We Wish You a Merry Brand-Mas

Halloween is long past and the smell of falling leaves and apple cider fills the air. It’s officially (almost) the holiday season, and brands are starting to release their holiday campaigns and getting ready for the onslaught of shoppers. From campaigns new and old to adapting to this year’s holiday shopping schedule, here’s some of our favorite work that brands have done so far.

Argos brings dreams to life

British catalogue retailer Argos just released a spot that Adweek called “an instant classic”. This spot captures the potential of a holiday catalogue with a drum-filled fantasy set to Simple Minds’ “Don’t You (Forget About Me)”. It’s three minutes long, and worth every second of your time.

IKEA roasts your apartment

IKEA’s newest holiday ad isn’t just the first they’ve ran in the UK. It’s also a hilarious rap about how your apartment is “crap”—but don’t worry about finding a new place, all you need to get ready to hosting holiday parties is some new IKEA furniture.

Amazon’s singing boxes are back

The singing holiday boxes are back for the third year in a row, making this campaign practically a holiday staple. This year, the boxes sing to the tune of Solomon Burke’s “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love”. The boxes personify a wide cast of characters—including that random lady singing to herself on the bus. It’s a fun, heartwarming campaign that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.

Target and Walmart are getting an early start

The 2019 holiday shopping season is special—the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is a week shorter than normal. That means brands have to be ready to adjust to the circumstances, whether that means preparing for a more rushed shopping season or making their own rules. Target and Walmart chose to do the latter. Both brands are trying to take some pressure off the shortened shopping season by rolling out deals early. You’ll still have to wait for Black Friday (and Cyber Monday) for the biggest bargains, but this strategy should help Target and Walmart from getting too hectic during the holidays.

https://youtu.be/02Vf7xJHcXA

The holiday season is such an important time for advertising, so we’re not surprised that these brands gave it their all this year. Did we miss any great holiday campaigns? Let us know on social media!