What makes a good Christmas campaign?

28th November 2024 by Natalie Tomlinson

If you’re anything like our team here, you will love a good Christmas advert.
A sprinkling of festive spirit, a loveable main character and a pull on the heart strings!
It’s a topic that always sparks a conversation at Active PR.
The release of the major retailers’ Christmas adverts marks the start of the festive period for many. They stir up memories and evoke the senses, from festive smells (think of a piping hot feast on the table, or some mulled wine) to a flashback of Christmas Eve panic shopping (we’ve all been there) and memories of our childhoods.
There are many Christmas adverts of the past that audiences still remember that made a lasting impression.
When asked to rifle through our ‘box of festive advert memories’ the team’s most memorable include John Lewis’ Buster the Boxer Dog (and the trampoline!), Aldi’s Kevin the Carrot’s Christmas scenarios and one for the 90s children amongst us – the Toys R Us advert – iconic theme tune and all.
So, what makes a good Christmas advert?
Producing a Christmas ad is a well-oiled machine, one with many cooks, with a lot of thought and months of planning.
Just like any good marketing campaign the advert has an aim… to capture the audience’s attention and get people talking about it.
It involves the message being shared across many channels – think TV, press release, social media, and sponsored content.
It enhances a brands reputation, trust and credibility, which is where additional PR around the theme can assist. For example, last year John Lewis backed up its Christmas campaign with a more than £1m to causes tackling loneliness through a network of charities.
Wider campaigns should communicate brand values and key messages. And that’s exactly what we do here at Active PR, we help to tell the story of your business to your target market. While your advertising can put your product front and centre, PR builds on this to let your target audience know that your values align with theirs.
The only thing we haven’t got in common with a good Christmas ad is that we are yet to come up with our own theme tune, but we’re working on it!
Wishing all our clients and contacts a very merry Christmas!