Talking Points
November 2024

How Marketers Do The Holidays

Every month, we bring you new stories and advice designed to make your marketing the best it can be. Then December arrives, and we remember that holiday marketing is a category all on its own. There are countless examples, of course, so we decided to celebrate by singling out five videos from recent years that truly stand out from the rest, all for very different reasons.

WestJet
“Christmas Miracle”

First up, a short story from Canadian airline WestJet. Two seasons ago, their marketing team rolled out this clever promotion and it immediately went viral. Mixing holiday travel with giving in a truly heart-warming way, the video brings a smile every time.

 Fruit of the Loom
“The Rules of Underwear Giving”

This campaign featured the video along with online content, including a quiz that helped you determine which people on your shopping list would be appropriate recipients for underwear. It smartly transformed an awkward product for holiday giving into a hilarious and very unconventional promotion.

JCPenny
“The Gift of Giving”

In this holiday campaign entitled “Jingle More Bells,” JCP ask one group of shoppers to spread holiday cheer by giving to complete strangers while they foot the bill. Sure, it was a calculated stunt, but the footage is inspiring, and the video got over 2 million views. The retailer took to social media and leveraged the attention with the hashtag #JustGotJingled.

Apple
“Misunderstood”

It doesn’t get much more heart-warming than this. With an unexpected plot twist, played out in a very contemporary way, Apple captures the essence of spending the holidays with family while also slyly demonstrating how its iPhone can capture the memories and allow them to live on forever.

 Hershey’s
“We Wish You A Merry Christmas”

This one’s all about simplicity. A traditional Christmas symbol. A familiar, festive tune. And a tasty chocolate treat. Fifteen seconds is more than enough for this oldie-but-goodie to deliver its holiday message. Few holiday campaigns stand the test of time, but this is one of them.

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