The festive period is a great time for brands, big and small, to pull out all the stops with powerful Christmas marketing campaigns that leave a lasting impression. Here at Rawww, we’re missing the festivities already, so we thought we’d cling on a little longer and reflect on our ultimate festive marketing campaigns.
Join us on our festive journey, where we look back on what made our favourites so effective and memorable.
Cadburys: Secret Santa postal campaign
Cadbury’s got into the gifting spirit with their Secret Santa postal service Christmas marketing campaign. This campaign involved people having to find one of Cadbury’s Postal Service posters, which were conveniently dotted around the country, to be able to send a free chocolate bar, in secret, to someone special. The festive campaign came at a great time with the ongoing cost of living crisis dampening spirits, Cadbury’s campaign worked to give people something to smile about and perk those that may need it up during Christmas.
Their Christmas marketing campaign shows how thoughtfulness, paired with a little sweet treat can go a long way, which is why we love it so much.
Watch their 2022 festive campaign here.
John Lewis: The beginner
Christmas isn’t Christmas without the eagerly awaited and always well executed John Lewis Christmas advert. In 2022, we saw their Christmas marketing campaign shine a much-needed spotlight on children in care. Their campaign follows a couple who are preparing to welcome a child from care into their home in time for Christmas, with the man painfully attempting to master the art of skateboarding in the build-up to their skateboard loving foster child arriving.
The young teenager eventually arrives at her new foster home carrying her skateboard and it all clicks into place. In line with their campaign, John Lewis will be inviting children in care and their caregivers to Santa’s Grotto experiences in John Lewis stores and the retailer will also supply communal spaces at selected residential facilities run by Action for Children with electronics, furnishings and decorations.
This one really tugged at our heartstrings and focused on an often overlooked group of people, who should be looked after during the Christmas season and beyond.
Experience their latest Christmas advert here.
ASDA: Buddy the Elf
The British supermarket chain, ASDA, got a lot of people talking during 2022. With the release of their Essential range to help combat the cost of living crisis being a particularly hot topic, Christmas was no exception. They marked the festive period with the help of the lovable Buddy, from the classic film Elf.
The excited elf makes his first appearance in the ASDA car park, bumping into trolleys as he heads to the supermarket and realises there is a job going. Buddy the Elf is seen to be in his element as he is shown around the store by a colleague and stays overnight to redecorate the store all in the name of Christmas. For his hard work Buddy lands his dream role and the clever campaign line, ‘Have your Elf a Merry Christmas’ flashes up.
This Christmas marketing campaign was a fun and joyful way to share some festive magic, especially for Elf film fans and families.
Take a look at their latest 2022 advert here.
Celebrations: The Lonely Bounty
The confectionary brand is no stranger to a Christmas campaign and in 2021 they created a heart-warming seasonal story featuring two outsiders, called ‘The Lonely Bounty’. The Christmas marketing campaign follows a Bounty who is feeling alone and trying it’s best to find their perfect match. With several dates that don’t turn up, it’s safe to say the coconut based sweet treat is left feeling rejected and alone during the Christmas period. That is until a brussel sprout comes to its door in Love Actually style, confessing their love for the Bounty.
This Christmas love story of two outsiders was a great way to celebrate the festive season with the debate surrounding who likes Bounty’s and brussel sprouts making an almost guaranteed yearly comeback. It was a funny and lighthearted way to cut through the controversy these two food items cause, plus we get to see them fall in love and get the happy ending they deserve.
Revisit their 2021 festive advert here.
Aldi: Kevin the Carrot – Home Alone
Aldi was another supermarket that used a classic film to bring the magic of Christmas to life in their festive marketing campaign. Kevin the Carrot returned for his seventh Aldi Christmas campaign in a reimagining of the classic 1990 festive film Home Alone. The Christmas marketing campaign uses the film’s narrative to highlight its focus on the importance of family being together to celebrate this year.
Kevin the Carrot gets left behind from his family trip to Paris, as he’s busy playing football with famous faces, he’s left home alone where he hears an intruder. He works to make a stand against the intruder, similar to the main character Kevin McCallister in the 90s film, setting traps around the house to fend off the intruder. The big reveal is that the intruder was actually Santa all along, and Kevin is reunited with his family once again, with the heartwarming campaign line, “make Christmas amazing for everyone.”
The ad also highlights Aldi’s partnership with food donation charity Neighbourly, with Kevin’s family stopping to donate to a Neighbourly stand in the airport and have a chat with brand ambassador Marcus Rashford, reimagined for a second year as Marcus Radishford.
Take a look at their latest Christmas advert here.
Amazon: How joy is made
As the biggest internet retailer, Amazon, threw themselves into the festive spirit with their heartfelt Christmas marketing campaign. The ad is poignant and sentimental as it follows the story of a young child completely in awe of her festive snow globe. Her father realises the love she has for the festive snow globe and thinks outside the box, by creating a life-size version of the snow globe scene.
The Christmas marketing campaign encourages viewers to find their joy in using Amazon, emphasising the endless possibilities they have available and most importantly the ad inspires everyone to get creative with their gifts.
As a creative marketing agency, it’s obvious as to why we loved this festive campaign so much. Encouraging people to use their imagination and get creative with their gift giving is a great message to get out there and Amazon did it in a touching and innovative way that we all think is brilliant!
Enjoy their 2022 Christmas advert here.
Enjoyed our marketing insight and need help implementing your own seasonal content strategy? Contact Rawww, we’d be happy to help.
Image sources: 1) campaignlive.co.uk 2) vccp.com 3) thedrum.com 4) adweek.com 5) thesun.co.uk 6) advertisingweek.com 7) youtube.com 8) thegrocer.co.uk
