Iceland unveils Frozen 2-inspired Christmas advert featuring Elsa and Olaf

Disney queen uses magical ice powers during a game of charades

Christmas adverts are one of the undisputed highlights of the festive season and, while we might still have some time to go until the big day, this year’s proceedings are already underway.

Budget supermarket Iceland has become one of the first retailers to deliver its 2019 offering with the release of its advert, which is titled “The Magic of Frozen”.

While the name is a spin on Iceland’s reputation as a frozen food specialist, it also nods to the supermarket’s partner for this year’s Christmas advert, which includes a bespoke animation from Walt Disney Animation Studios.

The advert, which will premiere on Friday 1 November at 8.15pm on ITV, features an array of Disney’s Frozen 2 characters, including the Queen of Arendelle herself, Elsa, Princess Anna, Kristoff, reindeer Sven and snowman Olaf.

The clip begins with a child playing charades with his family at Christmas, alongside a giant Olaf toy, before viewers are transported into the land of Frozen.

Here, the film's characters play their own version of the game, which sees Olaf and Elsa act out their favourite things about the festive season.

While the snowman acts out decorating the tree, opening presents and throwing snowballs, Elsa uses her magical ice powers to conjure up a table made from ice.

“My favourite thing about Christmas is...a special meal that we share together," the queen says.

Viewers are then taken back to the young boy and his family sitting down to an Iceland Christmas dinner with beef, turkey, gravy, roast potatoes and all the trimmings.

Neil Hayes, director of marketing at Iceland, said: “We wanted to treat viewers to a magical Christmas advert this year and there is no better partner than Disney. We are both experts in Frozen!

“Disney’s Frozen 2 is the most eagerly awaited film of the year, the anticipation only matched by that of Christmas approaching.”

(Iceland/Disney)

Last year, Iceland’s film about the devastating effects of palm oil plantations was named as the UK’s favourite Christmas advert.

The TV commercial, which followed the story of an animated orangutan that had lost its home and family to deforestation, was released in collaboration with environmental organisation Greenpeace.

(Iceland/Disney)

It was initially reported that the advert had been banned from TV for being “too political”.

However, advertising industry advisory body Clearcast later clarified this had been a “misunderstanding”, saying it could not be shown on TV due to the supermarket’s collaboration with Greenpeace, as opposed to the supposed political nature of the advert itself.