Lights are coming down, trees are abandoned on the sidewalks, and stockings are no longer hung. The holidays may be over, but we’re still reveling in those last few fleeting weeks of the season.
The holiday season always calls for twinkling lights, great food, QT with the fam, and… heart-wrenching, tear-jerking and feel-good marketing campaigns. Take a look at some of our favorite marketing campaigns from this holiday season:
Edeka
This German supermarket’s Christmas advertisement is guaranteed to leave you in tears. I couldn’t stop thinking about this commercial after I saw it – and that’s the point, right? In the ad, an elderly man prepares to spend yet another Christmas alone since his children normally cancel their last-minute visits. The grown children then receive letters saying their father has passed away. When they travel back to where they grew up they’re surprised to be greeted by their very alive father. He says, “How else could I have brought you all together?”
This ad was about realizing what matters most around the holidays: spending time with family and the people you love.
Fun Fact: The ad garnered 33.5 million views on YouTube within a week of going live.
Hallmark
This year, Hallmark launched its first ever digital-only marketing campaign. On its microsite, #KeepsakeIt Together, a series of YouTube videos and stories, was featured. Unlike the more traditional narrative Hallmark commercials, the online video shorts showcased imperfect family holiday traditions and moments. Our personal favorite was the “Perfectionist Mom” short. Check it out:
Starbucks
Let’s be real, it isn’t really the Holidays until the Starbucks’ signature #RedCups are introduced. This is no secret to the coffee empire, which is why they created this brilliant campaign around an aspect of their brand that was already generating a ton of buzz.
Starbucks customers were invited to participate in the Starbucks Red Cup Contest on Instagram by snapping a photo of their red Starbucks cup with the hashtag #RedCupContest for a chance to win a Starbucks gift card.
Fun Fact: On average, a photo of a Starbucks red cup was shared on Instagram every 14 seconds this season. So much user generated content! Genius.
What were your favorite holiday marketing campaigns? Share with us in the comments below!