The Christmas season is well and truly under way.

Retailers are busily showcasing their annual Christmas adverts - and Asda has certainly made an impression with its whimsical, animated adventure.

In the pun-filled clip, two supermarket workers enlist the help of dozens of charming gnomes to get the store ready for the festive season after complaining that 'every road between here and Sheffield' is closed.

The advert, which will air for the first time on Wednesday, then captures a group of gnomes arriving at the store and helping stock the shelves with all sorts of Christmas goodies.

Another group of gnomes are tasked with decorating the store's Christmas tree, while one clumsy animated ornament manages to break his leg - twice.

The advert is set to the tune of The A Team, a fitting backdrop for a busy night of decorating for the gnomes - Max, Gnibbles, Gnorma, Gnicky and Gnarla.

It opens with two Asda colleagues - Maggie and Bill - staring out of a store into a snowstorm, with Maggie saying 'every road is closed between here and Sheffield, how are we going to get the store ready for Christmas?'

But Bill isn't worried, simply picking up a nearby gnome and pressing its nose.

The ornament lights up green, sending a signal to hundreds of gnomes across gardens, pub shelves and homes nationwide to burst into action.

 After a night of busy work in the store, chief gnome Max notices the sun coming up and declares: 'It's time to go gnome.' 

The pint-sized heroes head home in Asda delivery vans, leaving the store perfectly prepared for the festive weeks ahead. 

David Hills, Chief Customer Officer at Asda, said: 'Asda’s gnomes are long standing favourites with our customers and they were staring us in the face as the obvious characters for our Christmas campaign - a very Asda way for us to showcase our breadth of offer.'

Meanwhile, Lidl has thrown its Santa hat into the ring for this year's most heartwarming Christmas advert this year.  

The German supermarket has today unveiled its festive advert showing how a small gesture can make a big difference in a sweet tale by Oscar-winning director Tom Hooper.

Set in a picturesque village, the ad opens with a little girl, wrapped up in a yellow hat and a blue jacket (which are of course, the Lidl colours), sledging down a hillside with other children.

Sainsbury's drew inspiration from Roald Dahl's beloved BFG for its 2024 Christmas advert.

With a voiceover from Stephen Fry, the ad tells the story of the friendly 24-foot-tall giant and a real-life Sainsbury's employee called Sophie who go on an adventure to locate the festive food on sale at the UK supermarket.

The chain enlisted the help of Sophie, a food services assistant at Sainsbury's and a keen drama student, who made her acting debut in the festive advertising campaign.

And Argos is getting festive too! Their mascots Connie and Trevor are back on television screens for the store's 2024 Christmas campaign.

With the help of Golden Globe winning director Michael Gracey, best known for the Greatest Showman, the UK retailer features Trevor living out his dream as a rockstar.

The T-Rex was in his element as he performed a cover of '20th Century Boy' on top of a Marshall speaker mountain to cheering crowds, including his best friend, Connie.

At the end of the advert, Connie surprises Trevor with the perfect Christmas gift - a Marshall speaker. 'Whatever they're dreaming of, there's more to Argos,' a voiceover concludes.

The advert, which includes music from David Kosten, aims to build on Argos' 'There's More to Argos' campaign, which launched last year to highlight the wide range of products that the retailer sells.

Laura Boothby, Head of Campaigns at Argos, said: 'Our customers love Trevor the dinosaur and Connie the doll, so we're thrilled they're back again to spread some festive fun and magic in such an energetic and upbeat way.

'At Argos, whatever your loved ones are dreaming of this Christmas, we've got it covered. Whether it's the latest and best in sound and tech, or the top toys of the season'.