Christmas marketing campaigns are not only an effective way of conveying a business’ employer branding, they are also an excuse for marketers everywhere to have a bit of fun in the name of joy and festivity! Rounding off the year with a memorable and entertaining marketing campaign will also ensure that your customers have you at the forefront of their mind going into 2019.
1.Sainsburys ‘The Big Night’
Sainsburys has created some memorable and tear-jerking Christmas adverts in the past few years, and their 2018 offering is no different. Their Christmas ad shows us a group of children overcoming their fears and performing for their increasingly impressed parents, dressed in a whole host of fun and festive costumes. The real star of the show went to the breakout meme of the ad, ‘Plug Boy’, which proceeded to go viral across social media following the ad’s unveiling. Whether this was planned or not, Plug Boy gave Sainsburys’ ad a much larger reach and set the standard for shareable Christmas marketing campaigns.
2. Apple
Apple’s stunning stop motion Christmas ad tells the story of Sofia, an artist who is reluctant to share her gift with the world, and follows her journey to coming out of her shell. Apple subtly but effectively displays their products throughout the ad, and a further behind the scenes video showed us how it was made predominantly using Apple products, providing further promotion and tying the whole campaign together.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dJCroCMBPM
3. Virgin Trains #ItsaWonderfulLine
Proving that Christmas campaigns aren’t limited to TV ads, Virgin Trains have collaborated with charity Rethink Mental Illness to spread kindness and awareness for those who may be feeling lonely during the festive season. To spread a touch of hope and joy, they have painted the entire script of It’a a Wonderful Life, a classic festive movie about redemption and dealing with a life that hasn’t gone to plan, on their station platforms from London Euston to Glasgow Central. Not only does this invoke high levels of Christmas nostalgia, working with a charity reflects on the brand well, positively affecting Virgin’s employer branding.
4. Twitter UK
This year, Twitter UK decided to pay homage to Mr. John Lewis, the American man repeatedly mistaken for the British retailer on Twitter. Playing in to a long-running online joke, this ad not only tickles the customer’s funny bone, it also adds a very unique personal touch to the brand, and gives the illusion that they know their users on an individual basis.
