This festive lesson explores the world of Christmas advertisements. Students will examine five iconic adverts from brands like John Lewis, Amazon, and Sainsbury’s before creating and pitching their own unique Christmas advert. Students will: Analyse Popular Adverts: Analysis of five popular Christmas adverts. Students are given guided questions to help them to analyse the themes, messages, and techniques used to convey meaning. Plan and Design: Students will work in groups to design their own Christmas advert. They will use a planning sheet and storyboard to develop their ideas, from setting to music and characters. Pitch and Present: Students will present their advert to the “Heads of Advertising”. They will explain their concept, message, and design choices.

Students will engage in a structured debate, arguing whether Christmas has become too commercialised and lost its true meaning. Lesson Includes: Class Discussion Students explore the various reasons people celebrate Christmas. Debate Activity Students will work in groups of three as part of either the Affirmation or Negative team. Each team will present their arguments in a structured debate format: Introduce their case Rebut opposing points Deliver a final summary A planning sheet will be provided to guide students in preparing their arguments.

Students will explore the evolution of Christmas cards by analysing designs from different time periods before creating their own festive card. The lesson includes: A class discussion about the significance of Christmas cards and their origins. Analysis of four Christmas cards from various periods, with guided questions to examine their design and message. A creative activity where students apply what they’ve learned to design their own Christmas card, supported by a clear success criteria. This lesson combines history, creativity, and design in a festive way.