With the holidays fast approaching, we thought, what better way to get into the spirit than to rank our all-time favorite holiday ad campaigns? Utilizing holiday ads is a great way for your company to get creative, engage your customers, and remain a fierce contender among your competitors during the holiday shopping season. We took a look at holiday ad campaigns, both classic and new, and noted the reasons behind their memorability.
Here are our top 10 favorites that we felt spread the most holiday cheer:
1. Coca-Cola: Polar Bears
The soda company has been doing holiday ads right since 1931, when they first featured a jolly Santa drinking a Coca-Cola. Our all-time favorite Coca-Cola ad campaign is the classic, fun-loving polar bears that always combine a mix of snow adventures with some holiday sparkle. The penguins sometimes featured in these ads have made the cuteness level insurmountable through the years.
2. M&M’s: They Do Exist
The fun candy brand brings us back to when believing in Santa was the best part about the magic of Christmas. In this classic commercial, the M&M’s and Santa are shocked to discover that one another exist. Good luck trying to refrain from smiling while watching this one.
3. Hershey’s Kisses: We Wish you a Merry Christmas
Short, sweet, and to the point, this classic always does a great job of ringing in the holiday season (literally). With the Hershey’s Kisses being used as bells to provide you with a Christmas carol, you will certainly feel more festive after watching this one.
4. Macy’s: Believe
Developed a few years ago by this department store giant, this campaign is for a great cause. For every letter a child writes to Santa and delivers to a Macy’s “Letters to Santa” mailbox, $1 will be donated to the Make-a-Wish-Foundation. Looks like Santa will have a lot of reading to do this holiday season.
5. Apple: Misunderstood
Apple won an Emmy for this heartfelt commercial that first aired last year. It shows a young boy looking completely preoccupied with his iPhone, rather than enjoying holiday time with his family. However, we learn that he was capturing memories for his family to enjoy later in a video compilation. Maybe have some tissues on hand before watching this one, it’s a bit of a tearjerker.
6. Campbell’s Soup: Snowman
“Let it Snow” is playing in the background of this classic holiday commercial which perfectly portrays the warmth of home on a cold winter night. In the ad, a snowman comes in from the cold and sits down to a nice hot bowl of Campbell’s soup. The soup warms him up until the snowman melts away and a young happy boy is revealed. Sorry Frosty.
7. Budweiser Anheuser-Bush: Clydesdales
The combination of snow, sleigh bells, and the beautiful Clydesdales in this holiday ad campaign makes it such a classic. A Christmas tree is placed into a sleigh being pulled by the Clydesdales in what looks like a majestic winter wonderland.
8. Miller Lite: Enjoy the Lites
The beer company’s “Enjoy the Lites” ad campaigns are super creative and combine an awesome Christmas light display with accompanying music.
9. Target: Alice in Marshmallow Land
Target has always been creative with their holiday ad campaigns. This season, they did it again with this fun and adorable Alice-and-Wonderland-like commercial. It features a little girl in “Marshmallow Land,” where all of her toys come to life.
10. John Lewis: Monty the Penguin
This cute new commercial tells the story of a young boy and his penguin, Monty. Monty longs for companionship, so the boy finds a way to help make him feel better just in time for the holidays. It’s heartfelt and thoughtful, with a cover of John Lennon’s “Real Love” playing as the perfect soundtrack.
Each of these ad campaigns is memorable in some way, creating a lasting impact on consumers. Happy holidays!
