Skip to main content
Tech Radar TechRadar the technology experts
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
RSS
Asia
flag of Singapore
Singapore
Europe
flag of Danmark
Danmark
flag of Suomi
Suomi
flag of Norge
Norge
flag of Sverige
Sverige
flag of UK
UK
flag of Italia
Italia
flag of Nederland
Nederland
flag of België (Nederlands)
België (Nederlands)
flag of France
France
flag of Deutschland
Deutschland
flag of España
España
North America
flag of US (English)
US (English)
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of México
México
Australasia
flag of Australia
Australia
flag of New Zealand
New Zealand
  • Phones
    • Popular Phone Brands
      • iPhone
      • Samsung Galaxy
      • Google Pixel
      • Nothing
      • Motorola
      • OnePlus
      • Xiaomi
      • Honor
      • Oppo
      • Huawei
    • Operating Systems
      • Android
      • iOS
    • More from Phones
      • Network Carriers
      • Phone Accessories
      • Phone Reviews
      • Phone Buying Guides
      • Phone Deals
      • Phone News
  • Computing
    • Laptops
      • Chromebooks
      • MacBooks
      • Windows Laptops
      • Gaming Laptops
    • PCs
      • Desktop PCs
      • Macs
      • Gaming PCs
    • Software
      • Windows
      • macOS
    • Components
      • CPUs
      • GPUs
      • Storage
      • Nvidia
      • Intel
    • Internet
      • Websites & Apps
      • Wi-Fi & Broadband
      • Social Media
      • Wordle
    • Security
      • Antivirus
      • Cyber Security
    • Tablets
      • eReaders
      • iPad
    • VR & AR
    • Peripherals
      • Monitors
      • Keyboards
      • Webcams
      • Mice
    • Popular Computing Brands
      • Dell
      • HP
      • Lenovo
      • Acer
    • More from Computing
      • Computing Reviews
      • Computing Buying Guides
      • Computing Deals
      • Computing News
  • AI
    • AI Platforms & Assistants
    • OpenAI
    • ChatGPT
    • Gemini
    • Apple Intelligence
    • Claude
  • TVs
    • TV Insights
      • TV Reviews
      • TV Buying Guides
      • TV Deals
      • TV News
    • More for your TV
      • Home Theatre
      • Soundbars
      • Streaming Devices
      • Projectors
      • Blu-ray
  • Streaming
    • Entertainment
    • Netflix
    • Prime Video
    • Disney+
    • Apple TV+
    • HBO Max
    • Hulu
    • Paramount+
    • How to Watch
  • Fitness
    • Fitness
      • Smartwatches
      • Fitness Trackers
      • Exercise Equipment
      • Fitness Headphones
      • Fitness Apps
      • Smart Rings
    • Watch Brands
      • Apple Watch
      • Fitbit
      • Garmin
      • Google Pixel Watch
      • Samsung Galaxy Watch
    • Wellbeing
      • Sleep
      • Oral Health
    • More from Fitness
      • Fitness News
      • Fitness Reviews
      • Fitness Buying Guides
      • Fitness Deals
  • Audio
    • Headphones
      • Earbus & Airpods
      • Wireless Headphones
    • Speakers
      • Wireless Speakers
      • Sonos
    • Hi-Fi
      • Turntables
      • Portable Players
      • DACs
    • Audio Streaming
      • Spotify
      • Apple Music
    • More from Audio
      • Audio News
      • Audio Reviews
      • Audio Buying Guides
      • Audio Deals
  • VPN
    • VPN Services
    • VPN Security
    • ExpressVPN
    • NordVPN
  • Cameras
    • Camera Types
      • Mirrorless
      • DSLRs
      • Compact
      • Action
      • Video
      • Drones
      • 360 Cameras
      • Dash Cams
    • Camera Brands
      • Canon
      • DJI
      • Fujifilm
      • Nikon
      • GoPro
      • Insta360
    • More from Cameras
      • Camera Accessories
      • Camera Lenses
      • Camera Reviews
      • Camera Buying Guides
      • Camera Deals
      • Camera News
      • Photography
  • Home
    • Smart Home
      • Home Security
      • Smart Speakers
      • Smart Lights
      • Smart Scales
      • Smart Thermostats
      • Amazon Echo
    • Small Appliances
      • Air Fryers
      • Air Quality
      • Coffee Machines
      • Hair Care
      • Vacuums
      • Robot Vacuums
    • Home Brands
      • Dyson
      • Philips Hue
      • Ring
      • Shark
      • Ninja
    • More from Home
      • Home Reviews
      • Home Buying Guides
      • Home Deals
      • Home News
  • EVs
  • Browse
    • By Type
      • News
      • Best
      • Reviews
      • Deals
      • Versus
      • How To
      • Opinion
      • Coupons
    • Popular Brands
      • Samsung
      • Sony
      • Microsoft
      • Apple
  • More
Tech Radar Pro Tech Radar Gaming
  • Phones
    • View Phones
    • Popular Phone Brands
      • iPhone
      • Samsung Galaxy
      • Google Pixel
      • Nothing
      • Motorola
      • OnePlus
      • Xiaomi
      • Honor
      • Oppo
      • Huawei
    • Operating Systems
      • Android
      • iOS
    • More from Phones
      • Network Carriers
      • Phone Accessories
      • Phone Reviews
      • Phone Buying Guides
      • Phone Deals
      • Phone News
  • Computing
    • View Computing
    • Laptops
      • View Laptops
      • Chromebooks
      • MacBooks
      • Windows Laptops
      • Gaming Laptops
    • PCs
      • Desktop PCs
      • Macs
      • Gaming PCs
    • Software
      • View Software
      • Windows
      • macOS
    • Components
      • View Components
      • CPUs
      • GPUs
      • Storage
      • Nvidia
      • Intel
    • Internet
      • View Internet
      • Websites & Apps
      • Wi-Fi & Broadband
      • Social Media
      • Wordle
    • Security
      • View Security
      • Antivirus
      • Cyber Security
    • Tablets
      • View Tablets
      • eReaders
      • iPad
    • VR & AR
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Monitors
      • Keyboards
      • Webcams
      • Mice
    • Popular Computing Brands
      • Dell
      • HP
      • Lenovo
      • Acer
    • More from Computing
      • Computing Reviews
      • Computing Buying Guides
      • Computing Deals
      • Computing News
  • AI
    • View AI
    • AI Platforms & Assistants
    • OpenAI
    • ChatGPT
    • Gemini
    • Apple Intelligence
    • Claude
  • TVs
    • View TVs
    • TV Insights
      • TV Reviews
      • TV Buying Guides
      • TV Deals
      • TV News
    • More for your TV
      • Home Theatre
      • Soundbars
      • Streaming Devices
      • Projectors
      • Blu-ray
  • Streaming
    • View Streaming
    • Entertainment
    • Netflix
    • Prime Video
    • Disney+
    • Apple TV+
    • HBO Max
    • Hulu
    • Paramount+
    • How to Watch
  • Fitness
    • View Fitness
    • Fitness
      • Smartwatches
      • Fitness Trackers
      • Exercise Equipment
      • Fitness Headphones
      • Fitness Apps
      • Smart Rings
    • Watch Brands
      • Apple Watch
      • Fitbit
      • Garmin
      • Google Pixel Watch
      • Samsung Galaxy Watch
    • Wellbeing
      • Sleep
      • Oral Health
    • More from Fitness
      • Fitness News
      • Fitness Reviews
      • Fitness Buying Guides
      • Fitness Deals
  • Audio
    • View Audio
    • Headphones
      • View Headphones
      • Earbus & Airpods
      • Wireless Headphones
    • Speakers
      • View Speakers
      • Wireless Speakers
      • Sonos
    • Hi-Fi
      • View Hi-Fi
      • Turntables
      • Portable Players
      • DACs
    • Audio Streaming
      • View Audio Streaming
      • Spotify
      • Apple Music
    • More from Audio
      • Audio News
      • Audio Reviews
      • Audio Buying Guides
      • Audio Deals
  • VPN
    • View VPN
    • VPN Services
    • VPN Security
    • ExpressVPN
    • NordVPN
  • Cameras
    • View Cameras
    • Camera Types
      • Mirrorless
      • DSLRs
      • Compact
      • Action
      • Video
      • Drones
      • 360 Cameras
      • Dash Cams
    • Camera Brands
      • Canon
      • DJI
      • Fujifilm
      • Nikon
      • GoPro
      • Insta360
    • More from Cameras
      • Camera Accessories
      • Camera Lenses
      • Camera Reviews
      • Camera Buying Guides
      • Camera Deals
      • Camera News
      • Photography
  • Home
    • View Home
    • Smart Home
      • View Smart Home
      • Home Security
      • Smart Speakers
      • Smart Lights
      • Smart Scales
      • Smart Thermostats
      • Amazon Echo
    • Small Appliances
      • View Small Appliances
      • Air Fryers
      • Air Quality
      • Coffee Machines
      • Hair Care
      • Vacuums
      • Robot Vacuums
    • Home Brands
      • Dyson
      • Philips Hue
      • Ring
      • Shark
      • Ninja
    • More from Home
      • Home Reviews
      • Home Buying Guides
      • Home Deals
      • Home News
  • EVs
  • Browse
    • View Browse
    • By Type
      • News
      • Best
      • Reviews
      • Deals
      • Versus
      • How To
      • Opinion
      • Coupons
    • Popular Brands
      • Samsung
      • Sony
      • Microsoft
      • Apple
Tech Radar Pro Tech Radar Gaming
Trending
  • Best VPN
  • Back to school
  • Best laptop
  • ChatGPT
  • Nintendo Switch 2
  • NYT Wordle today
  • Best web hosting
Recommended reading
A Nintendo Switch 2 next to hands holding the Sigma BF and a B&O Bluetooth speaker sitting on a table
Tech The best tech of 2025 so far – the 17 finest gadgets we've tested this year
Person using laptop and phone
Software & Services Best MDM solution of 2025
iPhone 16e, Google Pixel 9, and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 on a yellow background. Text reads: Don't miss
Seasonal Sales Last chance! These are the phone deals I’d recommend snapping up before Prime Day ends
The Google Pixel 9, iPhone 16, and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra on an orange deals background
Seasonal Sales Please, lay your ageing phone to rest with one of these Prime Day phone deals – the latest iPhones, Pixels, and Galaxy phones have never been cheaper
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 in mint open and closed showing cameras on a purple TechRadar banner background
Phones The best phone 2025
Assorted Apple, Samsung, and Google devices on a light blue background
Phones The best cell phone deals for August 2025
Apple iPhone 16, Google Pixel 9, and Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge on lavender background with big savings text overlay
Phones My favorite phones are on sale this Memorial Day: the iPhone 16 Pro Max, Galaxy S25 Edge, and Pixel 9
  1. Phones

The best and worst Christmas mobile device ads

News
By James O'Malley published 24 December 2015

Tis the season to be jolly... or really upset

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Buy buy buy, sell sell sell

Buy buy buy, sell sell sell

For advertisers, Christmas is the busiest time of year. When else is there an event that makes almost everyone happy that you can tie your brand to?

Better still, Christmas is in the public domain so it isn't like Santa or Jesus can sign an exclusive deal with McDonalds or Coke for the rights each year (although there are some conspiracy theories...)

So we thought it was about time to take a look back, at some of the best and worst festive TV mobile device adverts. But here's the thing… we're leaving it to you to decide which is the best and the worst.

Page 1 of 8
Page 1 of 8
Chuck Norris for T-Mobile

Chuck Norris for T-Mobile

To paraphrase the well known meme, infamous 1980s hardman Chuck Norris doesn't mortgage his dignity for a quick buck… he had no dignity in the first place.

And so we start in the Czech Republic where the action star appeared in a campaign for T-Mobile (which still exists outside of the UK). In the below advert, someone tries to demonstrate their dominance over Norris… with predictable conclusions.

The campaign ran across a number of adverts - each as presumably hilarious in Czech as the last.

Page 2 of 8
Page 2 of 8
Samsung Galaxy Gear Snowboarding Advert

Samsung Galaxy Gear Snowboarding Advert

If you're looking to meet someone special this Christmas, then make sure you've got a stupid massive phone strapped to your wrist. The Samsung Galaxy Gear will make you irresistible, according to this video from Samsung's 2013 "Are you Geared Up?" campaign.

Want a woman's number? Why not secretly ask for it under the false pretense of demonstrating a feature on your smartwatch? But of course, if you really want to endear her to you, then don't forget to take crappy secret photos of her from behind as she snowboards downhill.

Page 3 of 8
Page 3 of 8
The Hoff for T-Mobile UK

The Hoff for T-Mobile UK

What is it about rubbish 80s celebrities and T-Mobile? In this video for the company that now forms half of EE in the UK, a group of acapella singers (who apparently featured in an earlier ad), for some reason visit David Hasselhoff in his pantomime dressing room, and sing a medley of Christmas songs together.

At least this was 2010 - if it had happened a couple of years later it would have been the grimly inevitable Christmas Gangnam Style parody.

Page 4 of 8
Page 4 of 8
Christmas Poem for T-Mobile US

Christmas Poem for T-Mobile US

We didn't mean to feature quite so many contributions from T-Mobile, but say what you will about the company but it knows how to make a Christmas impression. And this might be the weird one yet.

This video features actual US CEO John LeGerre sitting in a big chair in front of a roaring fire - Jackanory style. But then his Christmas tale takes a rather more polemical turn than you might expect - attacking rival phone networks and ending with a sweary crescendo. Merry Christmas… we guess.

Page 5 of 8
Page 5 of 8
Samsung's oppressive Christmas

Samsung's oppressive Christmas

This ad from Samsung's "Christmas round ours" campaign last year features the bulky Gear S hidden in between twee family scenes suggesting you should submit to the power of Samsung and all of its many, many products.

But what's more remarkable is that it literally features guys in the pub joking about how heavy and massive the Gear S is - and how strong you have to be to use it. Self burn?

Page 6 of 8
Page 6 of 8
Samsung Sexy Santa Advert

Samsung Sexy Santa Advert

Another Samsung advert and this one is a rather risqué approach to promoting the Galaxy's NFC file transfer functionality on the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2.

In the video, the elves transfer a video for Santa to watch while on his sleigh… and then Mrs Claus does the same, and recommends he probably not watch it while at work. Filth.

Page 7 of 8
Page 7 of 8
Apple

Apple

Apple's 2013 Christmas advert is a surprisingly wholesome affair. No ultra-trendy hipsters dancing here - this time it is all about family. In the ad, we see a family sat around a TV watching clips that had been shot on an iPhone - with all of the emotion that entails.

Of course, what it doesn't show is the 20 minutes of hassle while they have to work out how to pair the iPhone with the Apple TV, and then the Wi-Fi dropping out after streaming demands too much bandwidth.

Page 8 of 8
Page 8 of 8
James O'Malley
See more News about Phones
Read more
A Nintendo Switch 2 next to hands holding the Sigma BF and a B&O Bluetooth speaker sitting on a table
The best tech of 2025 so far – the 17 finest gadgets we've tested this year
Person using laptop and phone
Best MDM solution of 2025
iPhone 16e, Google Pixel 9, and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 on a yellow background. Text reads: Don't miss
Last chance! These are the phone deals I’d recommend snapping up before Prime Day ends
The Google Pixel 9, iPhone 16, and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra on an orange deals background
Please, lay your ageing phone to rest with one of these Prime Day phone deals – the latest iPhones, Pixels, and Galaxy phones have never been cheaper
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 in mint open and closed showing cameras on a purple TechRadar banner background
The best phone 2025
Assorted Apple, Samsung, and Google devices on a light blue background
The best cell phone deals for August 2025
Latest in Phones
Made by Google teaser
Google releases more teasers for the Pixel 10 event, and photo AI features heavily
Samsung Galaxy S25
Two key specs leak for the Galaxy S26 – and we may get a battery upgrade at last
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max REVIEW
New iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max leaks show off internals, a camera upgrade – and a SIM slot
Google Pixel 9 front and back
If Google wants the Pixel 10 to beat the iPhone 17, I think it should bring back its best-ever feature
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold
Pixel 10 Pro Fold tipped to eclipse the Galaxy Z Fold 7 with the upgrade foldables have been waiting for
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Hands on
Scheduled messages are the hottest trend on iPhone and Android - here's 13 times you might want to send that text later
Latest in News
Made by Google teaser
Google releases more teasers for the Pixel 10 event, and photo AI features heavily
Samsung Galaxy S25
Two key specs leak for the Galaxy S26 – and we may get a battery upgrade at last
Apple Watch Series 10 being held in a hand
The Apple Watch may get a major redesign – but not in time for the Apple Watch 11
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max REVIEW
New iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max leaks show off internals, a camera upgrade – and a SIM slot
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Monday, August 18 (game #1302)
NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, August 18 (game #533)
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. 1
    A popular fake Telegram Premium site has been flooding the web with malware - here's how to stay safe
  2. 2
    I tested the Chuwi GameBook 9955HX and I'm impressed with the results for gaming and content creation
  3. 3
    From BBQ blunders to grill master: How one app solved my summer cooking woes
  4. 4
    Two OLED TV showdowns, very different results - here's what our causal viewers thought compared to TV experts
  5. 5
    Best Buy's massive tech sale ends today – here are 31 deals I'd buy on OLED TVs, AirPods, laptops and more

TechRadar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Web notifications
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...