From wistful penguins, to overworked mums and even trench warfare, this year Christmas adverts tug at our heartstrings harder than ever. We sat down with Dr. Alex Gordon, semiotician and founder of Sign Salad to discuss the meaning behind the media magic.

Christmas seems to come earlier every year – or at least the marketing and advertising frenzy that precedes it. Festive madness is becoming even more all-conquering since the arrival of Black Friday in the UK, but how has the way Brits shop and think about Christmas changed?

Back in 2013, Harvey Nichols encouraged people to buy a little something for their loved ones so they could buy a bigger something for themselves. And this self-gifting mentality is here to stay, especially for Gen Y, who are big on treating themselves during the holidays.

Presents, turkey, carols and crackers – what's not to love about Christmas? And although the 25th of December only comes around once a year, a September 2015 report from Greene King shows that Brits are already gearing up for the festive season, buying presents and booking get-togethers.