When was the first Coca Cola Christmas advert ever aired and when is the 2021 ad out?

When will we be seeing the iconic Christmas truck this year? (Picture: Getty)

With Christmas just around the corner, it’s no surprise that the festive adverts have already begun rolling out on our TVs.

We’ve already seen the Christmas ads for the likes of Very – which was one of the first out of the gate – as well as ads for Selfridges, Pandora, and a tearjerker of a commercial for Disney.

But one of the most eagerly awaited ads for this – or any – year – is that of Coca-Cola, whose famous festive truck always takes centre stage in their Christmas ad campaigns.

When was the first ever Coca Cola Christmas advert aired – and when can we expect to see the big red vehicle driving on to our screens this year?

When was the first Coca Cola Christmas advert ever aired?

The Coca Cola Christmas truck was seen for the first time in 1995’s advert Christmas Caravan.

According to the Coca Cola website the advert was created by advertising agency WB Doner for their new seasonal ad campaign – and was named accordingly, as the lorries were known as Christmas caravans at the time.

The lorries were given even more of a festive feel with the addition of lights, as well as special effects courtesy of Industrial Light and Magic – the company behind the visuals for Star Wars as well as countless other Hollywood blockbusters.

The advert sees a fleet of illuminated trucks lighting up everything from houses bridges as they pass by, before Santa is seen on the back of one of the lorries raising a bottle of Coke in a seasonal toast.

It also introduced viewers to the now famous ‘Holidays Are Coming’ song which has since become a regular feature in the ads.

The advert saw three semi-trailer props crafted into a caravan of Coke trucks, which pass through hillsides, valleys and towns.

Each truck was 40 foot long and featured more than 30,000 bulbs.

The truck tour made the leap from the screen to the road in 2001, when it started touring the US in the run-up to Christmas – while the first truck tour in the UK was in 2010.

When is the 2021 Coca Cola TV advert released?

At the moment there is no confirmed date for the release of the 2021 Coca Cola Christmas advert.

The 2020 ad was directed by Taika Waititi – of Thor: Ragnarok and Jojo Rabbit fame – and told the sentimental tale of an oil-rig worker who forgets to send his daughter’s letter to Santa before heading out on the ship.

Taika Waititi directed the 2020 Coca Cola ad (Picture: Coca Cola)

The dad makes it his mission to find Santa and deliver it himself, only to arrive at the North Pole and discover that his workshop is closed for Christmas – but Santa spots him in his big red truck and drops him home, only to discover that his daughter’s festive wish was for him to come home for the holidays.

The truck tour around the country which normally accompanies the ad was cancelled in 2020 due to the Covid pandemic.

It’s not yet been confirmed whether it will be returning for 2021 or which locations it might visit.

MORE : The best grown-up advent calendars for Christmas 2021

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