It’s the season for holiday ads. To cut through the noise, brands need to focus on what resonates with consumers, and maybe even have a little fun.
Here are four holiday ad campaigns that caught our eye.
1.Walmart
campaign: Walmart’s Black Friday Deals campaign reunites Mean Girls stars Lindsay Lohan, Lacey Chabert and Amanda Seyfried as adult versions of the characters they played in the cult classic.
The spot features other cast members including Rajiv Surendra, who played Kevin Gunapour in the original film, Daniel Franzese, who played Damian, and Missy Elliott, who sang “Pass That Dutch” in the film. He also makes a cameo appearance.
Why it works: Similar to Mattel’s Barbie movies and Forever 21’s Juicy Couture line, this campaign appeals to a sense of nostalgia among consumers, especially those who plan to spend more this holiday season than any other generation, according to PwC. Millennials). But it’s not just nostalgia that’s driving the “Mean Girls” craze. The trailer for the movie version of the musical “Mean Girls” has just been released, which could mean Walmart’s campaign will resonate with other excited viewers.
2. Coca-Cola Company
campaign: Coca-Cola’s “The World Needs More Santas” begins with a city of Santas who always help each other. But about half way through the ad, Santas are replaced by ordinary street people, depicting how people’s “inner Santa” comes out when they perform acts of kindness.
Why it works: Coca-Cola is widely credited with popularizing the image of Santa Claus that we know and love today, so it makes sense that they would lean on that image for their holiday campaigns. But more importantly, as we learned from Bud Light, this ad “makes a statement” without touching on any controversial topics. This can be counterproductive.
3. Ocean Spray
campaign: Ocean Spray’s Power Your Party spot is one of this year’s more bizarre holiday ads. The campaign features what looks like someone poured Ocean Spray cranberry juice into a punch bowl to spice up a boring party. The juice causes a swirling motion in the bowl, which party guests imitate while electronic dance music music plays in the background.
Why it works: Absurd humor is great for engaging younger consumers, especially Gen Z. This is the kind of commercial that people watch over and over again (as you can tell from the YouTube comments) and share it with their friends just because it’s funny, which is great for building brand awareness.
4. Etsy
campaign: Etsy’s Your Mission campaign takes on the impossible task of finding the perfect holiday gift for your loved one. One spot depicts a father searching for a gift for twins with different tastes. Another picture shows her daughter finding something perfect for her father, who “couldn’t want more”. Each ad features a Mission: Impossible theme, giving it a touch of comedy and drama.
Why it works: Although Etsy’s 2024 U.S. retail e-commerce sales ($8.51 billion) are a fraction of those of Amazon ($326.35 billion) and eBay ($35.02 billion), this campaign , highlighting its unique and personalized products could help the brand differentiate itself from other marketplaces.
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