Top Five Christmas Adverts That Defined Your Childhood

Long before every brand tried to make us cry with a soft piano cover of a 70s song, Christmas adverts were simpler. Brighter. Louder. Often a bit weird. And for kids growing up in the ’80s, ’90s or early 2000s, these ads weren’t just commercials — they were the official announcement that Christmas had started.

Here are the five festive adverts that shaped childhood Decembers and still live rent-free in your memory.

5. The Coca-Cola “Holidays Are Coming” Truck (1995–present)

Even if you didn’t drink Coke, this was gospel:

When the trucks rolled onto the TV, Christmas had begun.

That glowing convoy. The deep, reassuring voice. The jingle that burrowed into your brain.

Kids actually sat through all the ads in the break just waiting for this one.

Parents pretended not to care, but everyone knew: this was iconic.

Childhood impact:

Turned a fizzy drink advert into an event. Also convinced us that big red lorries were pure festive magic.

4. The Toys “R” Us Jingle — “There’s a magical place…” (1980s–2000s)

You can already hear it, can’t you?

The snow. The shelves. The giraffe. The pure anticipation.

No advert captured the feeling of being a kid at Christmas more perfectly. It wasn’t selling a toy — it was selling the dream of walking into the biggest shop you had ever seen.

Childhood impact:

Made you believe Toys “R” Us was the North Pole with better parking.

And Geoffrey the Giraffe? Basically Santa’s mate.

3. Woolworths Mega Christmas Advert (Various, 1980s–2000s)

Every year, Woolies dropped a full-blown variety show disguised as an advert.

Celebrities! Pantomime energy! Random pop stars holding kettles!

It made absolutely no sense and we loved it.

The aisles of Woolworths were Christmas itself — from selection boxes to last-minute gifts to buying batteries for your new toy.

Childhood impact:

An advert that reminded you Christmas shopping was chaotic… but magical.

Also: we still miss Woolworths every December.

2. The IRN-BRU “Snowman” Advert — ‘I’m Dreaming of a… Can of Bru?’ (2006–present)

Now this is the cult Christmas advert everyone remembers — a wonderfully cheeky Scottish twist on the beloved Raymond Briggs The Snowman.

It starts off beautifully faithful: the boy and the Snowman soaring over snowy towns to the familiar music of Walking in the Air.

But then… the Snowman wants the boy’s IRN-BRU.

The twist?

The Snowman drops him.

Straight out of the sky.

Iconic.

Childhood impact:

Made an entire generation think the Snowman was a bit of a menace.

Also taught us: don’t mess with someone’s IRN-BRU.

1. The Yellow Pages Mistletoe Boy — “Kiss Under the Mistletoe” (1992)

If one advert from the ’90s could be bottled as pure childhood, it’s this.

A small boy grabs the Yellow Pages to stand on so he can kiss a girl under the mistletoe.

Cute. Cheeky. Innocent. Utterly iconic.

It was endlessly parodied, referenced, and replayed.

This advert wasn’t selling a directory — it was selling nostalgia before nostalgia was even invented.

Childhood impact:

Romanticised romance, made every kid try standing on random objects to be taller, and remains one of the sweetest Christmas ads ever made.