As Halloween ends and November commences, companies around the world get ready to release their Christmas adverts for the year. But just when did this tradition begin, and how have holiday adverts changed over the years?

Arguably, the first Christmas advert originates from the 1920s when Coca-Cola included Santa in one of its advertising posters. However, it’s safe to say that the poster did not capture Mr Claus at his best as he looked far more jarring than jolly. It wasn’t till the 1930s that Santa started to look like the man we know and love today

Image source: Coca-Cola — Image Source: Coca-Cola Company

But Britain didn't have TV adverts until 1955. Back then, the adverts focused primarily on selling toys rather than on the extravagant production and storytelling of the adverts in recent years. Coca-Cola's 1955 “Holidays are coming” TV campaign, featuring their iconic red trucks, was astounding at the time and has remained one of the most memorable Christmas adverts of all time.

Since then, our TV screens have hosted a number of classic Christmas adverts from IRN BRU’s famous "Snowman Advert" (and sequel) to Smyths Toys “If I were a Toy”.

Part of the magic of these Christmas adverts comes from the songs that are within them. Musicians worldwide are well aware that if one of their songs is in a seasonal advert, there is a good chance their music will enter the Top 10 in the run-up to Christmas. Lily Allen's “Somewhere Only We Know” soared to the top of the charts after being used in John Lewis’s 2013 Christmas advert and remained there for three weeks.

Many companies also use adverts to tell powerful stories. For Example, Sainsbury’s used its 1914 advert to tell the story of the day soldiers in the First World War ceased fire to unite for a football game on Christmas Day.

This year the Norwegian postal service has released a Christmas advert that celebrates 50 years since homosexuality became legal in Norway. The advert “When Harry Met Santa” tells the story of Harry and Santa over the years until they finally share their first kiss. Following its release, the advert has become this season's most talked-about advert as people worldwide praise the postal service.

Some adverts, though, just aim to spread Christmas cheer and John Lewis's "Buster the Boxer" is a perfect example of that. With the slogan 'Gifts that everyone will love, the advert shows a family dog enjoying a trampoline that was initially for the family's young daughter.

Initially created to sell products, Christmas adverts have taken on many forms over the years. Whether they're light-hearted, a tear-jerker or even meaningful, millions of us watch them year in and year out. And as the season closes for Christmas adverts this year, we'll all have to settle for waiting till next year's.

Till then, why don’t you watch some of the most popular Christmas adverts of all time? Here’s “15 of the most viewed Christmas adverts of all time” on YouTube:

#15: Littlewoods – Own the Show (2018)