Fortnum & Mason's new Christmas collection 'A Christmas Extraordinary' had to be on our list this year, with its dazzling packaging and campaign designed by creative agency OTHERWAY in collaboration with Berlin-based artist Olaf Hajek and animation team Studio AKA.

Over the past year, OTHERWAY has been working closely with the iconic retailer’s product and design teams across more than 100 products, from handcrafted Christmas Puddings to Festive Teas, and the results speak for themselves. Rooted in the narrative language of storytelling, the collection features festive characters, intricate frames, and patterns in a luxurious Georgian inspired Christmas palette.

Celebrating the provenance of each product was a particular focus, as well as conveying the joy and togetherness of the season. Renowned for his vibrant, nature-infused artistry, Olaf Hajek hand-painted a series of detailed scenes that blend nature and artifice. Studio AKA and director Marcus Armitage came in to breath life into into the illustrations using a combination of CG product and photorealistic food renderings, with 2D textures in a whimsical stop-frame style reminiscent of childhood memories.

For the last four years, Lancaster-based agency Utter Creatives have designed the Christmas range for Advent of Change, a social enterprise aiming to create a world that is fair, equal and sustainable by raising funds and awareness through a range of charitable products and
campaigns.

Their first project together in 2020 included designing their signature Advent calendars as well as some new additional cracker designs and packaging for their products. The range went on to be sold in John Lewis and Waitrose across UK stores and online, and became the top selling calendars in John Lewis.

Each Advent calendar has 24 doors which reveal a recipient charity upon opening and tells you how your money will be used to help that charity. Remember, Christmas is a time for giving!

You might not get to see snow at Christmas, but you can gift or receive it with Chanel's limited No5 Perfume. The brand's head of packaging & graphic design creation Sylvie Legastelois told Forbes that the bottle is "a tribute to the couturière Gabrielle Chanel" as the shoulders of the bottle are donned with elegant silk, giving the bottle "a frosty appearance". 

Legastelois says: “The natural silk leaves are cut one by one and placed by hand on each part of the bottle in one or several layers to create a subtle gradient. 

“This meticulous work makes each bottle unique and precious. The greatest challenge was the time required to develop this innovative process, finding the right balance of silk proportions, the time needed for the application while ensuring the quality and durability of this garment.”

We all love a Bailey's in the winter but, even in the festive period, its probably not socially acceptable to start pouring it into your morning coffee. Grind have a solution though - a Nespresso compatible Baileys coffee pods with all the flavour and none of the alcohol! 

This special edition winter warmer is an indulgent treat for coffee lovers and combines Grind's speciality House Blend with the creamy, chocolatey flavour of Irish cream. Also, lets not forget, their biodegradable coffee pods are also great for the planet. 

The White Company's 2024 Advent Calendar features stunning illustrations inspired by its iconic London flagship store on Symons Street. The brand commissioned Japanese illustrator Yoco Nagamiya, who is known for her fashion illustration handwriting, and said that her "simplistic but modern ink and watercolour style was very much our brand and the narrative we wanted for our 2024 advent."

Brainstorming artwork concepts actually begins 16 months before the Christmas period when it is due to launch. During this time, the internal team looks at artists and illustrators who might be able to bring the concept to life. Once chosen, they work carefully with them on the colour/tone of palette, attention to detail in design, and tweaks and amends until it is refined.

In this year, The White Compnay also used Nagamiya's beautiful illustration on a selection of Christmas cards and tags as well as in the stores on the windows as decals. 

Just in time for Christmas, Kahlúa has launched Chocolate Sips, with packaging designed by Pearlfisher. The range was introduced to offer existing brand fans and new consumers a convenient, ready-to-enjoy indulgent treat that blends the well-known Kahlúa with the perfect combination of smooth chocolate and white chocolate flavours.

The brand found that consumers are increasingly seeking indulgence opportunities in their everyday lives as a source of comfort and reward. Ultimately, Kahlúa Chocolate Sips can give them this without the need for a complicated recipe.

"Pearlfisher's design celebrates the richness of chocolate while drawing on the brands distinctive visual language to create new rituals for the brand," says studio partner Nicola Robson.