Gucci's new ad features Mariah Carey and a house full of terrified servants

Dublin, Nov. 5, 2026. A new Christmas advertisement from Gucci has landed with a twist that subverts the expectations of longtime listeners. The brand paired Mariah Carey with a setting that diverges sharply from the lyrics of her famous holiday hit. In the spot, the singer does not want a person for the holidays. Instead, she desires a large building filled with anxious staff.

The narrative of the Gucci commercial centers on a lavish party. Willowy models gather to honor Carey. Beneath the Christmas tree, a surplus of Gucci products sits wrapped in packaging. The visual presentation directly defies the well-known lines of the song that typically accompany such campaigns. The creative choice positions the diva as the central figure of a curated, product-heavy holiday event.

The release of this spot arrives as major retailers continue to deploy diverse strategies for their holiday campaigns. Tesco Ireland released a tear-jerking drama starring Roisin Conaty and Anna Maxwell Martin. The ad follows Conaty, a delivery driver, who brings produce to a customer. She discovers the recipient is her estranged friend, Martin. A car breakdown forces them to share a ride in the Tesco van. They reminisce and rekindle their bond. Conaty apologizes for past events, and the two share a warm embrace before parting ways.

John Lewis also leaned into the emotional weight of the season with a feature starring Kristin Scott Thomas. Thomas plays a woman in a large, pristine home who faces the arrival of her loud grandchildren. To cope, she retrieves a wooden dog on wheels named Pickles from the attic. The inanimate object begins to speak in a gruff voice, guiding Thomas through a shopping spree in London. Only Thomas hears the dog speak. The soundtrack features Sam Fender covering a Rolling Stones classic.

Walmart took a different approach by adapting the story of Scrooge through the medium of the Muppets. The cast includes familiar characters from the original show and the previous Christmas special. The narrative frames the holiday spirit through the lens of a Victorian capitalist who is initially cruel to his employees. The ad relies on the charm of the puppet characters to soften the traditional moral of the story.

Other brands joined the holiday advertising wave with distinct concepts. Argos featured Richard Ayoade as a geography teacher visited by a dinosaur and a doll. The creatures instruct him to buy skincare gifts for his mother. Prada showcased a winter wonderland populated by Maya Hawke and Sadie Sink. Hand-animated animals, including mice and cats, interact with the celebrities and the clothing items on display.

Tesco Ireland offered a variant on its main campaign featuring a grandmother and her grandson, Finn. The grandmother convinces Finn that magical elves are hiding in plain sight. Finn builds a conspiracy theory wall to investigate a Tesco employee named Niall. The ad reveals that the employee is indeed a secret elf. The storyline highlights the grandmother's ability to outmaneuver her skeptical relative.

These campaigns mark the start of the holiday advertising season for major retailers in the UK and Ireland. Each brand uses distinct creative assets, ranging from celebrity cameos to animated characters, to engage consumers. The ads aim to evoke a mix of emotion, humor, and nostalgia as the holidays approach.