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They mark the beginning of the Christmas period for many a television viewer.

And, now, we have compiled all our favourite Christmas adverts in one place for you to enjoy.

The festive season is fast approaching - and department stores, supermarkets and other high street staples are busy releasing their efforts as we near December.

So when can viewers expect to catch their favourite ads this year? And which are already here?

Find out below:

Waitrose

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Waitrose has focused on community spirit for its festive ad with the story of villagers who find themselves snowed in at the highest pub in Britain for Christmas lunch.

The grocer's Christmas campaign is set at the remote 17th century Tan Hill Inn near Richmond in the Yorkshire Dales, where drinkers have been snowed in at 1,732 feet some 50 times since 2005.

The ad shows a snowstorm hitting the area as locals gather for a drink on Christmas morning, forcing them to rally together to unexpectedly share lunch.

The 90-second piece, filmed in black and white, is once again created by adam&eveDDB, the same agency behind John Lewis's Moz the Monster campaign, and "aims to reconnect people with the emotions of Christmas".

(Image: waitrose)

Waitrose customer director Martin George said: "Food plays an essential role in bringing people together.

"As our ad depicts, eating together is a way to share not just food but friendship and community spirit."

(Image: Waitrose)

The ad screens for the first time on Sunday during X Factor on ITV1 and on waitrose.com.

The ad's soundtrack is Carol Of The Bells by composer Mykola Leontovych, and the track was rearranged by musician and composer Guy Farley.

(Image: PA) (Image: waitrose)

Author Anne Fine, who wrote Madame Doubtfire, the story that inspired the film Mrs Doubtfire, has written a children's book to accompany the ad called Let It Snow, a tale about two animal families who become unlikely companions over a festive meal.

For every book sold in Waitrose, a donation of 50p will be made to The Trussell Trust charity, which runs a network of more than 400 food banks.

The supermarket's 2016 campaign featuring an epic tale of a robin's homecoming to a UK garden was widely considered to be the best of last year's Christmas ads.

TK Maxx

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The chances of having a white Christmas this year are rather unlikely, given that the last one was in 2010.

But thanks to TK Maxx's festive advert, some lucky shoppers could be in with a chance of having real snow delivered to their front doors.

The Christmas advert is voiced by Love Actually star Bill Nighy, and begins with a grandad giving his family some festive presents.

One of his grandchildren unwraps an oblong-shaped red gift, which once she's opened it, says White Christmas on it.

Then the doorbells rings, and all the children rush to the front door to be greeted by a truck full of real snow, which has been delivered by 'snow experts'.

A limited number of snow globes will be hidden in TK Maxx stores across the country, and whoever finds them will win the perfect White Christmas.

This means that 'snow experts' will come to your home and cover the outside with snow. It's perfect for those who really are crazy about Christmas, plus you will be the envy of all your neighbours.

As well as hiding snow globes, TK Maxx, also have an interactive digital version , that works when customers access it via their mobile phones and 'shake it'.

Tesco

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The 2017 Christmas advert from Tesco has been slammed - because it features a Muslim family.

Britain's biggest grocer released a one-minute long advert earlier this week.

The festive ad sees families busying themselves preparing a Christmas dinner.

We see families meet and greet each other, after viewers see a delicious looking turkey roasting in the oven.

One scene in the advert, which has sparked controversy among some quarters, shows a Muslim family preparing to get festive.

The family bear Christmas gifts and are seen exchanging bags in a doorway.

But some haven't been left impressed with the heart-warming yuletide campaign.

In fact, one Twitter user, whose bio suggests they are a devout Christian, revealed they felt “very offended”.

“@Tesco why are you showing Muslims celebrating Christmas in your advert. That’s just wrong, we all know they don’t!!!” another wrote furiously.

One user tweeted: “I wonder will they have a white family celebrating a Muslim holiday.... political correctness is ruining this country. Tesco have lost my £.”

Another wrote: “How dare you feature a Muslim family in your CHRISTMAS advert!!! They do not celebrate CHRISTIAN festival! #willnotshopintesco.”

But others shot back.

"Love the #TescoChristmas TV ad - featuring all sorts of people celebrating Christmas - including a Muslim family. Perfectly normal so well done Tesco for doing this. It's a great family time for everyone," one wrote.

"Well I say well done. @Tesco for your Christmas advert feat a Muslim family I think it’s wonderful to share the day with everyone!" another added.

Tesco has since issued a statement.

“Everyone is welcome at Tesco this Christmas and we're proud to celebrate the many ways our customers come together over the festive season”, a Tesco spokesperson said.

Tesco said its Christmas campaign ‘will celebrate the many ways we come together at Christmas, and how food sits at the heart of it all’.

John Lewis

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A young boy and his imaginary monster under the bed are the stars of this year's eagerly anticipated John Lewis Christmas campaign.

The two-minute tale of friendship that develops between saucer-eyed Moz the Monster and his seven-year-old host Joe is set to a cover of The Beatles song Golden Slumbers by Manchester band Elbow for what has become a fixture in the build-up to Christmas.

Moz and Joe strike up a friendship based on a mutual love of late-night Scalextric and piggyback games, but staying awake starts to take its toll on the boy and Moz realises he must allow him some peace and quiet.

Joe finds a clumsily wrapped present of a night light under the tree on Christmas morning, and the ad ends with him hearing the comforting rumblings of his friend when he switches it off that night.

The ad is something of a return to the tearjerkers of past years following last year's comedy bouncing dog Buster the boxer.

Asda

Asda will look to steal a march on its rivals when it kicks off the Christmas advert season on Sunday as the supermarket opts for an early start to the festive TV ad craze.

The company's 60 second ad is the first in a series meant to give viewers a glimpse into the grocery chain's imaginary festive workshop.

It follows a young girl and her grandfather who sneak into a factory to discover Asda's Christmas 'Imaginarium', featuring a reindeer-powered food mixer for Christmas puddings, miniature people assembling canapes, and a Gin Room where a worker infuses truffles with an apparent gin laser.

It will air on Sunday November 5 during the first break of X Factor on ITV, making it the first major supermarket to unveil its holiday advert.

Asda said it will run four additional 30 second adverts over the holiday period.

Andy Murray, Asda's chief customer officer, said: "The care and attention that has gone into listening to our customers and creating our Christmas range this year is really impressive and the Imaginarium is the perfect showcase for the excitement and ethos behind our products.

"Whatever your age or budget, Christmas is the time of year when you're open to a little bit of magic and wonderment and I'm really excited that we've been able to do our bit to provide that for our customers this year."

James McGregor, a managing partner at consultancy Retail Remedy, says that while it is still unusual to run a Christmas advert this early, it is likely to give the brand a boost.

"They're trying to get front of foot. And ultimately the wider free press they're getting, the wider conversation they're getting from that, ultimately will benefit them."

While it is difficult to say whether adverts directly translate to sales, Mr McGregor said Christmas adverts were in no way a waste of money for retailers.

"It really puts a line in the sand in terms of how the retailers approach Christmas, what they represent, and ultimately where they get benefit is the wider social media, the wider social interaction."

But retailers are working with a particular strategy in mind, creating a battle of narratives between big brands. It is no longer effective to tell consumers that you "sell mince pies and cashmere jumpers", Mr McGregor explained.

"They're trying to better engage with the consumer by telling a story. And it's largely the person who tells the best story who gets the best coverage."

Argos

Argos' 60 second action packed commercial features an army of elves sorting out hundreds of thousands of gifts for kids around Britain - and the desperate attempts of one elf to ensure a lost toy reaches its rightful new owner.

The ad's launch comes at the same time as their 3 for 2 toy sale, which starts today on thousands of their top brand toys, and will continue for the next five days.

Based at a hi-tech Argos distribution centre, one elf notices a robotic dog has made its way off the conveyor belt and on to the shop floor.

A quick scan of the Teksta toy reveals it is destined for nine-year-old Tom Benson in Newcastle but the gate to Santa’s fleet of sleighs is about to close as the supersonic vehicles prepare for take off.

In an tense few seconds, the elf grabs the dog, leaps over the production line and dives through the closing gap in the gate to land in the snow.

Commandeering a flat bed truck, the elf catches up with one of the sleighs on the runway and lobs the dog onto the back of the open sleigh, grinning as it lands safely on a soft toy.

Gary Kibble, Argos marketing director said: “We love this edge-of-your-seat, high-energy Christmas campaign, which aims to surprise and delight.

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Lidl

Lidl has launched not one but three Christmas adverts.

Each portrays a different persona - a mince pie maverick, a cavalier carver, and a double dipper.

Claire Farrant of Lidl UK, said: “Our campaign ‘Every Lidl Thing For Christmas’ has been developed to showcase the fantastic breadth of food and drink we have for the UK customer at Lidl."

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Tesco

Tesco this weekend launched the first of five television adverts.

Britain's biggest grocer wants to "celebrate the different ways millions of UK shoppers enjoy Christmas, and how great food sits at the heart of it all".

Alessandra Bellini, Tesco's Chief Customer Officer said: “As part of our campaign this year, we're delighted to work with our long-term charity partners FareShare and The Trussell Trust to donate £1 for every fresh turkey purchased to help feed people in need this Christmas – it’s another little help for our local communities at an important time of year.”

Toys R Us

Toy retailer Toys R Us has unleashed its Christmas advert for 2017.

The campaign isn't exactly traditional, though, with Geoffrey the Giraffe the focal point.

In previous years, ads have seen a family arriving at a Toys R Us store.

But this year, tradition has been done away with.

Instead, it focuses on Santa himself arriving on his sleigh with the Giraffe replacing the reindeer, reports the Liverpool Echo.

Although one thing which has remained is the Toys R Us song "Magical Place"- it just wouldn't seem right without it.

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Mike Coogan, marketing & eCommerce director at Toys R Us said: "Animated graphics are highly advanced, and we felt Geoffrey deserved to reach the hearts and minds of a brand new generation in a new, modern format.



"Our research also highlighted how much our Magical Place is considered an iconic tune and for that reason it will continue to play a very important role in this new story."

Toys R Us is the latest retailer to release its Christmas advert following Asda who did so this week.

M&S

Marks & Spencer has released its Christmas advert 2017.

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Back in October The Guardian reported that M&S had signed up Paddington for its festive offering.

And to add fuel to the fire, M&S started selling Paddington Christmas baubles and decorations.

Many eagle-eyed shoppers reckoned that was a sign of things to come - and they've been proved right.

Paddington 2 will be released in cinemas nationwide on Friday, November 10.

And to stoke excitement, M&S have drafted in the loveable bear for the full-length ad.

The ad is voiced by original Paddington and Paddington 2 actor Ben Whishaw and directed by Daniel Kleinman.

He is also behind the title sequence of most of the James Bond movies since GoldenEye.

The 90 second Hollywood style epic - Paddington and the Christmas Visitor - opens with the kids’ favourite character dreaming of being given marmalade by Santa for Christmas.

Filmed over four months using original street and indoor scenes from the StudioCanal and Heyday Films movie, the ad ends with a twist as veteran news reader Angela Rippon announces “breaking news” to the nation of how a bear was spotted helping Santa on his rounds on Christmas Eve.

The ad will be shown in cinemas in the “gold” slot before the movie and makes its telly debut tonight (Tues) during the ad break in the Pride of Britain awards ceremony on ITV, reports the Mirror.

It is the first time M&S has launched a film-based Christmas ad but is banking on the Paddington phenomena to be the one that defines Christmas 2017.

Patrick Bousquet-Chavanne, executive director of customer marketing said: “The public looks for a Christmas moment - we do not want to disappoint.”

Rob Weston, M&S marketing director said: “It has been a really hard year and people are looking to escape into a Christmas bubble and put reality on hold.

“We wanted to create an ad that would stand out from the crowd, have broad appeal across all age groups and be fun. Paddington will do all this.”

Aldi

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Aldi has revealed its Christmas advert, with Kevin the Carrot making a much-welcomed return - and this time he is looking for love.

The festive tale echoes Murder On The Orient Express, which hit cinemas last week.

Picking up from where last year’s advert ended, Kevin is a snowman's nose, but he becomes dislodged by the rumbling of an approaching train.

Curious Kevin thinks he can see Santa on the train so jumps aboard - his is welcomed into an opulent 1920s style carriage - but Mr Claus is nowhere to be seen.

On the dining table sits a glorious Christmas lunch, with all the trimmings, and sat above a pile of mince pies lies Katie, a female carrot with fluttery lashes and long locks made of green leaves.

For Kevin it's love at first sight. But given its Murder On The Orient Express references, Kevin is unexpectedly plunged into a dark and harrowing murder mystery.

The vegetable is witness to a murder, when a champagne cork flies across the table and kills a gingerbread man.

In a bid to save Katie from a similar fate, Kevin jumps in front of her to save his vegetable-love.

And the two live happily ever after - at least until Christmas 2018.

Aldi's advert will be broadcast on TV tonight on ITV1 at 7:15pm. But, if you can't wait that long - and let's be honest who can - then watch it above.

If you've been looking for love on dating website Happn, you might have spotted Kevin's profile.

The hunky carrot joined up last weekend in a bid to find love. But let's hope now that he has found Katie, Kevin will deactivate his account.

Adam Zavalis, Marketing Director at Aldi UK, said: “We launched Kevin last year with the line, heroes are grown, not born. And Kevin really did grow into our hero. Our customers took him to their hearts and enjoyed watching his escapades in the run up to Christmas.

“We just had to bring him back again this year to help showcase our latest show-stopping festive range. Let’s hope Katie the Carrot loves Kevin as much as we all do.”