It's Time to Unwrap Our Fave Holiday Ads of 2025

With Patreon, Walmart, Ikea, Ocean Spray and more

When picking the top holiday campaign of the year, Mobster Santa made us an offer we couldn’t refuse.

This year’s spots, by and large, played it safer than ever. But some standouts slid down the chimney. We’ve gathered them here with care.

Season’s Best: Patreon’s Profane Wiseguy Santa Kicks Tail
“These reindeer dongs got people horny for podcasts and video and whatever else. That ain’t what the holidays are about! All this digital community crap. It’s about crap, crap! Sh*t with bows!” Stavros Halikas gifts us with raucous rants that would make an elf blush. He’s Santa. He’s a mafioso. Jingle, jingle, my jabronis!

And in no particular order…

L.A. Dodger Freddie Freeman Whiffs in Ryan Reynolds’ SickKids Appeal
When one of the Dodgers’ biggest stars visits SickKids hospital in Toronto, he gets exactly the reception you’d expect … they all hate the dude! That’s because L.A. beat the Blue Jays in the World Series. 

UPS Store Asks: Can You ‘Verify You Are Human’ for the Holidays?
Director Gia Coppola CAPTCHAs the true spirit of the season in a quiet spot that serves as a deeper mediation on the human condition.

Teleflora Presents a Boy and His Bot for Xmas
You can feel this one building to a big, emotional reveal. It still hits like a ton of steel. If you’re not moved, you might be a bot.

Walton Goggins Plays the Grinch in Walmart’s Black Friday Fantasy
It’s not easy being green. But Walt emotes his heart out through layers of fur and makeup. Dude nails it and makes the familiar character his own.

Ikea Canada Stages ‘The 12 Days of Christmas’ in Somebody’s House
“When you’re working with six kinds of birds, you quickly learn that not everything can be perfectly controlled. We embraced chaos as part of the idea, so we let the birds and cows and goats improvise.”

Benedict Cumberbatch Gets Dramatic in Amazon’s Five Star Theater
There’s no need for the Hollywood A-Lister to go off script as he reads actual 5-star reviews. Remember: a bidet can change your life.

Bryan Cranston Breaks Bad, in the Best Way, as ‘Cranpus’ for Ocean Spray
Riffing on the Xmas horror-comedy Krampus, among other things, the beloved actor locks horns with the holidays.

In U.K. Charity’s Stark Appeal, ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ Takes on Fresh Meaning
This PSA packs a wallop at the end, with a too-familiar track cleverly spun to amplify the message.

Whisker Introduces the Perfect Present for Your Favorite Cat: a Cardboard Box
Do cats like boxes? First we’ve heard of it. As with most things, though, it’s what’s inside that counts.

For you festive freaks who simply can’t get enough, click here to see all of our 2025 holiday coverage.