McDonald's new Christmas advert features a riff on Love Actually

McDonald’s has become the latest big brand to unveil its annual Christmas advert, and it involves Van Halen, nativities and Love Actually.

The ad, set to Van Halen’s 80s hit Jump, shows families across the UK heading towards the golden arches, ranging from a school nativity play to a work Christmas party.

It also features a nod to the iconic Richard Curtis film from 2003.

In one scene of the McDonald’s ad, a character stands outside another person’s front door holding up messages on cue cards, pulling each one away to reveal a new word.

The cards read: “Fancy… A…”

The shot is reminiscent of the scene from the movie, where Andrew Lincoln’s character does a similar trick to profess his love for Keira Knightley’s character.

The Iconic Keira Knightley & Andrew Lincoln "Say It's Carol Singers" Scene | Love Actuallywww.youtube.com

Of course, McDonald’s advert doesn’t quite have the romance of Love Actually, with all the characters eventually ending up at the fast food joint for a burger.

The advert will make its TV debut tomorrow on ITV, where customers can watch the 90 second advert in full.

It comes after John Lewis launched its hotly anticipated Christmas ad yesterday.

This year, the retailer switched out its famed tear-jerker style for something much more light-hearted and wholesome.

It focuses on a young boy named Alfie, who spots a 'Grow Your Own Perfect Christmas Tree' kit and asks his grandma if he can have it. He opens the box to find a seed inside that he plants and nurtures as it grows into a giant Venus flytrap called Snapper.

The family are wary of the plant, especially when it spots their pet pomeranian.

They move Snapper outside and replace it with a generic Christmas tree, but when they see how much it means to Alfie, they all proceed to open Christmas gifts in the garden.

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