The Battle for the Heart of Christmas: How Brands Craft Timeless Holiday Ads

A church bell chimes to herald midnight and – as the snow begins to fall – we see near-empty streets, towns, and woods around the country, all against a backdrop of soaring choral music. This is, ultimately, an attempt by a large multinational to get people to spend more money on their mass-market beer. Or, at the very least, to have their brand piggy-back on the positive feelings people have at this time of year.

Despite that, few would argue that Guinness' ad is now a core part of an Irish Christmas. For some, its airing marks the official start of the festive season. "There is an ad that is very much timeless," says Deirdre Waldron, CEO of ad agency TBWA Dublin.

TBWA has been responsible for a range of Christmas ads including Supervalu’s 'Share the Magic’ campaign. But it can also trace its roots back to Irish International, the agency that created the classic Guinness ad. Guinness’ Christmas ad is 20 years old this year but it is clearly still held in high esteem. Last year it topped Red C’s ‘Who Won Christmas Ad Test’ - which looks at how an ad performs across a range of measures; including creativity, distinctiveness, and emotional response.

Brands have been making Christmas ads since the early days of broadcast. Budweiser’s sleighbell-sporting clydesdales were trotting through the snow as far back as 1987. Coca Cola’s light-laden lorries have been passing through snowy villages since 1995.

John Lewis is a really interesting example – for years they’ve been the standard-bearer for Christmas ads. Over the past 18 years, they developed a tried-and-tested formula for a winning Christmas ad, consisting of a beautifully-shot mini-story with a heart-warming twist, all set to an acoustic cover of a classic song.

The ads work so well that many of them would be well known to Irish consumers, despite John Lewis not advertising here. However, with many brands trying to replicate John Lewis’ success, it’s hard to stand out. For a Christmas ad to work, it’s vital to find a reason for it to exist and not just create one for the sake of it.

The value of an ad can depend not only on the brand itself, but the context it’s operating in. Planning for a festive campaign likely kicks off in March. Key to a campaign’s success is also a need to intertwine it with what will be happening with the brand in the real world come Christmas.

Campaigns nowadays are about more than a 30-second TV spot. They need to engage with different social media platforms and activate the message beyond TV. Retailers often run two simultaneous ad campaigns: one tapping into the festive mood and the other showcasing their products.

While many brands aim to evoke emotional responses during Christmas, some have taken a humorous approach. The famous example was Harvey Nicks in the UK, with their campaign ‘Sorry, I spent it on myself’. Others, like Ryanair, targeted those dreaming of escaping the madness of being back home at Christmas.

Modern Christmas ads require a lot of time, planning, and budget. They aim to influence consumer behavior during a time when gifting and self-gifting peak. Christmas is also one of the rare times families watch linear TV together, providing a significant opportunity for brands.

If ads create a real emotional connection, their effectiveness tends to grow year on year. Brands are willing to spend big on Christmas campaigns because they hope their impact will be substantial and have replay value for years. Guinness spent around €750,000 on its Christmas ad, expecting it to run for up to three years.

The ambition is to create timeless ads, but brands must continuously strive for this. Rory Hamilton points to modern Irish ads like An Post’s ‘Send Love’ Tin Man ad and Vodafone’s ‘Christmas Swim’ effort that have shown lasting power. Brands must keep trying to reach this rarified air to avoid being stuck with the same ads for eternity.