It's time for those Holiday Ads!

Each year, I dive into the web to discover the first couple of hundred holiday ads released for the season. The tradition of holiday ads was launched in 1843, when English businessman Sir Henry Cole commissioned artist John Calcott Horsley to produce the first printed Christmas Cards. In 1931, 可口可乐公司 commissioned artist Haddon Sundblom to depict Santa drinking a Coke - a successful effort to encourage sales in the winter months. Artist Robert May later (1939) created Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer as a Christmas promotion for Chicago's Montgomery Ward department store. Joining the increasingly sophisticated Coke holiday ads, Sainsbury's , John Lewis & Partners , and other British brands increasingly jumped on the bandwagon with their rich narrative entries. North American brands jumped into the pool, subsequently joined by other markets, and more local brands. It's now a truly global field, with narratives both localized and universal. As I review the first crop of holiday ads each year, I'm looking for that relatively unique blend of storytelling and goodwill building that seems to manifest most notably at this time of year, when brands recognize that consumers and clients are stressed and oversaturated, looking not to be told what they want to buy, but rather to be reminded of what they cherish. This is an opportunity to ease off the product/service/solution pushing, and instead share a little more about what you believe comprises your relationship with your market and the larger community within which it operates. Some brands understand and realize this opportunity more successfully than others, and so, after wading through some real rubbish, I present 20 early discoveries of the season that I think merit attention, for one reason or another:

Here's "The Beginner" from John Lewis & Partners , a reliably sentimental stalwart in the #HolidayAds category:

Seamlessly integrated footage from a modern Christmas film classic make this a charming spot from Asda :

From JD Sports Fashion comes one of those spots that may mean little beyond the borders of the UK, but everything to Brit Millennials/Gen Z. Do you know Konan, Chunkz, KSI, Amaria BB, Anthony Joshua, Bugzy Malone, Kano, Tiago Silva, Arrdee, Amelia Dimoldenberg, Chloe Kelly, et al?

Some rather naughty bits in this year's entry from Aldi UK ! You may not want to let your younger kids watch if they're left Home Alone:

I'm often a little ambivalent about the 华特迪士尼公司 ads, given the heavy-handed brand promotion, where other spots at this time of year are a little less blatant, but the nuanced storytelling remains deceptively simple (show vs. tell vs. hint), so still worthy of note:

#6 in my series: What do we think of the Waitrose & Partners contribution to this year's collection? Nicely shot, though perhaps a little stark in its visuals? I found it very restrained which, at any other time of the year, would be welcome. Does it work here, though?

No self-respecting country toff could ever forget their first Barbour jacket, though I would think the brand might seek to diversify their market reach a little more with ads that speak to more than a limited demographic, no matter how cute.

Yes, #HolidayAds promote material consumerism. They hit the mark, though, when - as 马莎百货 does here - they promote something even greater: #community #giving and #sharing

I have to admit that this Boots UK spot is currently one of my favorite #HolidayAds of the year! It manages to sell the brand value proposition, the product, and the customer demographic diversity, all in one clever narrative throughline:

Our 10th is a solid narrative that nevertheless fails to accurately align with the brand it represents. 麦当劳 is not a natural fit with this storyline, I fear, so it risks feeling insincere. I'm being too much of a Scrooge, perhaps...

The Holidays can be a trying time for the best prepared among us. So, Argos leaned into that reality with one of those #HolidayAds that might hit close to home for some of you:

Another nostalgia plug comes from Aussie Woolworths Supermarkets , fully grabbing the summertime vibe of Down Under. Fair dinkum.

Nothing beats having a logo that already ties perfectly into the season! SPAR International kept it simple with their Irish contribution to this year's #HolidayAds (our lucky 13th in this year's series):

So, number 14: time for some American #HolidayAds ! Here's one from Kroger . I can hear special interests complaining already, but I encourage you to focus on just two things: Does the narrative represent the brand well? Does the ad tell a good story well?

Continuing this year's series, #Lidl offers up an inclusive portrait of Christmas priorities, along with a potentially sold-out product that has yet to hit the shelves:

Timing is all, as Fox Corporation Soccer leverages their spot to front-end their #WorldCup2022 coverage, with an assist from one or two stars, including Mariah Carey, Tom Brady, Jon Hamm, and Ellie Kemper.

Nostalgia has always had a place in Holiday Ads, and Carib Beer opted for local culture this year. Our 17th ad gives a smaller brand their deserved dues!:

Are Holiday ads, such as this one from Parfums Christian Dior , with its sexist tropes, vapid consumerism, & overproduced nonsensical landscapes, finally played out? I suspect there will always be an ample appetite for shiny baubles and other distractions:

Our lives have milestones and markers, and #Thomann memorializes these grace notes touchingly with one of this year's most touching Holiday Ads (Number 19 in this year's roundup):

As promised, I'll end this year's series at 20, though I've watched 180+, of varying quality. I'm confident that more brands will release their ads in the coming weeks, and I'm hopeful that we shall discover some great ones together! Memorable Holiday ads touch very lightly on the brand proposition, while crafting a touching narrative about the spirit of the season. 亚马逊 succeeded this year. I wish you and your brand(s) enormous success in the coming year, hoping you always remember that it is your relationships that matter more than anything. Through them you will generate growth, stability, sustainability, and profitability!

_____________________________________________________________

About?Nicholas de Wolff

A passionate advocate for long-term business growth driven by innovation, marketing, and IP development, Nicholas de Wolff is a strategic advisor with a strong background in emerging digital content channels, platforms, and technologies. Today, he focuses on helping start-ups, governments, and corporations refine their strategic plans, to better and more profitably integrate sustainability, community, and creativity.

Follow Nicholas?on?LinkedIn .