It’s the most wonderful time of the year…for holiday marketing that is. Christmas is only a few days away and it’s highly likely you have been exposed to some pretty creative marketing tactics. Consumers spend more time online, watching T.V. and going to the movies this time of year which means companies are making a bigger effort to grab your attention. Here are our 3 favorite holiday marketing campaigns.
Budweiser
The Budweiser Clydesdales have been a recognizable symbol of Christmas for years. Budweiser, who is the country’s 3rd highest selling beer brand, and one of our best clients, has used the Clydesdales to refer to the groups of Clydesdale horses that pulled beer wagons for Budweiser at the turn-of-the-century. Of course, nothing warms the heart of a consumer more than live animals in a marketing campaign, especially during the holidays. Since 2014, Budweiser has shifted gears and has been appealing to a slightly different audience, millennials. Their #HolidayBuds campaign is encouraging their consumers to snap pictures of their products and post them to social media. It’s a great example of how a company is able to connect an offline world to an online world.
REI
Their campaign to #OptOutside instead of opting to shop on Black Friday sent echoes of praise through both their consumers and the advertising world. We love that this company started this idea because it makes us all surrender to the hustle and bustle that is Black Friday (and holiday shopping in general) and shows us the importance of spending time in our surroundings with the people we love the most. Of course, we value the efforts that companies put forth to grab the attention of consumers during the holidays, but there is something extra special about the gift of time. Check out more about this campaign and how millions of people and hundreds of companies chose to go out with them this holiday season.
Coca-Cola Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola quickly pops into our head when we think of companies who get into the holiday spirit. They have been working hard to brand themselves since 1931. That’s 86 holiday seasons. Of course, their soda pop has been around much longer, it’s been bottled since 1891. Their approach to the Christmas season has obviously changed over the years but one thing, or should we say, one notable person, has stayed the same: Santa. Over the years, Coca-Cola has referenced familiar stories, pop culture and other current events to become the perfect holiday brand. Santa has been there every step of the way. He has been seen drinking bottles of the famous Coca-Cola in his holiday outfit, sitting in front of a Christmas tree with popular toys, and listening to children’s Christmas wishes. This image of Santa, red suit and all, connects with us every year. Even though Coca-Cola fully denies the claim that Santa wears a red suit because Coca-Cola’s brand is red, it has certainly helped their holiday marketing campaign. We don’t know about you, but when we see Santa drinking an iced cold Coca-Cola, we know Christmas will be here soon.