1. The Bear & the Hare

John Lewis spent over £7 million on their British Christmas adverts this year, and they are so certain of its popularity that they’ve even created a spin-off line of cuddly toys, framed photographs and wrapping paper. The storyline follows a bear who always oversleeps, and it’s all done in the cutest animations. They’ve even got Lily Allen providing the sound track. It’s launch was so big that it had it’s own twitter chat, and the wrapping paper and matching cards have been sold out since day 1.

2. Wishes Made Fabulous

Debenhams tend to opt for adverts filled with celebrities and models to highlight their impressive clothes and make-up ranges. This year’s ad is no exception, with a range of models wandering around doing festive activities such as shopping and ice-skating. As they do, they are turned into sketches. It’s not the most festive, as adverts go, but it does show off Debenhams clothes range.

3. Believe in Magic and Sparkle

Marks and Spencer’s have made a mash-up of Alice in Wonderland, Hansel and Gretel, Aladdin, The Wizard of Oz and Little Red Riding Hood, and given the whole lot a surprisingly festive touch. It’s not short on celebrities, either, with Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and David Gandy modeling clothing, and Helena Bonham Carter providing star quality. It’s a bit cheesy, but it’s definitely Christmas-y.

4. Getting Older

Tesco have taken a rather unique path for their Christmas advert this year. Shot to look like home movie footage, the advert follows a couple through the years, Christmas after Christmas, until they become pensioners. Tesco products are littered through the film, and it does have a home-ly feel, but it’s lacking that really festive sparkle that we’re used too…

5. Go on…It’s Christmas

Love British cheese? If Ant and Dec have you in stitches, the Morrisons advert will be right up your street. The comedy duo took time off from filming this years I’m A Celebrity... to film the ad, which features them enjoying classic Christmas foods accompanied by a singing gingerbread man. Yes, it’s a bit bizarre, and it’s totally cheesy. It will make you hungry, though!

6. Royal Mail

Even the Royal Mail are in on the advertising this year, filming this “real-life” ad which shows them delivering Christmas parcels while a choir sings All You Need Is Love. There’s lots of PR at play here – the Royal Mail doesn’t usually do a Christmas advert, and many people will see this as an attempt to make the upcoming privatization a little more palatable, but it is a sweet advert. The song is almost guaranteed to get stuck in your head.

7. ASDA

ASDA get a special mention for being a bit rubbish this year. Rather than the usual Z-list celebrity song, they opted for an ad with snowmen representing the big 4 supermakets. The ASDA snowman was the biggest, presumably to show that ASDA is also the cheapest…and that’s about all there is to it. Snowmen may be festive, but this ad just isn’t. Did the ASDA ad team go to the pub instead?! As British Christmas adverts go, this one will probably get the wooden spoon award.

As you can probably tell, British Christmas adverts are something of a big deal. You can’t help but get excited when they first come on air, either – it means the big day is coming! So get into the spirit of Christmas, and leave me a comment to tell me which of these British Christmas adverts is your favorite, or which other Christmas ads I should check out!