#7. Fa-La-La-La Land
Early Season's Greetings!
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Hi!
It’s been over 2 weeks since I put a 7-foot inflatable Christmas tree and 4-foot reindeer in my yard.
Hashtag NO REGRETS.
For obvious reasons, this year I crave the warmth and comfort of the holiday season more than I may have previously.
Sure, every year excitement builds around the holiday season.
(Marketers. have been really successful over the years at creating visions of sugar-plums dancing in our heads and playing on our need for a Bing Crosby White Christmas.
To break it down in fancy consumer behavioral science and marketing psychology terms, that formally translates to *cha-ching.*)
Read this complete post as a web page instead.
But this year, all the tension that’s built up for most of us thanks to back-to-back-to-back train wrecks means retailers anticipate holiday spending to reach new heights, especially via ecommerce channels.
Twitter reported 59% more impressions for holiday-themed tweets than 2019
US shoppers are projected to spend $190B+ online during the holiday season, 35.8% more than in 2019
The Black Friday-Cyber Monday (BFCM) weekend, from Thanksgiving Day to Cyber Monday, will account for about 20% of total holiday shopping, 39.6% more spend than last year
The stakes are pretty high. Because this season offers an opportunity to offset losses incurred throughout the rest of the year. The pandemic hit many industries hard. BFCM could be make-or-break.
For others (like Crocs, Amazon, etc), it’s just an opportunity to drive already record-high revenues through the roof.
Holiday Marketing Matters More in 2020
Of course, that means brands need to nail their holiday marketing.
Most brands remained fairly tame in their ads and campaigns this year.
The goal has mainly been to avoid coming across as insensitive or money-grubbing. Especially when so many people are struggling, with. issues ranging from from health to finances to loneliness to basic stress.
The holidays present the perfect chance for brands to connect and build customer relationships. (And also to turn good will into gold coins.)
For this newsletter, I thought it would be fun to look at a few examples of holiday brand marketing campaigns I’ve seen.
Some (fairly predictable) common themes seem to emerge among 2020 holiday marketing that have been prevalent the entire year.
Nods to our feelings of physical isolation.
Our desire for emotional connectedness.
Acknowledgement of these “unprecedented times.” 🤢🤮
Here’s a rundown of how various brands rose to the challenge and served up holiday goodness.
(Click any of the images below to watch the full video.
Or read this post as a web page with embedded videos for your convenience by clicking here.)
OREO: Oreo For Santa / Stay Playful; #ProudParent
So far, the 2019 holiday marketing campaign (#OreoForSanta) is still running for OREO. I suspect they’ll be releasing something new in the days to come, though. Gone are the days of strangers dipping cookies into the same glass of milk (for most of us).
Most brands this year will play it safe by depicting scenes of people a-carolling at an acceptably safe social distance or within social bubbles.
I’d also like to highlight the OREO #ProudParent campaign that launched a few weeks ago. OREO teamed up with PFLAG (the first and largest organization for LGBTQ+ people, their parents and families, and allies) to not only release this ad but also the first-ever Rainbow OREO Cookies.
A beautiful, artistic example of storytelling that goes beyond selling to actually creating a connective experience with the audience.
Coca-Cola: The Letter
Ugh, get the damn tissues out! Coca-Cola held no stops for their holiday marketing. It was directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Taika Waititi.
I’m not going to spoil this one for you if you haven't already seen or read about it.
This great bit of storytelling relies fully on visuals to connect and communicate.
“Our new advert reflects the real magic of Christmas – our greater appreciation for loved ones, a sense of community and our need to be present with each other this Christmas, above all else,” said Kris Robbens, Marketing Director at Coca-Cola Great Britain.
Walter Susini, SVP of marketing for Coca-Cola Europe, added: “It’s no secret that 2020 has been a difficult year on so many levels. Christmas is traditionally a time when people spend quality time with loved ones. However, given the year we’ve all had, spending dedicated time and being present in the moment with loved ones will be the priority above all else.”
Coca-Cola scaled back marketing this year, like many brands trying to figure out what the right message is for a pandemic-plagued world. So this campaign marks a renewed sense of direction.
Miller Lite: Farewell, Work Holiday Parties
I’ve never been a fan of office holiday parties. I know, free food and drinks, the chance to see your colleagues with a lampshade on their head. But I’d much rather have a holiday party during work hours and then spend my free time with family and friends.
I’ve seen a few people who disagree with me on Twitter.
But Miller Lite gets me (and you, if you feel similarly). Their 2020 holiday campaign says, “YAY, no office party! Just drink at home.” Or something inspirational like that.
Actually, Miller Lite Director of Activation Courtney Carter Dugan says it’s about “love and the human condition seen through an elegant and humorous lens.”
“With many companies canceling or taking their work parties virtual, we’ll be getting something we actually want for the holidays—more time to enjoy Miller Time with our real friends,” said Courtney Carter Dugan, director of activation for Miller Lite. “No one’s going to miss making awkward small talk or being forced to take silly photo-booth pictures with coworkers.”
What’s cool about this one is that an artist created sculptures of people for the ad. I honestly thought they were real, live humans until I read about his work.
Xfinity: The Greatest Gift
Xfinity scores major points for featuring The Office-alum Steve Carell in their holiday ad.
Playing Santa Clause, he kicks things off with just the proper nod to 2020. “Ho, ho, ho! Good morning, every-- you know what, I can’t even fake it. Look, after the year we just had, the usual gifts are just not going to cut it.”
Marketing with humor was a big no-no during the first half of the year when no one knew what was going on and we were all still reeling from the new reality of pandemic life.
But this ad shines as yet another example of bringing just the right kind of laughs into a marketing campaign.
“This year the internet has kept us more connected than ever, allowing us to do more than we thought possible, in the face of less-than-ideal circumstances,” said Todd Arata, senior vice president of brand marketing at Comcast.
It all comes right for your heartstrings when Steve-Carell-Santa ends with this killer line delivered to his hopeful elven helpers.
“This year has been harder than ever, and yet somehow you all found a way to pull it off. You reminded us it’s not about the toys. It’s about the little things.”
All the “Better Together” messages from big brands definitely felt a bit off throughout the year.
But this campaign captures what most of us are thinking or feeling. Or hoping to end this year thinking and feeling anyway.
United States Postal Service: HOME
The United States Postal Service appeared in a number of headlines this year. Definitely was a star player in the live politi-drama that was the 2020 American presidential election.
For the holidays, they’re reminding us they’re on the job and working, rain or shine or Christmas, to bring us all together.
Certainly reinforces the need to be grateful for all the essential workers who didn’t have the luxury of Zooming from home. And that sending packages and mail are going to be a critical way of spreading holiday cheer for many this year.
The toned-down vocals of Hamilton star Leslie Odom, Jr. singing I'll Be Home for Christmas clinched this one for me. The man’s voice could melt the icicles on anyone’s consumerism-jaded heart.
Quick fun fact I (re)discovered:
USPS runs “Operation Santa,” a 108-year-long campaign where the agency manages letters to Santa and employees even write back as Santa. In some cities, they publish letters online, and people can donate requested gifts to letter-writers. Just adorable.
Check it out yourself at USPSOperationSanta.com.
PooPourri.com: 2020 Stinks, Even for Santa
PooPourri marketing grabs me every time. From #FirstPooWithBoo to #GirlsDoPoop, they know exactly how to hit on the poo-related messaging that relates to their ideal customer persona.
Their holiday 2020 campaign doesn’t disappoint.
The first Black Mrs. Clause with a teeny weeny afro I’ve ever seen in a marketing campaign.
And Santa’s attempt at doing a TikTok trending dance to hot girl Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage” will live on in your memories beyond this 3:24-long video.
Not to mention their magical, instructional mantra of “Spritz the bowl. Drop the coal. Return the magic to the North Pole.”
Another win for one of the most original and daring brands around.
Amazon: The show must go on
I couldn’t tell at first if this was Amazon's official holiday 2020 marketing campaign because it doesn’t scream CHRISTMAS/HANUKKAH/KWANZAA. After watching it, I didn’t care.
This campaign is brilliant, beautiful, bold.
Simon Morris, vice president of global creative at Amazon, said it’s meant to represent the resilience of our global community.
It felt like a movie. (Can someone please make this a movie?)
The main character experiences many of the emotional challenges, heartbreaks and triumphs of pandemic life 2020. And the spot clocks in at less than 2 minutes.
It’s really no wonder this vid is a masterpiece. It features 17-year-old French ballet dancer Taïs Vinolo as the star. And Grammy-Award-winning filmmaker Melina Matsoukas, who among other things is responsible for some of my favorite Beyonce and Rihanna music videos, leads behind the camera.
Ballerina Vinolo said, “When I was growing up in the French countryside, there were no young Black girls studying ballet with hair like mine, or even on TV, meaning I had no one to identify myself with. Being on this shoot helped so much with this, enabling me to own who I really am, who I want to be and what I represent. I am so proud to have been part of this project since the message of it means a lot to me and even more so in this very difficult time that the world is going through.”
I cover 40+ campaigns in total from 2020.
But for the sake of email space, you can check out the list in its entirety here:
The Full Rundown of Holiday Marketing Campaigns 2020
If you're wondering where the B2B love was, I didn't see a lot of activity on that side of things. I'll be covering B2B holiday marketing in a separate post on my website very soon, though.
Have you seen any outstanding holiday marketing campaigns this year? I'd love to see them, especially if they're from B2B companies.
Share them with me here!
And until next time, adios, friend!
Other News in 3-2-1:
A thread of some great social media tips, tricks and tools (many of which I didn't know about)
🧠 The Psychology of Design: 101 Cognitive Biases & Principles That Affect Your UX
3 Benefits of Waitlists For Your Product Launch (Plus Examples)
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