It’s one of the most wonderful times of the year (after Black Friday, obviously) and that can only mean one thing, Christmas 🎄
But when it comes to Christmas campaigns, we don’t want to fall into the same trap as everyone else and talk about the new campaigns, but instead, bring you 5 minutes of nostalgic joy, with some classic Christmas marketing campaigns, that still reign strong with us today.
The *Iconic* Coca-Cola Christmas Advert
If we are looking back at iconic Christmas marketing campaigns, how can we not start from the top?
Coca-Cola has been running its iconic Christmas advert since 1995, and they never fail to make us feel warm and fuzzy inside.
The combination of snow, Santa Claus, festive lights and its catchy “Holidays Are Coming” song on our televisions, is the sign that Christmas is officially begun.
But, now speaking from a real, marketing perspective, this campaign has to be one of Coca-Cola’s most successful campaigns, because the symbol it provides at Christmas, has meant, they have not had to spend any costs on creating new TV advertisements, for an insane, 28 years.
Instead, they have been able to utilise their seasonal campaigns across the globe, with their Coca-Cola truck tours, and their limited-edition Cola cans, all managing a huge success in sales.
Now that, is how it’s done.
John Lewis Christmas Adverts
John Lewis has been the pioneer of Christmas adverts since 2007 and their campaigns are still some of the most successful to date.
From Monty The Penguin in 2014, to Buster The Boxer in 2016, each campaign captures the magic of Christmas through an emotional story line and catchy song.
These adverts represent a broader message of what Christmas is, by connecting the emotion of giving to friends and family, with their products being a small part in that journey. This then results in an increase in sales each year, as well as improving John Lewis’s brand reputation.
Sainsbury’s The Greatest Gift
In 2014, Sainsbury’s released a Christmas advert that made us all take a deep breath, and really thinks about the true meaning of Christmas; giving.
The advert follows the story between a young girl and her dad as he leaves to fight in World War. Combining both emotion and a hidden message of hope, it’s no wonder the advert was so successful.
The campaign also saw a huge increase in sales as customers wanted to give back and support a great cause. Sainsbury’s also donated £1 from every set of carol books sold during Christmas to The Royal British Legion charity, resulting in a total donation of £1.5 million.
Aldi’s Kevin The Carrot
This campaign was released in 2017 and since then, Aldi’s success has only grown and grown!
Kevin the carrot is a living, breathing symbol for Christmas (weirdly fantastic, but true)
This character manages to capture the joy of the festive season and bring a smile to everyone’s faces.
This campaign has seen huge success due to its unique approach, by using an animated character rather than relying on bigger stars or real-life scenarios. This resulted in Aldi having some of their best Christmas sales year after year.
Plus, they even created decorations, soft toys and other products, all featuring their lovable carrot!
These campaigns prove that Christmas adverts still remain one of the most important elements to marketers in creating a successful festive season. They evoke emotion, create nostalgia and leave us feeling warm and fuzzy inside (the most important factor!)
From the team at drumBEAT, we hope everyone has an amazing Christmas!
