest report lays out insight for brands currently shooting this year’s festive ads. Its data shows that a strong plot, purposeful messaging and an absence of Christmas music will help advertisers win and hold audience attention throughout the festive season.
The findings come as brands view attention as one of the key measures of ROI. Marketers grappling with evolving media consumption trends are under increased pressure to optimise content to win deeper, more meaningful audience engagement.
The data revealed that John Lewis’ reign as the immovable force of Christmas advertising has come to an end. Just one of its ads made it into Lumen and TVision’s list of the top fifty most attention grabbing commercials from the past three years.
Instead, Aldi and M&S have stolen the throne by embedding attention grabbing “icons” throughout their ads. The data shows “Kevin the Carrot” and Dawn French are becoming magnetic for audiences, proving that stars and icons can engage viewers with brands’ own traditions over multiple Christmases.
The Winning Formula: Plot, Purpose and Pop Culture
As marketers produce this year’s festive ads, the report shares five key learnings from the “attention winners” of the past three Christmases:
- Tell a story, not a sizzle reel – story driven ads don’t just grab attention, they hold it. Plot driven ads, including the National Lottery’s “Train Ride” and Aldi’s “Home Alone” from 2022, outperformed montage style features, captivating audiences from start to finish.
- Old school bangers kick out Christmas crackers – audiences’ musical preferences are changing. Viewers responded far better to ads overlaid with timeless classics, upbeat originals and new tracks, whilst tuning out overused Maria Carey tracks, and acoustic Britpop anthems.
- Icons are for life, not just for Christmas – audiences are drawn towards returning characters and celebrities, and switched off to the brands trying to reinvent themselves.
- Create a unique sense of christmas magic – ads creating their own visual language of Christmas performed as well, if not better, than those simply buying traditional iconography. Tesco’s “How Bizarre” and McDonalds’ “Wish List” both won attention by putting a unique spin on household Christmas traditions.
- Don’t be afraid to do some good – purpose-led ads that highlight generosity or social impact, like O2’s campaign on data poverty, strike a chord with audiences feeling connected with the meaning of Christmas.
Mike Follett, CEO and Founder of Lumen Research commented: “A great Christmas ad isn’t made in 60 seconds – it’s built over years. From the tear-jerking stories audiences watch on repeat to the soundtracks they hum along to, campaigns with recognisable, iconic assets can drive engagement and build strong brand associations.
“But to win Christmas 2025, advertisers must understand what is capturing audiences’ attention, and how times are changing. The mellow, snowy ads that have dominated the 21st century are losing popularity. The brands that recognise attention data correlates with ROI will ultimately stay ahead of these evolving trends and unlock impact this Christmas.”
