Charity Christmas campaign films in 2025
Howard Lake | 24 November 2025 | News
With a month to go until the big day, this year’s Christmas fundraising campaign films are out, so here is our first round-up featuring Dogs Trust, Stroke Association and Shelterbox.
Dogs Trust
Dogs Trust’s Christmas campaign is entitled ‘Thank you for my Happy Place’.
It celebrates the everyday dedication of dog owners across the UK, recognising the joy, effort and love they pour into giving their dogs a safe, happy home, particularly during the festive season.
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At the heart of the campaign is a 60” film titled ‘Thank you for my Happy Place’ which follows the Christmas Day of Buddy, a rescue dog, and his best friend Daisy. It was created created by global creative agency VCCP.
Told through a voiceover from Buddy’s perspective, narrated by actor Mark Benton, the film captures their growing connection across everyday moments: muddy walks, celebrations, quiet cuddles and festive joy. It builds to a heartwarming realisation that, for a dog, the best gift isn’t wrapped, it’s the love of a human who makes them feel safe, seen, and at home.
The campaign is inspired by the insight that true happiness for dogs comes from human commitment – the simple, everyday gestures that make them feel safe and loved.
The campaign spans TV, cinema, BVOD, online, national out-of-home with localised Dogs Trust centre thank yous, radio, Display, and social media.
Media strategy, planning and buying was handled by the7stars.and is live across the UK from today. This includes a collaboration with Picturehouse for their dog-friendly screening across the festive period. Supporting activity across digital was led by Propellernet and the wider PR press campaign is led by The Ripple Effect.
The advert also features a dog toy, ‘Lucy Longlegs’ which is available to purchase from the Dogs Trust online shop for £8, named after a Lurcher at the charity’s West Calder rehoming centre. All profits will help the charity rescue, rehabilitate and rehome more dogs.
Stroke Association
Stroke Association’s first ever Christmas film, ‘Still Christmas’, has been made to raise awareness of the devastation stroke can cause and the vital need for support this festive season.
This Christmas Day in the UK another 240 people will wake up to the life-changing impact of a stroke. A stroke can leave survivors unable to move, see, speak, or even swallow, and can also lead to personality changes and depression.
The charity’s film features a poignant script delivered by high-profile supporters Brian Cox, Alison Steadman, Nish Kumar, Amanda Abbington, Nadia Sawalha, Christopher Chung, Jo Brand and Kiell Smith-Bynoe, intercut with Christmas home videos and photos shared by stroke survivors and their families.
The film is set to a new cover of ‘White Christmas’, released by Universal and Irving Berlin’s estate, produced by Stream Media Group and directed by Stuart Hackshaw.
For the first time it puts the camera inside the homes of stroke survivors, at a time of year we can take fun and family for granted, illustrating not just the devastating reality of facing Christmas after a stroke, but also the hope that follows, as together they rebuild their lives and find strength through support.
The film aired first on Channel 4 on 19 November 2025.
Shelterbox
Dame Judi Dench is supporting Shelterbox by humorously pointing out that not all gifts need to be glamorous to make a real difference.
In a playful nod to the UK’s £1.5 billion worth of unwanted Christmas gifts last year, Dame Judi has partnered with fellow actor Dame Imedla Staunton.
Dame Judi said of her regifted item, a skimpy red thong:
“I thought Dame Imelda might appreciate the red thong more than I did – though I suspect it’s not quite her colour either! But if it gets people talking about giving gifts that truly matter, then it’s worth every giggle.”
The film is a follow-up to Dame Judi’s film for Shelterbox USA last year.
The gift of insight
For some context on charities’ TV adverts, and not just at Christmas, do explore Mark Phillips’ post today on The John Lewis Trap: Why Charity Ads Keep Getting Softer – and Less Effective.
He argues, with case studies and data, that “the John Lewisification of charity advertising has encouraged organisations to produce exquisite, expensive films whose primary job is to make audiences feel moved, while the secondary job – the actual behavioural objective – is left to fend for itself”.
He concludes with an example of a charity Christmas advert that did have a direct impact on legacy income. And with a powerful video from the British Red Cross from 2012 which, he says, has always been warmly received by donors in their seventies and eighties.
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.