The best Christmas advertising campaigns
Every year, we wait excitedly for the moments that signal Christmas has begun. These moments range from the first Christmas songs being played in shops to the influx of Christmas trees going up on social media and, of course, the infamous Christmas advertising campaigns.
Out of Home advertising plays an especially big role at Christmas when members of the public take to the streets in droves to hunt down presents and festive bargains. With that in mind, we’ve taken a look at some of the best Christmas advertising campaigns to make use of OOH formats.
Amazon
Amazon’s simple but effective adverts promoting their smart speakers really bring the product to life. Visual interest is achieved through the clever integration of the speakers into different images, such as a Christmas tree or party popper.
The beautiful illustrations are done in minimalist black and white with only the product name, ‘echo’, in colour. The simplicity is eye-catching but it also keeps the focus on the product.
The campaign features 25 alternating creatives which demonstrate the practical uses of the product through the lens of Christmas. For example, text stating ‘Alexa, turn on the Christmas tree lights’ and ‘Alexa, remind me to get a present for Dad’.
The contextual relevance of displaying a Christmas-themed advert during Christmastime further improves the ad’s effectiveness.
Marks & Spencer
TV is huge at Christmas, with many brands competing for the most memorable or emotive TV advert. Marks & Spencer spotted an opportunity to amplify their TV ad through an Out of Home campaign on our Malls Live video network.
Malls Live connects brands with shoppers in the most natural of environments, boosting brand awareness at exactly the right point.
By taking snippets from the same footage used for their TV ad, M&S maintained thematic consistency across the multi-channel campaign (and saved on the cost of producing a separate creative). When OOH and TV are used together like this, there is a 17% boost in the overall effectiveness of the campaign.
Tesco
Tesco’s Christmas advertising is the perfect showcase of what Digital Out of Home (DOOH) can do. The supermarket giant ran a campaign using real-time trends to inform which creative was shown.
Through the use of the Google API, Tesco could see what people were searching for at that exact moment. Depending on the answer, one of twelve unique product messages was triggered in response to the trend. For example, searches for party food triggered a ‘sweet treats’ creative.
This customer-led approach takes advantage of interest that has already been peaked, saving advertisers from having to create that interest from scratch. DOOH’s agility and ingenuity are on full display.
Very
In the months preceding Christmas, Very ran a branding campaign centred around the messaging ‘this Very moment’. They tapped into key moments throughout autumn and winter, building brand awareness in the run-up to Christmas. By the time their Christmas ads went live, customers were primed for activation.
Very used a live countdown to create a sense of urgency. Real-time data showing how many times the displayed product had been purchased was also shown. Customers are more likely to buy a product if it has been through ‘social proofing’ – if it has proven popular with other people – as it builds a sense of trust in the product’s value.
The chosen CTA, ‘shop now pay later’, also functions as a promotion of one of Very’s key features. Families struggling with the overwhelming cost of Christmas are offered a solution, without having to sacrifice brand quality. With 61% of consumers willing to pay more for quality brands, this is an important consideration.
As an online-only brand, Out of Home gives Very a voice on the high street. At Christmas, a combined strategy of brand awareness and activation meant they weren’t drowned out by competing retailers. Both elements of the strategy were ideally executed, resulting in Very’s best ever Christmas trading period.
Launching your Christmas OOH advertising
Coming up with new Christmas advertising ideas can be tricky year after year. At Clear Channel, we happily provide creative support alongside innovative digital solutions. Get in touch to find out more about what OOH can do for you.
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