2021 has been a wild ride so far and consumers have been bombarded with a daily diet of hard-hitting news and issues.

So it's really no surprise there's a growing expectation among consumers for brands to speak out and demonstrate their commitment to important societal and environmental issues - from climate change to Black Lives Matter - particularly among Gen Z and Millennials.

Consumers are four to six times more likely to buy from, trust, champion, and defend companies with a strong brand purpose. But how are brands responding to this? And which brands are doing it well?

Well, earlier this month, we kicked off the festive season with 5 of the best purpose-powered Xmas campaigns of all time.

So we've decided to dedicate a blog post to this every month, picking out our favourite recent purpose-powered campaigns for you to watch and be inspired by.

So here are our first 5 picks from this month. Enjoy!

1. Brand: O2

Campaign: We're Better, Connected
Charity Partner: Good Things Foundation

Did you know more than 1.5 million homes in the UK are not connected to the internet? It's a startling stat that is the central theme of O2's festive offering this year.

Developed by VCCP London, the ad features the phone network's cute robot mascot Bubl and an army of Bubl clones dispatched across homes the length and breadth of the UK to help get the nation better connected.

With so many Xmas ads this year focused on self-indulgence and festive revelry, it's nice to see a brand using its Christmas message to tackle something serious -- in this case, data poverty -- at a time of the year when staying connected is more important than ever.

The ad is the second to promote the company's National Databank, which, together with leading digital inclusion charity Good Things Foundation, donates data to those who need it.

2. Brand: Stella Artois

Campaign: Give The Gift Of Time
Charity Partner: Water.org

Stella Artois is another brand to use its Christmas message to focus on something more meaningful.

Featuring Matt Damon -- co-founder of Water.org, a longstanding charity partner of the beer brand -- the ad reveals that 771 million around the world still don't have access to safe water.

So what's this got to do with beer, you may ask? Well, the ad also lets us know that everytime we buy a Stella this Yuletide period, we'll also be helping to fund one month's supply of clean drinking water.

Now that's definitely something to drink to.

3. Brand: Posten

Campaign: When Harry Met Santa

The Norwegian postal service delivered something very special and unexpected for its Xmas ad campaign this year, showing Santa in a very different light.

To mark the 50th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Norway, "When Harry Met Santa" tells the story of an enduring love affair between Santa and a man called Harry.

The ad is incredibly touching and well worth a watch.

4. Charity: Refuge

Campaign: Domestic Abuse Is Getting Smarter

At first glance you may think this is an ad to launch the latest smartphone -- but you could not be more wrong.

It's actually a spot from Refuge to highlight an alarming increase in the number of abusers using the latest technology to control their partners.

The 40-second video mimics the ads created to launch new phones perfectly, with a voiceover that highlights each device feature in detail -- and then explains how it can be used to control your partner.

It's a chilling campaign that will linger long in the memory banks.

5. Brand: Aldi

Campaign: A Christmas Carrot
Charity Partner: Neighbourly

If there is an award for the most entertaining Christmas ad of 2021 then Aldi would win by a landslide -- even if it's just for the shot of Cuthbert the Caterpillar being led away in handcuffs.

But there's more to this ad than just some cheap laughs (mostly at M&S' expense). Indeed, there's also purpose amid the punchlines.

As well as treating us to new characters, such as the grumpy Ebanana Scrooge, and England striker Marcus Rashford appearing as a radish, the bargain retailer is also supporting charity Neighbourly by donating 1.8M meals to families that need help across the UK over the Xmas period.

As the nation's favourite carrot reminds us: "The moral of the story, the answer you'll find, for you to be happy, you need to be kind."

Find out more about Good-Loop's purpose-powered ad formats and eco-friendly products designed to reduce advertisers' carbon footprints.