sales: 
sales: 
Christmas is a golden moment for marketing campaigns. The season centers on warmth, nostalgia, giving, and connection, and brands can use that to build meaning, not just sales.
In this article, we’ll look at evergreen marketing tips from seasoned experts (original quotes included) and then dive into 5 of the best Christmas campaigns from recent years. Use these as inspiration for your own festive marketing moves.
Evergreen marketing tips from expert marketers
Eric Turney, President, The Monterey Company
“Build around specific gratitude + real people — tell one true story (employee, customer, or nonprofit partner), pair it with a simple action audiences can take … and keep the CTA low‑friction; sincerity beats slickness every year.”
Mike Vannelli, Creative Director, Envy Creative
“Pick one tangible anxiety your audience feels … then build a simple, ritualized utility around it. … Habit plus help beats hype.”
Lexi Petersen, Founder & Chief Creative Officer, Cords Club
“Collect real gift stories from customers and use them as campaign creative.” “Gifting stories … were always more powerful than anything we could have hypothetically made up.”
Carolynn Poulsen, Director of Growth Marketing, Forge Digital Marketing
“Focus on human stories over holiday sales. Campaigns that stand the test of time center on gratitude, connection, and community, not just discounts.”
Sonali Ray, Co‑Founder, Rankex Digital
“Lead with gratitude, not sales. When you centre your message on appreciation — whether for customers, employees or community — you create emotional resonance.”
Ameer Draidy, SEO Expert, Circular Design
“Be a utility, not just an ornament. … When you solve a tangible, up-to-date issue, you create real appreciation and trust.”
Vishwas Singh Shekhawat, Digital Marketing & Performance Marketing Specialist, Founder - Senior Trainer at Skillwaala.com
“Focus on authentic storytelling over hard selling. ... Use real stories from your customers or your brand journey. If people can feel the message, they’ll remember the brand long after the sale is over.”
In short, successful holiday campaigns aren’t about hype or aggressive selling, they’re about real stories, human emotion, helpfulness, gratitude, and community.
5 outstanding Christmas campaigns from recent years
Apple – Fuzzy Feelings
This stop‑motion style holiday film tells a warm story about kindness and second chances. Apple employs gentle visuals and emotional storytelling rather than direct product promotion, demonstrating how a subtle, heartfelt message can resonate more deeply than a hard sell.
Coca-Cola – The World Needs More Santas/ Holiday Truck & “Real Magic
Сoca‑Cola’s holiday truck imagery and recurring “holiday mood” adverts remain a powerful evergreen example.
Even as the company experiments with new techniques (such as completely AI video in 2025), the core message remains the same: togetherness, warmth, and festive tradition.
On the contrary, there are some campaigns that have completely rejected AI and achieved great engagement by not being like others. Intermarché - Unloved went viral worldwide for its heartfelt story of a misunderstood wolf who seeks acceptance by cooking vegetarian meals instead of hunting. The ad resonated emotionally, standing out in a year dominated by AI-generated content, as it was fully hand-animated and genuine.
As Bill Harper, Founder & Chief Creative Officer, BrandBossHQ says:
“If you’re making a … commercial … remember: Most of your competition is already pushing the sale. Don’t echo them.” “Avoid talking about you. Instead, say something smart. Funny. Helpful.” “Recognize how busy life is during this time … give them a break.”
Etsy - Where’s Waldo?/Where’s Wally?
Etsy’s 2024 holiday commercial takes an unexpected approach to Christmas advertising by focusing less on traditional festive imagery and more on storytelling. The ad follows Wally (from Where’s Wally?) as he journeys across the globe, allowing viewers to experience how different cultures celebrate the holiday season. Rather than immediately signalling “Christmas,” the advert slowly builds its emotional core.
TK Maxx
TK Maxx’s Christmas advert delivers humour and energy in a fast-paced 30-second spot that celebrates the thrill of finding a great bargain. The ad plays out across a series of gift-giving moments, each time cutting in at the perfect second as performers burst onto the scene to stop shoppers from revealing how much they saved. Set to the instantly recognisable Black Eyed Peas track “Shut Up,” the singing and dancing acts as a playful distraction, reinforcing the idea that TK Maxx prices are so good they’re almost impossible to keep secret.
Nespresso - David Beckham unforgettable festive moments
Nespresso’s festive advert leans into the simple joy of a warm drink during the Christmas season, delivering a charming and light-hearted story in a short runtime. The ad introduces a lonely snowman who is gradually transformed as he’s decorated with football memorabilia, twinkling Christmas lights, and finally given a Nespresso pod for a nose.
What makes these campaigns work?
- They tell human stories, not just brand stories. Real emotion, real values, real moments.
- They build on tradition and nostalgia, using familiar holiday symbols (Santa, lights, winter, togetherness) but updating them with contemporary sensibility.
- They offer something emotionally or socially meaningful, kindness, empathy, inclusivity, and community.
- They resist “hard sell.” Instead, they softly integrate the brand, or even skip overt selling, trusting emotion and memory to build brand love.
- Some become evergreen by repetition: people expect them each season (holiday truck tours, recurring styles, recognizable tone), which builds brand‑holiday association over time.
The holiday season, with Christmas, winter holidays, and year-end offers, gives brands a chance to connect on a deeper level. The most successful campaigns do more than just pitch products, they tell stories, evoke emotions, build memories, and deliver value. As the experts say: lead with gratitude, authenticity, human stories, and helpfulness, not just sales.
Created by SeoSamba, where we empower agencies and service providers with a complete white-label marketing platform. From SEO to automation and reporting, you can offer powerful, ready-made solutions under your own brand. We’re here to support your growth with simple, effective, and fully scalable white-label tools.
