December edit
‘Tis the season for festive advertising and we’re jingling all the way to our favourite campaigns. We’ve rounded up what we think are some of the best feel-good Christmas ads from over the years…
The National Lottery
Celt and Emily kicked off the meeting by sharing this year’s National Lottery Christmas TV advert, Just Imagine. It follows a tale of a chance encounter, reminiscent of Christmas rom-coms like Love Actually and The Holiday.
The advert was supported by a multi-media channel campaign, including photo booths placed at train stations across the UK for travellers to have their photo taken and see it projected on a digital billboard nearby.
The ad feels genuine and authentic, evoking that warm, homely feel that’s perfect for Christmas time. And, it cleverly juxtaposes the possibility of the two main characters meeting again with the chance of winning the lottery, which elevates the joy whilst reminding its audience of the product.
TK Maxx
We all agreed that the 2022 TK Maxx Christmas advert added a refreshing touch to the usual Christmas ads that grace our screens.
It celebrates the gifting hero, Sam, for getting great value gifts from TK Maxx, which is exactly what shoppers will want to see in the current climate. The vibrancy, humour and quirkiness gives off a high fashion vibe, which hones in on the specific product the ad is promoting whilst making people smile.
Amazon
In the wake of the pandemic and cost of living crisis, Amazon has taken a meaningful and sincere approach to its Christmas campaign this year. Titled ‘Joy is Made’, the ad is a delightfully heart-warming package that inspires audiences to create experiences and make authentic, personal memories this Christmas.
Marks & Spencer
Step aside M&S Food, the Gifts that Give M&S Christmas advert is here. This year, the brand has partnered with Neighbourly to give £1 million to 1000 local community groups through the giving platform.
The Gifts that Give campaign reflects research findings from M&S which found that two thirds of families are determined to make the most of Christmas despite cost-of-living concerns, with gifting still a top priority for shoppers.
The foundations of the campaign show in the brand’s gift prices. 30% of this year’s gifting range is £10 and under and 70% of the range is under £20. Harry Styles’ ‘Treat People with Kindness’ sets the tone of the ad that features real-life UK wide community groups, with Harry kindly donating his fee to homelessness charity, Centrepoint.
The creative was executed across a 360 channel-mix – from LED light-up bus wraps to dynamic digital billboards and print cover wraps and, for the first time ever, the advert premiered with a simultaneous ident launching across live and on-demand at 9pm on Channel 4, Friday 4th November.
Cadbury’s
Who doesn’t love a bit of Cadbury’s at Christmas? This month Jack showed us the Cadbury’s Secret Santa Service TV ad. The chocolate company has re-launched their ‘Secret Santa’ postal service, which lets you send a Cadbury’s chocolate bar secretly to someone you love.
The brand has understood the importance of out of home advertising in a world where digital is becoming the go-to for promotions. In fact, they are using in home advertising to drive people to go out and find their posters – a new way of executing an integrated marketing campaign.
Erste Group
Then Charl made us all sob by sharing the Erste Group Christmas advert from 2018 that centres around the slogan #believeinyourself. The Christmas story of the little hedgehog was internationally distributed across five countries.
Martin Radjaby-Rasset, Head of Group Brand Management, said “The story of the little hedgehog whose spines are making life hard for him is the story of us all – every one of us has experienced such moments and feelings.”
This follows the narrative-style Christmas ad that has taken the world by storm in the past decade, namely sparked by John Lewis. And it just shows its power. This ad plays on love, kindness and companionship, which is of course what Christmas is all about.
