As the Holidays approach, stores will start to decorate, towns will put up lights, and companies will launch their holiday commercials and advertisements. This is a competitive time of year for brands and marketers, generating the biggest sales of the year and capturing the attention of customers.

The best holiday campaigns get their point across without adding to the already chaotic holiday noise. Play your cards right with a message that resonates emotionally and viewers are more likely to share the ad and connect your products with loved ones around them. This is a season of opportunity for marketers worldwide.

Here are 3 examples of great holiday campaigns to use for inspiration.

Strong Emotions with Coca-Cola

The little girl's dad is determined to get her letter to Santa, not knowing her wish is for her dad to be home for the holidays. He finds himself going through every bad situation possible on his journey. Upon his arrival, he finds that the North Pole is closed. Dreams seem to be dashed, but Santa saves the day when he arrives in a Coca-Cola truck, and thanks to an unexpected and sweet twist of fate, makes the girl’s Christmas wishes come true.

Spending quality time with loved ones is a better gift than anything you can buy. The lesson here is that making a connection with your audience is very important during this emotional time of year.

Light Hearted Laughter from Microsoft

Microsoft released this heart-warming ad during the first holiday season of the pandemic. The puppy wants to play and approaches everyone in the home, but they are all too busy spending time on their Microsoft products. In the end, the dog connects with his canine friends online and they go on a fun adventure enjoying all the virtual games his human family had been playing.

The takeaway from this ad is that humor can connect you to your audience. The silly, playful dogs having their own fun with Microsoft leave viewers with a warm memory.

A Cultural Connection Thanks to Disney

This Holiday advertisement brings together cheer, culture, and history by taking us back to 1940 when a Filipino family gives their little girl her first Mickey plush. As the little girl grows into an older woman, she passes it down to her granddaughter who doesn’t appreciate it as much as she did. After it breaks, the granddaughter - now a young adult - realizes how much it meant to her grandma and fixes it for her as a present.

This ad demonstrates what holidays mean to the Filipino culture and values; this video really brought together many people.

Takeaway

These holiday campaigns are examples of brand marketing that creates a genuine connection with audiences, building better engagement with would-be customers. For brands and marketers, this time of year is competitive; these ads show how to draw consumer attention in a period of record sales, and keep customers happy while you do it.

Interested in more? Check out 3 Holiday Campaigns We Love.