Ladies and gentlemen, it's that time of year again.
It seems like just yesterday when we were celebrating record heatwaves and talking about Avengers: Infinity War, but now, Halloween is a distant memory, Thanksgiving is just around the corner and we're right smack-dab in the middle of holiday season. Where does the time go?
Of course, you and I have been round the block long enough to know that this is the time of year that your favourite brands take turns to play with our fragile hearts, as Christmas ads start to surface all across the internet come the end of November and the beginning of December.
We're used to seeing them from the likes of John Lewis, Lidl and Asda, but one company which hasn't really got a reputation for awesome Christmas commercials is McDonald's. They do great burgers and other meals, that's for sure, but now, they might have a Christmas ad that might have you Lovin' It as much as their Chicken McNuggets.
People are even calling it the best Christmas ad of the year so far, and I'd imagine they had to beat a lot of competition to get there. "But how?" I can hear you asking. "What on earth would a Christmas ad from McDonald's even look like?" Well, wouldn't you like to know? Let's take a look at that advert now, shall we?
Having already racked up around 100,000 views in little over 24 hours (making it number five trending on YouTube today), this McDonald's ad stars Santa Claus and his reindeer, as they embark on their annual mission to deliver presents to all the girls and boys before the clock strikes midnight on Christmas Eve.
But this year, there's a problem.
The ad opens with Santa crawling out of a roof, with delicious treats in tow, as the reindeer look on hungrily for a meal of their own. Delivering all those gifts takes up a lot of energy, y'know. "I'm sorry, guys: no carrots again," laments Santa as his trusty antlered friends sigh in disappointment.
They then go from home to home, as Santa picks up mince pie after mince pie with no carrots to be seen, and before long, the reindeer have had enough. They crash down carelessly on a rooftop, scratching Santa's sleigh in the process, and as Santa complains "I'm tired too, y'know!", will our gang have enough energy to complete their nigh-impossible task?
It's a question that troubles Santa deeply as he tucks into a mince pie, but as he stares thoughtfully into the distance, he notices the Golden Arches in the distance; a beacon of hope that just might have given jolly old St Nick an idea. He heads into McDonald's to pick up enough carrot sticks to fuel many a midnight rush!
Christmas is saved, and thanks to McDonald's, Santa and his troupe are 'Reindeer Ready' (which is the hashtag on which McDonald's have hung their Christmas campaign).