Sam Walters | General Manager, Consulting, Cubery
Ah, hear that? The jingle bells of Christmas marketing are ringing—ushering in a season filled with heartwarming stories, CGI magic, and humour-packed ads. And as predictably as Mariah Carey hitting the charts, we’ll soon be flooded with headlines along the lines of “The Best Christmas Ads Ever” and “Holiday Ads Are the Cream of the Crop’. But amidst the festive dazzle and fanfare, one awkward question often arises: What was the brand again?
You see, each Christmas a strange phenomenon emerges. Emotion takes centre stage, often leaving the brand in the shadows. And who can blame CMOs for following this well-trodden path? After all, emotion-led analysis has in recent years reinforced the belief that purely creative ads are the golden ticket to Christmas success.
The John Lewis effect is still at play — nearly two decades on from the retailer’s first big Christmas ad, their emotionally stirring festive campaigns still resonate. They mastered the art of heartwarming storytelling, embedding their brand into the festive fabric. Naturally, many followed suit, leading to a wave of big-budget, tear-jerking tales each year. They’re often wonderful, much anticipated creatives, but I repeat ‘many followed suit’.
The tinsel and tears created a Christmas Sea of Sameness.
And here’s the challenge, if you took a step back and view it through the eyes of the average consumer, the sheer volume of advertising wastage at Christmas becomes glaringly obvious. Marketing guru Byron Sharp’s words should echo in the mind, "Emotion is the vehicle, not the destination." An ad that makes people laugh or cry but leaves them clueless about the brand is like hosting the best Christmas party but forgetting to introduce yourself to the guests.
Overemphasizing emotion can clash with the empirical truth about advertising: If people can't remember who an ad is for, it's failed its primary mission—building ‘mental availability’.
With that in mind, we dove into nearly a decade’s worth of data to examine Christmas ad performance in two critical areas for mental availability:
- Creativity (strength of emotional response)
- Commerciality (strength of brand linkage)
The results? Stark. There's zero—yes, zero—correlation between a Christmas ad’s emotional punch and its ability to lodge the brand in viewers’ memories.
Only one-in-five Christmas ads nail both Creativity and Commerciality. Here's the kicker: that means Christmas ads are 40% less likely than the average ad to achieve this outcome. Bah, humbug indeed.
Let’s bring this to life with a couple of examples: a ‘Christmas Cracker’ and a ‘Silent Night’ from the grid above.
Australia Post consistently delivers at Christmas (pun intended), and their ’23 campaign was no exception. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbzYhXNp7GE Striking gold by blending humour with brand-focused storytelling. The clever concept of Santa working as an intern not only provided a fresh, comedic twist on the festive season but also reinforced the brand's core message of reliability and efficiency. The campaign made it clear that, just like Santa, Australia Post is dedicated to delivering during the holiday rush. This seamless integration ensured the festive cheer was directly tied to the brand, making it both memorable and meaningful.
Now, contrast this with ALDI Australia’s 2018 campaign. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyXvISPqEJA Santa again taking centre stage in a beautifully crafted narrative filled with heartwarming visuals and a charming storyline. However, while the ad resonated emotionally, it fell short in one critical area—brand linkage. Despite the strong creative execution, viewers found it challenging to connect the heartwarming story back to ALDI, there was little that look nor felt distinctive to the brand.
Lessons for Marketers: Keep your Brand atop the Tree
The takeaway is clear, and I’ll repeat this ad nauseum: As you craft campaigns—especially at Christmas—let emotion amplify, not overshadow, your brand. Emotional resonance is powerful, but it must reinforce your brand’s identity. The emotional highs should enhance, not eclipse, your brand's distinctiveness.
I’m looking forward to seeing which brands will defy the odds this Christmas. Time will tell!