A Creative Marketing Carol: The ghosts of 2024 and those yet to come

With the Christmas spirit firmly in the air (and in many people, courtesy of festive work parties), the red velvety curtain on 2024 is slowly starting to descend.

As we bid farewell to this year, it's the perfect time to reflect on the creative marketing campaigns that defined it—and to look ahead to what might be in store for 2025.

Consider this a blog version of A Christmas Carol, where 2024 will be visited by several ghosts from the creative marketing world. Here are just a few that caught my eye:

‘The Ghost of Community’

The year kicked off with British Airways’ latest entry in its ongoing series of perspective-shifting campaigns. This one captured the excitement and anticipation of holiday adventures, all seen from the comfort of a seat 35,000 feet in the air. It was a bold move, especially when you consider that only 25% of their logo appeared in each ad. But with such strong brand equity, this focus on customer experience set the tone for a hospitality trend that would carry through the rest of the year.

The theme of community and belonging echoed throughout 2024 in many forms. Channel 4’s “Considering What?” ad for the Paralympics, for example, flipped the script by focusing on world-class athletes challenging not just the world of sport but the patronising attitudes often directed at them.?

Then there was Heinz’s “The Last Drop” campaign, which was inspired by a real-life social media post from their community when a mother licked ketchup off her baby. In response, Heinz produced a campaign within a week that reflected the genuine love their customers have for the brand.

And let’s not forget James Blunt’s shameless self-promotion stunt, where he invited the British public to “f*ck up my life” in order to push his 20-year-old album back to No. 1. It was a cheeky way to wrap up the year—Merry Christmas, Blunty McBluntface!

‘The Ghost of AI’

Much like the second ghost in Dickens’ tale, AI this year loomed large—both vast and all-consuming - but for this retrospective, its role played out in different ways.

Apple and KitKat took a lighthearted approach, exploring the behavioural changes AI is bringing to society. Apple suggested AI could help you rise above the office lunch-stealer, while KitKat cheekily proposed that AI should take “Ai break”, staying true to their brand slogan.

Meanwhile, O2 tackled a real-world problem by using AI to create “Daisy,” the face and voice of their campaign to combat telephone scammers. This was a brilliant example of how AI can help brands solve customer pain points while building trust and equity in the process.

Yet, as AI continues to evolve, brands like Dove remind us of what it cannot do. In their powerful ‘The Code’ campaign, Dove made the bold statement that AI will never understand the perfect imperfections that make women beautiful. This ad, pitting human empathy against AI's cold logic, reinforces the core values Dove has championed in recent years.

‘The Ghost of Storytelling’

Now, I may be biased, but few brands tell stories better than charities. Their ability to pull on the nation’s heartstrings is what keeps these beloved causes alive.

Take CALM’s thought provoking 6,929-birthday balloon tribute at Westfield, representing every life lost to suicide among young people. Or Ikea’s partnership with Save the Children, which told just some of the heart-wrenching stories of 120,000 women and children left homeless by domestic abuse in Australia. The British Heart Foundation’s memorial for young football fans who would never see their teams play again this summer was equally moving.

But even in this emotional landscape, there’s room for offbeat stories of humour. Supersavers, for example, once again delighted audiences with a classic parking blunder set in the heart of Edinburgh city centre—another gem in their growing archive.

That brings us to the present day, so where in the Dickens would we be in this elongated analogy if we didn’t mention some Christmas ads.

This year, we’ve had many entries, but for me the masters of the festive story—Waitrose, Apple, and John Lewis—delivered some memorable moments. Waitrose’s whodunnit campaign cleverly tapped into family Christmas stereotypes—interfering mother-in-laws, strange uncles, stressed-out turkey cooking, and the usual pudding drama. But by revealing a series of ever-evolving content, they kept audiences hooked, transforming the ad into an amateur detective’s dream.

Apple, in a gear change, found a more emotional angle. Their ad, featuring AirPods as a hearing aid, tugged at the heartstrings as a hearing-impaired father listens to his daughter playing the guitar for the first time. It was a beautiful, quiet moment of connection that resonated deeply.

As for John Lewis, it’s clear their once-iconic campaigns are no longer the draw they used to be. Despite past cute animated dragons and earth visiting best friends, the brand still struggles with declining sales. But this year’s story, 'The Gifting Hour', highlights the real anxiety of finding the perfect present, only to realise you needed to be at John Lewis all along—attempted to hit a different note. It may not have been a dog on a trampoline, an overgrown rocky horror show pot plant or a pet penguin, but it still strikes a chord. Proof will of course be in the sales results pudding, but it’s clear John Lewis believes the real Christmas magic lives in family memories, and in-store.

What’s Next for 2025?

Looking ahead, it’s clear that the themes of community-building, immersive experiences and emotive storytelling will continue to dominate. But perhaps we’ll also see a shift in how we define ‘integrated campaigns,’ as platforms such as CTV blur the lines between TV and digital ads and audience consumption habits evolve overall.

Additionally, AI will remain at the forefront, not just as a tool for automation, but as a potential partner in creativity. While I’m not suggesting a world of flawless AI-generated ads, imagine if it could spark a Brand Director’s imagination during a pitch or provide real-time audience insights that fuel even more human creativity.

As we move into 2025, one thing is certain: the relationship between humans and AI in creative marketing is only just beginning.