The pumpkins were still on the doorstep when the first supermarket Christmas ads of 2026 arrived. And before they’d even aired on TV, we’d already asked the nation what it thought.
Welcome to the OnePulse Christmas Ad Tracker. Every time a major UK supermarket releases its Christmas ad, we ask UK viewers for their verdict within hours of launch. We ask the same core questions every time so that we can compare every ad like for like, and we check each result against what Brits predicted before any ads dropped. See the pre-release predictions here!
Christmas ad league table 2026
Tesco Christmas ad 2026: The Wrong Address
A Christmas food shop has been sent to the wrong address, bringing together two old school friends (Roisin Conaty and Anna Maxwell Martin). Lizzie has accidentally ordered her Christmas shop to her old house way out in the sticks, and Tesco delivery driver Polly has offered to meet her halfway. What starts as a delivery error becomes a Christmas road trip.
Created by BBH London and directed by Steve Rogers, it’s a single three-minute story to The Police’s Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic. That’s a significant shift from last year when we had 11 separate short films. It premiered on ITV on 1 November.
The verdict: 3.6/5
UK viewers gave Tesco’s 2026 Christmas ad, The Wrong Address, a solid 3.6 out of 5 in a OnePulse survey of 501 adults. While it was the most emotional ad so far, half the viewers said they’d have preferred Tesco spend the money on lower prices instead.
- 65% liked or loved it. A quarter (25%) called it an absolute cracker, and just 18% called it a turkey.
- Brits underestimated Tesco. Just 6% tipped it to have the best supermarket Christmas ad before launch, ranking it fifth.
- It brought the tears. 28% welled up, the most of any ad so far, even though only 5% expected Tesco to make them cry. 40% said it made them feel festive.
- Bringing in celebrities proved a winning move. Before the ad aired, only 17% wanted to see famous faces in Christmas supermarket ads. But after watching, 71% said Tesco made the right call with its casting.
- Tesco’s own shoppers were especially enthusiastic. 30% called it an absolute cracker, compared to 22% of other supermarket shoppers.
- Women felt the emotion most: 33% of women welled up, compared with 21% of men.
- Love moves the trolley. 35% of those who called it an absolute cracker are much more likely to shop at Tesco this Christmas, against 6% of those who called it pretty good.
- Value is still front of mind: 32% say the ad makes them more likely to do their Christmas shop at Tesco, though half would have preferred those ad pounds go towards lower prices.
500 UK adults surveyed via OnePulse within hours of the ad’s online release, ahead of its first TV broadcast
Sainsbury’s Christmas ad 2026: The Big Delivery
The BFG returns for his third Christmas with Sainsbury’s, though this year, he’s feeling under the weather. Not wanting him to miss out on the holiday magic, Sainsbury’s colleague Annie packs up a van with a festive feast and bravely sets off into Giant Country. She dodges towering giants and, in true Christmas spirit, unleashes a cheerful avalanche of Brussels sprouts.
Created by New Commercial Arts alongside The Roald Dahl Story Company, the ad was brought to life by director Sam Brown and the visual wizards at Electric Theatre Collective. There’s even a special version supporting Comic Relief, spreading a little extra joy this season
The verdict: 3.8/5
UK viewers rated Sainsbury’s 2026 Christmas ad, The Big Delivery, 3.8 out of 5 in a OnePulse survey of 500 adults, making it the top-rated supermarket ad so far. It was also the most festive, and 63% want the BFG back next year.
- 72% liked or loved it. 26% called it an absolute cracker, and just 10% called it a turkey, the fewest of any ad so far.
- The most festive ad so far. 51% said it made them feel festive, and 23% laughed. Before launch, 42% of shoppers said they wanted joyful, uplifting fun, and Sainsbury’s delivered.
- The BFG is as loved as Kevin the Carrot. 63% want him back next year, including 44% who say he’s part of Christmas now. That’s the same share that wants Aldi’s Kevin the Carrot back.
- Festive feeling sells. 44% of viewers who felt festive say they’re more likely to shop at Sainsbury’s this Christmas, against 22% of everyone else.
- The biggest fans do the sharing. 28% of those who called it an absolute cracker would send it to a friend to watch, against 4% of those who called it pretty good.
- Women felt the emotion most: 33% of women welled up, compared with 21% of men.
- Value still matters. 33% say it makes them more likely to do their Christmas shop at Sainsbury’s, while 56% would rather the money had gone on lower prices.
501 UK adults surveyed via OnePulse within hours of the ad’s online release, ahead of its first TV broadcast
Lidl Christmas ad 2026: Lidl Christmas Everybody
Lidl Christmas ad 2026: Lidl Christmas Everybody
The verdict: 3.5/5
- 59% liked or loved it. 26% called it an absolute cracker and 33% said it was pretty good.
- The funniest ad by far. 32% said it made them laugh (that’s more than Sainsbury’s at 23% and Tesco at 22%). Prior to launch, only 8% thought Lidl would have the funniest ad.
- Festive cheer in spades: 48% said it made them feel festive, just behind Sainsbury’s at 51%.
- The biggest uplift at the till so far. 42% say it makes them more likely to do their Christmas food shop at Lidl, beating both Sainsbury’s (33%) and Tesco (32%).
- Barry and Kammy delivered. 36% said the stars were what made the ad, and only 10% would have preferred real people. Prior to launch, just 17% wanted the celebs in the supermarket Christmas ad.
- Love moves the trolley. 37% of those who called it an absolute cracker will shop at Lidl this Christmas as a result, compared with 5% of those who called it pretty good.
- Value still counts. 54% would have preferred the money to go toward lower prices, and 25% toward advertising.
Asda Christmas ad 2026: All of Christmas at Asda Price. Boom!
Asda has moved away from the usual emotional Christmas ads and gone for a lively festive rave instead. The campaign, made by Lucky Generals, turns everyday Christmas moments like decorating and setting the table into energetic celebrations, all set to a remix of Martin Garrix’s dance track Animals. The ad finishes with the line “All of Christmas at Asda Price. BOOM!” This price-focused message highlights Asda’s promise that shoppers want the full Christmas experience, just at a lower cost.
The verdict: 3.3/5
Viewers gave Asda’s 2026 Christmas ad, All of Christmas at Asda Price, a score of 3.3 out of 5. It’s the biggest change from the usual Christmas ad style so far, and Asda’s own shoppers especially liked it.
- 48% liked or loved it. 13% called it an absolute cracker and 35% said it was pretty good.
- Asda’s regular shoppers enjoyed the ad the most. 60% of people who mainly shop at Asda rated it positively, compared to 47% of shoppers who use other supermarkets.
- A third are heading to Asda. 32% say it makes them more likely to do their Christmas food shop at Asda, and Asda shoppers were three times as likely to say much more likely (19% vs 6%).
- Festive feeling sells. 32% said it made them feel festive and 22% laughed. Those who felt festive were twice as likely to say they’d shop at Asda (49% vs 24%).
- A hit with younger viewers. 68% of 25- to 29-year-olds rated it positively, compared with 38% of 45- to 49-year-olds.
- There’s a debate about what makes a good Christmas ad. 30% of Brits prefer ads that focus on prices and parties, 28% want a mix of both, and 27% prefer a traditional Christmas story.
Coming soon
We’re rating every major UK supermarket Christmas ad as it drops. Check back for the latest verdicts and the updated league table. Looking for John Lewis? It will have its own tracker.
Aldi Christmas ad 2026
M&S Food Christmas ad 2026
Waitrose Christmas ad 2026
Morrisons Christmas ad 2026
Iceland Christmas ad 2026
Co-op Christmas ad 2026
For journalists
This data is free to use with credit. Please credit OnePulse and link to this page. Full data is available on request. Please contact lois.fearne@onepulse.com.
About OnePulse
OnePulse is a real-time consumer insights platform serving the UK and US. Over 500 brands and agencies use OnePulse to run surveys, called Pulses, and get fast answers from real consumers.
Methodology
Each ad is rated by 500 UK adults on OnePulse, surveyed within hours of the ad’s release. Every ad is asked the same core questions, so results can be compared like-for-like. The rating out of 5 is the average score on a five-point scale, from “a total turkey” (1) to “an absolute cracker” (5). Pre-release predictions come from OnePulse’s survey of around 1,500 UK adults on 16 to 18 October 2026. All figures are rounded to the nearest whole number, so some totals may not add up to exactly 100%.
