Christmas commercial season usually begins long before thanksgiving, but December is prime time for holiday advertising. There are a few companies that recycle their ads from year to year, giving us the feeling of a well-worn re-run of Friends. Or, in some cases, of the world’s worst spinoff, Joey. Others, however, come up with a new one each year in hopes of innovation, but more often than not, they fall into the same old tropes. Here’s a list of Christmas commercials you are sure to see every holiday season:

  • Red Cross Santa is Actually Real Santa: Either a child experiences the magic of believing, or someone gets a new car with a red bow on top for being a halfway decent human being.
  • Hard-Working Mom Receives Diamond Necklace: The kids are asleep on the couch, and dad has found a creative way to surprise mom. He ties the little red box to the collar of their golden retriever, who is wearing reindeer antlers and appears to smile.
  • Red M&M Passes Out Because Santa Is Real: Santa faints too. “Dumb” yellow candy comes out on top, as usual.
  • Celebrity Releases Christmas Album: Just listen to those notes at the end of O Holy Night. Includes Baby, It’s Cold Outside duet with unexpected but fitting partner of the opposite gender.
  • Department Store Santa Is Actually Real Santa: Surprise, the EXACT doll the little girl asked for is under the tree. Sometimes, she sees Santa standing outside the window, and he winks at her and puts his finger to his lips. Shh! Don’t tell anyone I followed you home!
  • Grandma Bakes Cookies: And suddenly everyone in a three-block radius is in her kitchen. Pillsbury Dough Boy giggles.
  • Campbell’s Soup Melts Snowman, Revealing Little Boy: Why in the world do his parents leave him outside so long? He wasn’t even wearing a coat under all the snow, just his pajamas. Kinda sketchy.’
  • Home For The Holidays: Relative travels from afar and shows up in a Santa suit halfway through the festivities. He sacrificed a ride home from the airport for the surprise, and we admire him for it.
  • Teen Makes Sentimental iPhone Video: And we all thought Billy was texting through the memories. I haven’t stopped crying since last year.
  • Coca Cola Santa Is Actually Real Santa: He literally buys the world a coke for Christmas.
  • Advertisement For 24 Hours Of A Christmas Story: If you don’t watch Ralphie shoot his eye out at least three times on Christmas day, you are wrong.
  • Sister Flirts With Older Brother In Folgers Commercial: How do you take your coffee on Christmas morning? Subtly incestuous, of course.

-Ivy Decker, Staff-Member