Our favorite holiday campaigns
The shopping rush that takes place during the holiday season spurs marketers to create commercials that pull at the heart strings. The more memorable a campaign, the more likely consumers will spend their hard-earned money at your business.
Obsidian has been carefully watching holiday commercials over the past few weeks, and we’ve compiled a list of our favorite holiday campaigns.
Murray – Lexus’ December to Remember
I love the Lexus holiday campaign! I think everyone can remember a time they experienced this childlike excitement when unwrapping a gift on Christmas morning. The campaign pairs nostalgia with humor, and you can never go wrong with that combination.
Courtney – Gatorade’s Sisters in Sweat
Gatorade’s Sisters in Sweat commercial featuring Serena Williams and her baby daughter has all the feels. As a mom of four, including a daughter, I couldn’t help but see my own Savannah growing up as I watched in tears accompanied with a smile. Savannah is an athlete and has committed so much of the last seven years to her sport. And I’ve been there in person and in spirit through every thrilling success and heartbreak. As she approaches her final months in high school, I think more now than ever about the commitment, dedication, sportsmanship and confidence she’s gained from her competition experience. After all is said and done and when she no longer is that team member, Savannah will still be a woman confident in her ability to bring grace, kindness, humility and unparalleled effort to any proverbial table. Thank you, Gatorade, for showing what lies beneath the trophies and fanfare.
Taylor J. – Walgreens’ Happy Thanks for Giving
Social responsibility is important to me when choosing where I spend my money. Walgreens “Happy Thanks for Giving” commercial isn’t filled with snow, glittering lights or boughs of holly. Instead, it uses a simple play on words to incorporate a holiday and emphasize the importance of giving back. Knowing that a portion of every dollar I spend with Walgreens supports vaccinations for children around the world makes me more inclined to shop Walgreens over its competitors.
Kelli – HP’s #ReinventGiving
HP’s campaign really advertises their new laptop with 3D inking, but it makes me want to cry to see these seeming strangers work together to give a little girl something to smile about. It also makes me think of how I’ve considered handling the Santa conversation with my daughter later in life. I once read about telling kids that not receiving from Santa means they get to be Santa to someone else and think up the perfect gift to give. This commercial makes me think of the spirit of Christmas.
Lauren – Spotify’s Year-end outdoor campaign
This is not exactly holiday-focused, but I think Spotify’s year-end campaign spoke to me as a PR professional. Of course I love all the feel-good, tug at your heartstrings Christmas ads, but the humor and creativity in this one really caught my attention! While it’s not in Memphis, I saw a story about the campaign online and thought it was a great example of resonating with your target audience using humor.
Christina – M&M’s “Faint” Sequel
After 20 consecutive Christmases, I still giggle when I see the M&M’s commercial with Santa and “Red” fainting when they run into each other. M&M’s has finally released a sequel to the 1996 ad. With Santa unconscious, “Yellow” tries to save Christmas by going house-to-house to deliver the last of Santa’s gifts. Instead he delivers everything to the wrong people. Worried that he ruined Christmas, the commercial takes a joyous turn as he sees strangers happily come together to deliver the gifts to the correct owner. This sequel is a pleasant reminder that the holidays are a time for people to unite no matter how much we’re different. As much as I love seeing the original fainting ad, I love watching it come full circle this year with a heartfelt message.
Whitney – LEGO’s Shake Up Imagination
I think this LEGO commercial is just precious. It literally made me smile when I saw it the other day. It has the best elements that a marketer can use to sell their brand at Christmas – cute kids who say cute things! And, the fact that this commercial is advertising a long-standing brand like LEGO means that it could be timeless. I could easily see this commercial having a shelf life much like this commercial for Hershey’s Kisses that’s been running for years. Lastly, the underlying message that LEGO allows you to ‘shake up your imagination,’ I think, is spot on for children. It’s great to see a brand support a child’s natural desire to be creative.
Taylor M. – Audi’s “Parking Lot”
I really love the holiday campaign for Audi. The holidays bring out the crazy in people, whether you’re creeping for a spot in the parking lot, or fighting for the last can of cranberry sauce at Kroger. Everyone’s in competition to be the best at something, including your two favorite aunts on who has the best sweet potato pie recipe! It reminds us all that we all go through the same Christmas woes, despite social or economic status.
Gracie – Starbucks Holiday Cups
I like that Starbucks always comes out with a new holiday cup. I think it entices people to post photos on Snapchat or Instagram of their fun holiday cup, which in turn encourages their followers to go get a cup of coffee from Starbucks!
