Teddies who stole Christmas... and won the blockbuster battle of the festive TV ads with a VERY unlikely low-budget heartwarmer

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Scrooges, look away now: the Christmas advertising onslaught is upon us once more. With just five weeks to go, our screens have been over-run by dancing reindeer, singing Santas and slushily sentimental family scenes.

Competition is fiercer than ever, with some brands spending more than £20 million on their campaigns — and new figures estimating that every £1 invested in festive advertising can make a £24 profit.

High Street giant John Lewis, which has previously topped the Christmas ratings with its heart-rending festive stories, surprised many this year by choosing humour over emotion.

The Christmas advertising onslaught is upon us once more, with just five weeks to go until the festive period 

Critics branded its Buster the Boxer campaign ‘disappointing’, while parents said it ruined Christmas by denying the existence of Santa Claus.

But the unlikely winner of the nation’s hearts has been a surprise entry from Heathrow Airport.

Its Hollywood-style tear-jerker featuring two elderly teddy bears has already become an internet sensation on YouTube and Facebook.

So, who else is bringing Christmas cheer this year — and which ads are a festive flop?

Teddy bears go home - Heathrow Airport 9/10

Heathrow’s first festive campaign featuring two teddys making their way home for Christmas it’s thought to have cost around £1 million

The ad: Two teddy bears are making their way home for Christmas. In touching scenes, they snooze on the plane, hold hands as they step on to an escalator and struggle to lift their luggage off the belt (above). The final moments show the bears magically transformed into an elderly couple, who are greeted by their excited grandchildren.

Star power: Inspired by the final scene in the 2003 Richard Curtis film Love Actually, the advert is set to a song by Eighties duo Chas and Dave.

Cost: Heathrow’s first festive campaign, it’s thought to have cost around £1 million.

Backstage secret: It was filmed in summer over three days, when the airport was fully operational. Insiders say setting it ‘airside’ meant the crew and kit had to be small.

Product placement: The bears are made by luxury toy-maker Steiff, whose teddies cost between £39.90 and £150 — but they’re not available at any of the airport’s shops.

Matching merchandise: No novelty toys or offers, though it may boost flight sales.

Chuckle factor: Guaranteed to make you smile — and bawl like a baby at the end. 4/5

Going viral? The ad only came out four days ago, but it’s already got more than six million views online and is creating more excitement than its rivals put together. 5/5

Funky dancers - House of Fraser 1/10

Trendy singer Laura Mvula recorded a version of The Fugees’ Ready Or Not for the ad for House of Fraser

The ad: There’s no plot to this ad — instead, we watch a troupe of contemporary dancers jump around a futuristic set. There are flaming Christmas pud trees, giant chess pieces and an explosion of glittery sprouts.

Star power: Trendy singer Laura Mvula recorded a version of The Fugees’ Ready Or Not for the ad. Its director, Emil Nava, has worked with Ed Sheeran and Rihanna.

Cost: Experts estimate up to £4 million.

Backstage secret: It took two 13-hour days to complete, with 22 dancers chosen from an open audition.

Product placement: Handbags, menswear and an entire fireplace built from beauty products, including a £38 Tom Ford lipstick.

Matching merchandise: Dress your table like the one in the ad with Biba plates (£9.60) and gold cutlery (£148 for a 24-piece set).

Chuckle factor: Impeccably choreographed, but it won’t make you laugh. 0/5

Going viral? ‘It looks like they’ve tried too hard,’ says Tom Berry, an analyst at Verdict Retail. ‘The song is too aggressive for Christmas and will put off over-40s.’ The ad has had fewer than 500,000 views. 1/5

The bouncing animals - John Lewis 7/10

The John Lewis Christmas ad sees a little girl's trampoline become over-run by animals at night

The ad: A little girl who loves to bounce begs her parents for a trampoline for Christmas. Her dad spends all night putting it up — only for it to be over-run by animals. Her dog, Buster the boxer, watches from indoors, desperate to join the fun. When Christmas arrives, he bounds past his owner and beats her to the trampoline.

Star power: Not much — the band Vaults cover Randy Crawford’s One Day I’ll Fly Away.

Cost: £7 million, including the ad and festive promotions.

Backstage secret: All the animals on the trampoline (including Buster when he’s bouncing) were digitally animated. Buster, real name Biff, is five and lives in the Midlands with his trainer, Jan.

Product placement: A 10ft trampoline costs £229.99.

Matching merchandise: A range of related gifts include toy animals (£8-£15) and a kids’ book (£9.99). Ten per cent of the soft toy sales go to charity The Wildlife Trusts.

Chuckle factor: The sight of Buster’s ears flapping and tail wagging as he leaps up and down is pure festive fun. 4/5

Going viral? John Lewis ads are always popular, but retail analyst Anusha Couttigane says that, this year, consumers are ‘slightly jaded’. Still, it’s been watched a whopping 49 million times online. 3/5

Inside mum's head - Tesco 3/10

Gavin And Stacey actress Ruth Jones (pictured) plays the mum, while Ben Miller is cast as her husband in Tesco Christmas ad

The ad: A woman is in a supermarket when Slade’s Merry Xmas Everybody comes on. She says to herself: ‘For crying out loud, Christmas? It’s only November!’ She starts to worry about how many people she has to feed, and what she’s going to buy everyone. Eventually, she has to smile and, when her husband emerges with a pack of mince pies, she says: ‘Bring it on.’

Star power: Gavin And Stacey actress Ruth Jones (pictured) plays the mum, while Ben Miller is cast as her husband.

Cost: Around £15 million, as part of a series over the festive period.

Backstage secret: The ad was filmed in a real Tesco store in Borehamwood.

Product placement: Only the mince pies get a mention — but, oddly, the type in the ad are currently unavailable.

Matching merchandise: Ruth reels off a shopping list of things Tesco sells — from gin to shortbread.

Chuckle factor: The to-do list of a stressed-out mum will resonate with shoppers, but it lacks belly laughs. 2/5

Going viral? Despite launching in the coveted X Factor slot, it’s failed to grab people’s attention and has had just over a million views online. 1/5

Robin's journey - Waitrose 6/10

Dubbed ‘the best Christmas ad ever’ on Twitter is the campaign featuring two robins for Waitrose 

The ad: More like a documentary than an advert, this 90-second clip shows the real-life migration of a Scandinavian robin. After crossing oceans, it reaches a British garden, where a feathered friend awaits with a mince pie.

Star power: The epic journey is set to a song from 2014 film The Theory Of Everything.

Cost: Advertising expert Andrew Bloch, founder of Frank PR, estimates the ad (made by the same agency as John Lewis’s) cost £7 million — ‘but some rivals will spend nearly triple this.’

Backstage secret: The robin is, in fact, animated. Jorge Montiel, of visual effects studio The Mill, says: ‘Every breath, heartbeat and twitch had to be present.’

Product placement: Just a single mince pie (£1.25 for six).

Matching merchandise: A book by Michael Morpurgo is £5 and there’s a range of robin gifts.

Chuckle factor: By definition not one for laughs, but it’s still sweet. 1/5

Going viral? Dubbed ‘the best Christmas ad ever’ on Twitter, it’s had 8.8 million views. 5/5

'Downton Abbey' kids - Mulberry 5/10

Dubbed the ‘cutest ad of the year’, this is the story of an upper-class family at Christmas for Mulberry

The ad: Dubbed the ‘cutest ad of the year’, this is the story of an upper-class family at Christmas, starring a waspish mother, bickering sisters and a son with a secret. The twist is that they’re all played by kids in Downton Abbey-style outfits. It comes in two parts — the second is due later this month — and culminates in one girl giving her sister a Mulberry handbag.

Star power: The ad was written by Hugo Guinness, the man behind The Grand Budapest Hotel film.

Backstage secret: Shot on location at a 15th-century listed building in Surrey, the ad was the brainchild of suave creative director Johnny Coca, who’s revamped the brand.

Product placement: The £1,095 Bayswater bag in fetching ‘macaroon pink’ is the star product.

Matching merchandise: Visitors to the dedicated Christmas site are directed to gifts including a £395 leather satchel and £590 satin sandals.

Chuckle factor: Not side-splitting, but the dialogue is great.4/5

Going viral? Quirky, rather than moving, this advert doesn’t seem to be catching on, and has had only 240,000 views online. 1/5

Kevin the carrot - Aldi 7/10

Re-telling classic poem The Night Before Christmas, Aldi's ad follows Kevin, a carrot on a mission to join Santa on his sleigh

The ad: Re-telling classic poem The Night Before Christmas, this follows Kevin, a carrot on a mission to join Santa on his sleigh. He treks over mounds of mash, an Everest of ice cubes and a flaming pudding before falling asleep. Finally, Santa soars through the air as Kevin dangles from a reindeer’s antlers.

Star power: Actor Jim Broadbent does the voiceover, while the music is the theme tune from Nineties film Home Alone.

Cost: Experts estimate around £20 million.

Backstage secret: Aldi poked fun at the over-hyped John Lewis campaigns by making its pre-launch publicity look remarkably similar.

Product placement: Kevin’s journey showcases Aldi’s roasties (£1.99), Veuve Monsigny Champagne (£59.94 for case of six) and a vintage pud (£9.99).

Matching merchandise: A Kevin the Carrot toy is £2.99. Profits go to children’s charity Barnardo’s.

Chuckle factor: Refreshingly tongue-in-cheek, this stands out from the rest. 4/5

Going viral? It’s had 5.4 million views on YouTube and Facebook. 3/5

Mrs Claus's secret mission - M&S 8/10

Far from being a dumpy housewife, Marks & Spencer’s Mrs Claus is something of a superhero, leaping into her red helicopter to answer a little boy’s Christmas wish

The ad: A twist on the traditional tale, this ad lets us into the secret life of Mrs Claus. Far from being a dumpy housewife, Marks & Spencer’s Mrs Claus is something of a superhero, leaping into her red helicopter to answer a little boy’s Christmas wish. She delivers the gift (sparkly red trainers for his sister) and makes it home before her husband — who finds her reading Fifty Shades Of Red.

Star power: Mrs Claus is played by 55-year-old British actress Janet McTeer, known for her role in 2013 period TV series The White Queen.

Cost: Last year, M&S spent £17 million over the festive period. With scenes straight out of a Bond film, this year’s spend is likely to be higher.

Backstage secret: The ad was filmed in August, with several hundred tonnes of fake snow being used to transform a North London street. Locals were reportedly paid up to £3,000 a day for the use of their Georgian townhouses.

Product placement: Mrs Claus’s chic outfit is available in-store, including a £39.50 scarlet dress, £99 coat and £29.50 cable-knit jumper.

Matching merchandise: The red trainers (£12-£18). M&S is also cashing in on ‘Recommended by Mrs Claus’ clothes, cosmetics and homeware.

Chuckle factor: Slick, super-organised Mrs Claus is the woman we’d all like to be. 4/5

Going viral? It’s been watched 12 million times online. Indeed, ‘the ad resonates with the target age group of the typical Marks & Spencer shopper,’ says Anusha Couttigane, an analyst at Kantar Retail. 4/5

Board-game swots - Morrisons 4/10

Morrisons’ ad is product-focused, with a subtle storyline. This year’s star is a boy who uses his mum’s shopping trip to swot up on Trivial Pursuit questions so he can take on his grandpa

The ad: As usual, Morrisons’ ad is product-focused, with a subtle storyline. This year’s star is a boy who uses his mum’s shopping trip to swot up on Trivial Pursuit questions so he can take on his grandpa.

Star power: The soundtrack is a version of the song Joy by British singer Will Young.

Cost: Advertising expert Andrew Bloch says the supermarket is likely to have spent £15million on its campaign.

Backstage secret: The ad’s bakers, butchers and greengrocers are not actors, but real Morrisons employees.

Product placement: A rib of beef, succulent turkey crown and fruit-filled Pannetone are just some of the store’s foods featured.

Matching merchandise: An online competition to win a game of Trivial Pursuit.

Chuckle factor: You might learn a few things, such as how many presents feature in the song 12 Days Of Christmas (364) or which country won the 2003 Eurovision Song Contest (Turkey, of course). 3/5

Going viral? It’s had just over a million views online. Analyst Tom Berry says: ‘It’s pretty bland. Clearly, Morrisons does not consider the investment worthwhile.’ 1/5

Dave the singing dad - Sainsbury's

British actor James Corden sings the song written by Oscar-winning Bret McKenzie for the Sainsbury's Christmas ad

The ad: This musical story follows hard-working dad Dave, who’s overwhelmed by the chaos of Christmas, stressed by train delays — and worried he’s not spending enough time with his family. One night, inspiration strikes and he sneaks into the toy factory where he works to create clones of himself (nodding dogs; dancing robots), so he can be in several places at once. Using stop-frame animation — and at 3½ minutes long — it’s more like a children’s film than an advert.

Star power: British actor James Corden sings the song written by Oscar-winning Bret McKenzie.

Cost: Around £10 million, according to expert Andrew Bloch.

Backstage secret: More than 1,000 puppet faces were designed and 3D-printed for the 26 characters. It took 16 weeks to build the intricate set and make the puppets — and then 420 hours to film.

Product placement: Not a single Sainsbury’s product.

Matching merchandise: A gingerbread Dave (£1) and an animation kit for budding film-makers (£5) — a portion of the profits goes to Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Chuckle factor: It has witty, modern lyrics (‘the manager’s twerking’), however analyst Anusha Couttigane says the song is unlikely to stand out. 3/5

Going viral? Unlike its past campaigns (last year’s Mog advert was watched 31 million times), this may be too long to hold our attention. It’s had 6.5 million views. 2/5