Consistency Sleighs

How Holiday Ads Build Nostalgia & Branding

Ad Tech Insights

The story: 2024 findings from research company 凯度 reveals that two-thirds of top-performing holiday ads relied on continuity from previous campaigns, proving that creative consistency greatly pays off. Campaigns like Aldi’s Kevin the Carrot and Cadbury’s Secret Santa are among the consistent ads which outperformed new campaigns, ranking in the top 26% for branding and top 24% for building brand meaning -- for comparison, new campaigns ranked in the top 38% for branding.?

“A good brand platform establishes and consolidates what makes the brand different from the alternatives,” says Lynne Deason, Kantar’s head of creative excellence. “It plays a powerful role in shaping what a brand becomes famous for.”?

This year’s standout campaigns, according to The Drum, include:?

• Cadbury’s Secret Santa
• M&S’s Not Just Food
• Coca-Cola’s Holidays Are Coming
• KFC’s Stickin’ With Chicken
• Aldi’s Kevin the Carrot

“People look forward to seeing the next installation in the series,” Deason adds. “This builds nostalgic-like feelings of warmth toward the idea itself, which halo on to the brand.”?

The takeaway: Campaigns that stick to proven ideas year after year not only resonate more deeply with audiences but also demonstrably outperform new concepts in key metrics like branding and brand meaning. Fostering nostalgia and cultural resonance with ongoing campaigns can create a sense of familiarity and anticipation that strengthens the consumer-brand relationships.?

Read More

Extra Industry Insights?

Omnicom’s IPG takeover could make it a stronger retail media competitor to Publicis:?

• Publicis has long dominated the retail media space, driving growth through strategic acquisitions over the past five years. These include data firm Epsilon, tech platform CitrusAd, eCommerce firm Profitero, and marketing agency Mars United Commerce.?
• Alone, other holding companies haven’t been able to keep up with Publicis -- but that may change, with Omnicom and IPG joining forces.?
• Last year, Omnicom bought digital commerce agency Flywheel while IPG acquired data business Acxiom in 2018 and retail analytics firm Intelligence Node earlier this month. Acxiom was integrated into Kinesso earlier this year.?

IPG CEO Philippe Krakowsky stated in a Dec. 9 investor call that the company aims to cross-sell Acxiom and Flywheel’s services -- a combination which could build a powerful retail media stack, offering both front-end optimization and back-end analytics, according to Dan Maguire, director of retail media at Gale.?

Kevel Catchup?

?? LIVE: Kevel x eMarketing Association Podcast

Kevel CEO & Founder James Avery joined the eMarketing Association Podcast to discuss Kevel’s leadership in the retail media space and efforts to drive industry standardization. From the creation of a newly formed working group to advancing OpenRTB Protocol for retail media, this interview has all the key insights.

Listen to the full interview here (27:04).

Keep Learning

WATCH → ?Kate Swisher and Scott Galloway dive into Bluesky Social ’s meteoric rise, breaking down its growth, whether Meta is feeling the heat, and exploring Bluesky’s financial prospects.?

READ → This Ad Age article explores 8 of 2024’s best retail media strategies, from improving measurement to empowering creators and partnering prolifically.?

LISTEN → This episode of The FMCG Guys sits down with Jenny Jolleran from Kroger , one of the US’ leading Grocery propositions. Live from Retail Media Summit UK in London, this interview covers market differences, in-store media, and much more, (Listening time: 13:35).