People are craving comfort. Amid what can feel like a state of constant crisis – a layering of traumatic societal events – it can sometimes seem like we’ve lost a sense of scale and cohesion. In the face of this, the desire to retreat into nostalgia is more seductive than ever.

The conventional roster of life milestones is under review. Having kids in your 30s is no longer a given, if kids are part of the plan at all. Career progression is non-linear. Older Adults are finding new forms of independence. And Gen Z are embracing a more fluid definition of home.

The Co-op has announced that it will ditch its annual Christmas advert, redirecting the money it would have spent to a membership-based food scheme and community hub called Your Local Pantry. The decision represents an awareness of the pressures shoppers face due to the cost of living crisis.

Disney has launched an empathetic campaign for families who might be financially struggling over Christmas due to the cost of living crisis. The story follows a family that values love and connection over gift-giving, offering a new take on festive campaigns by reducing the focus on spending.

Christmas advertising is a tricky prospect in the UK this year, with brands struggling to reconcile recession concerns with the usual roster of fairytale, whimsy, and commerce. As traditional festive storytelling clashes with a harsh reality, which brands have made their ads work, and how?

Behind wistful fairytales of traditional Christmasses, surprisingly serious messages of conservatism and anxiety are hiding in this year’s festive ad campaigns. Canvas8 spoke to expert semiotician Soma Ghosh to find out why this year the frivolity and magic isn’t quite so convincing.