Airbnb encourages customers to shun hotels with rare Christmas ad: The Marketing Week Christmas Blog 2024

27 November: Airbnb encourages customers to shun hotels with rare Christmas ad

Airbnb has launched a rare festive ad, highlighting the differences between staying at a hotel compared with an Airbnb.

The ad is part of the ‘Get an Airbnb’ brand platform, which the rental business started rolling out last year.

The creative features a narrative styled on the poem ‘A Visit from St.Nicholas’ as Santa struggles to navigate a hotel on Christmas eve, before successfully delivering presents to an Airbnb – with a chimney, of course.

“With many families preparing to travel this holiday, this newest ad in our ‘Get an Airbnb’ campaign shows how staying on Airbnb is Santa friendly, with many homes featuring room for a tree or a fully functioning chimney. This spot was developed by our in-house creative team, playfully bringing to life how Airbnb makes holidays even more merry,” says an Airbnb spokesperson.

Debuting its first Christmas ad comes as the brand ups its focus on brand building campaigns, as top marketer Hiroki Asai discussed in an interview with Marketing Week earlier this year.

18 November: Iceland showcases its festive food range in latest campaign

Iceland has carried on its partnership with brand ambassador Josie Gibson for its festive campaign, as a continuation of its brand platform launched earlier this year.

The ‘That’s why Santa goes to Iceland’ campaign consists of two 30-second spots and one 20-second spot which all reflect customers’ needs throughout the holiday season.

The videos showcase the range of festive food available, showing Gibson walk around the supermarket and interact with shoppers before tables full of the range, featuring collaborations with Greggs, TGI Friday’s and Cathedral City, fill the screen.

The campaign will span linear TV, CTV, BVOD, YouTube, print and digital publishing, radio, digital audio, and social media.

“The teams have worked tirelessly to deliver our best Christmas range ever and it has been important to create ads which let the products be the stars,” says Joseph Gummett, marketing director at Iceland and The Food Warehouse.

“Our approach is about consistency, reassurance, and showcasing Iceland’s unbeatable quality and value, not just for special meals, but every single day,” he adds.

The campaign was run in partnership with the7stars media agency.

17 November: Pepsi Max urges people to put ‘tools down’ this festive season

Pepsi Max’s Christmas ad aims to highlight that it’s acceptable to put down the to-do list and focus on the “stuff we really enjoy” this Christmas.

The TV advert kicks off Pepsi Max’s wider ‘It Can Wait’ Christmas campaign, which will also run across OOH, digital, TV, BVOD, radio and experiential.

Soundtracked to a remix of the festive classic, ‘It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas’ by UK artist Poppy Adjudh, the ad premiered yesterday (17 November) during the new series of I’m a Celebrity: Get Me Out of Here.

It showcases how life’s ‘have-to-do’s’ like work, heading to the gym and studying can wait until January, which aims to spotlight how Pepsi Max is an “ally for Christmas fun and enjoyment as friends and family come together”.

“As December hits, we know that a lot of things – whether that be work, studying or working out, can very much feel like a January problem as we all look to prioritise those precious moments together instead,” says Pepsi Max senior marketing director of beverages UK and Western Europe, Steven Hind.

“Our Christmas ad really brings to life this ‘tools down’ mentality to prioritise enjoyment during the festive period, while also embodying our brand ethos of being ‘thirsty for more’”

The campaign was devised by Pepsi’s in-house creative agency, Sips and Bites, and will also air across 29 territories.

15 November: AI-generated Coca-Cola Christmas ad scoops highest effectiveness score

The 1995 original ‘Holidays Are Coming’ festive ad from Coca-Cola was canned this week in favour of an AI-generated version to bring the campaign to “today’s times”.  

It might seem like a risky creative choice, however, the ad is so far resonating with customers, according to System1.

The effectiveness firm has scored the AI ad 5.9 stars, the highest rating available, for both the 60-second and 15-second versions.  

“While industry opinions may vary, it’s clear Coca-Cola has kept enough familiar elements from the original—like the soundtrack, iconic assets and narrative—to ensure another strong performance this season. Consistency continues to compound creativity, AI-generated or not!” says Andrew Tindall, SVP partnerships at System1.  

Read Marketing Week’s full interview with Coca-Cola’s European CMO Javier Meza here.  

15 November: JD Sports celebrates modern families this Christmas

JD Sports has unveiled a family-centric Christmas campaign, expanding on its ‘Forward Forever’ brand platform introduced in last year’s festive ad. This year, the retailer spotlights what it sees as the essence of the holiday season: the spirit of family.

This year’s ad features British stars like Central Cee and Maya Jama alongside their real families to celebrate everyone’s closest connections at this time of year.

The ad features kitchen scenes, new babies and friends dancing at a rave to paint a picture of family life in 2024. Central Cee is joined by three lifelong friends, while Maya Jama and her two younger brothers Che and Omar are battling it out for the front seat of their mum Sadie’s car.

It aims to celebrate both the conventional and unique rituals family and friends take part in at Christmas.

Everyone in the ad is wearing JD Sport products and accessories including Adidas, Nike and North Face.

Campaign activations will be continued in-store with customers able to visit the ‘JD House’ photo booth to capture images with their own friends and family.

Chris Waters, UK & EU marketing director at JD Sports explains the “JD ‘Family’ campaign honours not just the families were born into, “but also those we choose along the way”.

He explains that at this time of year, the “essence of family is woven into everyday life” and the aim of the campaign is to “highlight the authentic connections and lived experiences of all forms of family”.

The ad features Jamie XX’s song ‘Wanna’ and is produced with Uncommon creative studio.

14 November: Sports Direct celebrates new festive sporting occasions

Sports Direct has launched a star-studded festive campaign spotlighting new traditions and sporting occasions over the Christmas period.

The ad stars sporting icons including football veteran Frank Lampard, England and Chelsea footballer Lucy Bronze, boxing industry entrepreneur Eddie Hearn, England Rugby player Maro Itoje and endurance athlete Russ ‘Hardest Geezer’ Cook.

The ad celebrates the idea families can incorporate new sporting traditions into their festive season, depicting occasions from football matches to functional fitness in the garage.

According to data from the retailer, almost two thirds (64%) of UK adults will engage in sporting traditions over the festive period, with almost half of those people (29%) planning to do so for the first time. The two in three figure includes 19% who will go on a run, while a further one in ten (12%) will play football with family and friends. Over half the nation will engage in a hike or walk (56%) over the festive period and 31% will do some form of functional fitness.

The advert is peppered with Sports Direct products, including items from Puma, Nike, Adidas and Under Armour.

“This winter season, we’re challenging sports enthusiasts to level up their usual festivities, embrace new traditions, and elevate their holidays with sport – whether it’s a Boxing Day football match or a winter walk,” says David Clark, chief customer officer at parent company Frasers Group.

“Our ‘New Traditions’ holiday campaign spotlights the world’s best sporting brands, including Nike, adidas, PUMA, Under Armour and Everlast, showcasing Sports Direct as the ultimate sports destination offering quality, choice and the best kit money can buy.”

8 November: O2 shines light on data poverty in festive ad

O2 is highlighting the impact of data poverty in its Christmas campaign for 2024, as it looks to raise awareness of the National Databank, the initiative it set up in 2021 to provide free data for those in need.

The ad, created with VCCP, draws attention to the difficulty of living without mobile data, using real people’s experiences to underline the extent of the problem. It tells the story of a young man who is struggling to complete his studies, a father and daughter who are unable to stream something to watch while on a coach journey and a women at a laundrette having difficulty staying in touch with loved ones.

Throughout the ad, sim cards fall like snowflakes to help connect people.

There are reportedly 2 million households living in data poverty, according to Ofcom data. O2 set up the National Databank with Good Things Foundation to provide free mobile data to those who need it most.

O2 has created a zero-rated web page, which is exempt from data charges, to support the campaign and provide further information on how the National Databank can help.

Simon Valcarcel, marketing director at Virgin Media O2, says: “We wanted to use our platform this festive season to share the realities of not having data in an honest and relatable way, while raising awareness of the support available via the National Databank. Through this campaign, we hope to encourage people across the country to spread the word that those in need can get free O2 mobile data from their nearest O2 store.”

7 November: Advertisers set to spend ‘record’ amount this festive season

Cadbury has launched a campaign focused on the tradition of advent calendars, aimed at making the brand part of everyone’s countdown to Christmas.

This is the first time Cadbury has launched an ad focused on advent calendars, a tradition which chocolate brands are, of course, a key part of. Cadbury is the market leader, with its Dairy Milk calendar the number one product in the category.

To countdown towards 1 December, when the first door of an advent calendar is opened, Cadbury will run 24 unique out of home executions through December, each representing a day of the advent calendar.

Working with agency partners VCCP, Cadbury sought to capture diverse celebrations in the creative. The series of ads featuring “real-life moments” will also been shown across YouTube and on wider social media.

“This year, we wanted to celebrate the unique heart-warming and funny moments that people across the UK look forward to each Christmas and highlight counting down to these with a Cadbury advent calendar,” says Cadbury brand manager, Nicola Partridge.

Cadbury has been running its ‘Secret Santa’ creative each festive season since 2018, with ads featuring its postie, Jeff, now becoming a regular fixture of the run up to Christmas. This year’s initiative launched earlier this week and will run until the 22 December.

5 November: Lego transforms ‘boring’ holiday periods into ‘moments of joy’ with new cat character

The Lego Group has introduced a new character in its global holiday campaign to spotlight the importance of holiday fun.

‘Cataclaws’ was born from the imagination of kids to represent play. The character shows up in “boring and disconnected” periods of the holiday to transform them into “moments of joy and fun” that bring families closer together.

The hero film features over 20 different Lego products, unique builds, and cameos from famous characters. The ad was produced and developed by its in-house agency in partnership with the Lego global brand development team, Brazilian directing duo Alaska and production company New-Land.

SVP and head of Our Lego agency, Nic Taylor says, “[Cataclaws] represents the power of children’s innate creativity, reminding us all that there is no limit to where our imagination can take us when building with Lego bricks and unlocking those special moments with family and friends through play.”

Alongside the holiday film and 360 campaign activations including 3D digital OOH, social media and broadcast, the Lego Group will be launching a number of Lego store activations across the globe.

5 November: Etsy asks ‘Where’s Wally?’ to highlight the ‘magic’ of holiday gifting

Etsy’s 2024 Christmas ad features iconic global character Wally (or Waldo) of the ‘Where’s Wally’ series to highlight the emotional act of gift-giving.

‘Wally’ showcases a real-life Etsy seller interaction that aims to highlight the role Etsy plays in creating holiday memories and traditions.

The ad shows Wally walking through crowds and constantly asked “Where’s Wally?” but never “Who’s Wally?” suggesting he is “often spotted, but rarely truly seen”. However, the ad ends with a scene of someone giving him a gift that suggests deep consideration went into it.

The ad is part of a 360-degree marketing campaign that will run across TV, OOH, and social media in the UK and the US.

The holiday campaign builds upon the brand’s gifting strategy launched earlier this year, which combines AI and human curation to aid users in finding the “perfect present”.

“Our holiday campaign highlights how Etsy sellers aren’t just making products, they’re creating moments of connection,” says Etsy’s chief brand officer Brad Minor.

“Whether it’s Waldo feeling recognised or stories inspired by real sellers, our creative shows how thoughtful, original gifts can make people feel celebrated by those who know them best.”

4 November: Amazon looks to capture ‘spirit of workplace camaraderie’ as janitor takes centre stage

 

Amazon is hoping to capture the “spirit of workplace camaraderie” with a festive ad focused on a janitor at a theatre whose colleagues celebrate his hidden vocal talent.

The ‘Midnight Opus’ film opens with the janitor going about his daily tasks in the theatre, quietly singing to himself. Colleagues overhear his voice and decide to orchestrate a special surprise, transforming the theatre into a performance-worthy stage, complete with lighting and an instrumental backing track.

Decked out in a black tuxedo jacket – delivered by Amazon – the janitor’s colleagues sit back and enjoy his rendition of the 1965 classic ‘What the World Needs Now Is Love’.

Amazon’s customers were the inspiration behind the campaign, according to Ed Smith, general manager of EU integrated marketing.

“We are honoured to play even a small part in helping make these moments of connection and generosity possible,” says Smith. “We hope that Midnight Opus inspires viewers to embrace the spirit of lifting each other up this holiday season and that they feel they can relate to the story, whether they’re the ones following their dreams, or supporting others in achieving theirs.”

Produced by Amazon’s internal creative team in partnership with production company Hungry Man, the ad goes live on 4 November in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Ireland, Austria, Belgium, Netherlands and Sweden. The creative will then launch in the US and Canada on 18 November and run throughout December, mixing TV with video-on-demand, online cinema and social.

4 November: Shelter focuses on the cruel reality of temporary accommodation for second year running

Shelter’s 2024 Christmas ad focuses on the harsh reality of temporary accommodation, appealing for donations as a record 150,000 children face homelessness this Christmas, according to government figures.

Created with Don’t Panic, the advert is set in space showing a little girl and her dad spacewalking across the landscape. But the reality of living in temporary accommodation brings them back to earth and it becomes clear the space world is an imaginary one created by the dad to make his daughter feel safe.

When they return back to space, a flicker of emotion across the dad’s face shows the constant stress he is under and his brave attempts to make his little girl feel safe.

The film ends with the tagline: ‘Love alone can’t protect a child from homelessness, but your donations could.’

The campaign builds on the success of Shelter’s 2023 Christmas campaign ‘Good As Gold’ that focused on a young girl behaving especially well in the run up to Christmas in the hope that her dream of having a home would be granted.

To create the campaign, Shelter and Don’t Panic worked closely with people who had lived experience of temporary accommodation.

The film was directed by Nicholas Goffey and Dominic Hawley who have previously worked with brands including Nike, Barnardos, Rightmove and M&S Food and is scored with German folk singer Sibylle Baier’s ‘Forget About’.

1 November: SharkNinja brings in David Beckham for its first global omnichannel festive campaign

SharkNinja has teamed up with David Beckham to help consumers ‘Ninja the Holidays’ in the brand’s first global omnichannel campaign.

The ad shows David Beckham getting his home, and kitchen, ready for Christmas, as he uses a range of Ninja appliances to make a Christmas dinner in “record time”.

The campaign will feature on TV screens across the globe as well as appearing on billboards in New York City, Los Angeles, Miami and London.

It is also set to extend across social channels, with Adam Petrick, chief marketing officer, saying the campaign will “reach our consumers around the world and spotlight the breadth of Ninja products that can help them cook, entertain, and gift this holiday season”.

The campaign comes after the brand reported strong growth in Q3, including a 33.2% rise in net sales to £1.1bn.

1 November: Debenhams bring British talent together for Christmas in lighthearted campaign

Debenhams’ latest Christmas campaign ‘Duh, Debenhams’ shows the online retailer branding itself as the perfect destination for consumers looking to ease seasonal shopping stress.

Created with agency Exposure, the ad opens with a stressed shopper’s bags breaking and dropping her gifts onto a rainy pavement before Debenhams saves the day as “Britain’s online department store”.

The ad then shows actress Elizabeth Hurley, model and TV host Leomie Anderson, comedian Ellie Taylor, and presenter/podcaster Hannah Cooper-Dommett highlighting the peace that comes with doing Christmas shopping online with Debenhams.

A multichannel campaign is set to run alongside the 30 second ad, including placements at The Outernet, Manchester Piccadilly and London Euston. The hashtag #DuhDebenhams is also being promoted for use across social media.

Debenhams CEO Dan Finchley says the ad “flips the script on festive shopping chaos and boldly establishes us as the ultimate answer for a stress-free Christmas shopping experience”.

1 November: Argos brings back brand mascots Trevor the dinosaur and Connie the doll

Argos has launched its 2024 Christmas campaign with an ad starring brand mascots Connie the doll and Trevor the dinosaur.

The festive spot, created by T&Pm is about Christmas dreams, and features Trevor living out his own personal aspiration to be as a rock star, as he performs a version of T-Rex’s hit ’20th Century Boy’. He is standing on a mountain of Marshall speakers, performing to a crowd full of his best friend Connie.

The end of the ad shows Trevor waking up from his dream before he is gifted a Marshall speaker from Connie, bringing a slice of his fantasy into reality.

Festive brand mascots are a popular device for brands, with Aldi and M&S being among those who have used the tactic in recent years. However, unlike many other advertisers, Argos is using Connie and Trevor beyond just the festive season.

The 2024 festive ad builds on the ‘There’s More To Argos’ brand platform which launched last year, designed to show the unexpected products the retailer offers.

Brand mascots Trevor and Connie have been starring in Argos ads since last year. They first appeared in a spring 2023 ad, ‘There’s more to Argos’ and have since featured in the brand’s Coronation Street sponsorship ads.

This festive iteration of the platform was directed by The Greatest Showman director Michael Gracey.  The 40-second ad will air for the first time this evening during shows including Gogglebox and Big Brother.

30 October: TK Maxx bets on consistency as farm animals return for second outing

TK Maxx is placing its bets on consistency this Christmas, as the retailer brings back its ‘Festive Farm’ for this year’s holiday season.

Created by Wieden+Kennedy, the ad featuring a number of farmyard creatures donning designer gear was first run in 2023. It stars the beret-wearing Lil’ Goat, a bow tied duck, jumper wearing alpaca and hedgehog dressed in a bobble hat.

The Lil’ Goat character had previously appeared in TK Maxx’s 2020 Christmas ad, taking a two year break before its reappearance last year.

To coincide with the ad’s launch on 7 November, the brand and agency Ogilvy have partnered with the creator of the TikTok and Instagram account Sylvanian Drama to create a three-part social content series starring the ad’s characters.

Additionally, fans will be able to buy soft toys of the characters in TK Maxx stores, with proceeds going to the retailer’s charity partner, The King’s Trust.

TK Maxx’s decision to double down on its festive ad offering from last year follows a 2023 festive season where consistency paid off for brands. According to System1’s Test Your Ad platform, which predicts the effectiveness of advertising, Aldi and Coca-Cola took the number one and two spots respectively for festive campaigns last year.

Coca-Cola re-ran its ‘Holidays Are Coming’ ad, which has been on screens for nearly 30 years, while Aldi also showed the power of consistency through another use of its Kevin the Carrot character.

Kevin has become a regular festive fixture for the supermarket and has appeared in a different adventure each year since 2016. Aldi also stocks Kevin toys over the festive season. M&S Food is another major retailer that has deployed brand characters in its festive advertising, with its fairy – voiced by Dawn French – making her third appearance in the retailer’s 2023 ad.

30 October: FatFace looks to ‘broaden’ target audience with festive film

FatFace is hoping to reach a wider target audience with a Christmas campaign aimed at celebrating gifts that last a lifetime.

The ‘It’s a Wonderful Gift’ campaign is pitched as an amplification of the retailer’s existing ‘Made for Life’ brand platform and follows a cardigan worn by a family over the course of a year.

A gift for mum on Christmas morning, the cardigan is playfully ‘stolen’ by her husband to do the gardening, her son to share on Instagram and her granddaughter for a race through the garden.

The film culminates with the mum character giving her family members each their own FatFace cardie the following Christmas. A UK-focused campaign, the creative is being pushed out in FatFace stores, as well as on Instagram, Meta and TikTok.