We’ve talked before about the importance of holiday marketing campaigns . . . and why we recommend you start early on your preparations. Well, in the interest of inspiring you to get this year’s Christmas campaign up and rolling, we thought we’d share a few more of our favorite holiday ads. (Plus, why we think they’re effective.)

If you’re ready, grab your Santa hat and buckle up! Here we go.

IKEA’s 2019 Christmas Campaign

IKEA hit the ground running with its first-ever Christmas campaign in 2019. They identified a pain point we all experience during the holiday season: home shame. What’s more, they did it in an unexpected way–with an original grime track voiced by D Double E.

Because they focused on a universal experience in an undeniably charming and funny way, the campaign was an instant success. Watch the video, linked above, and you may also feel inspired to silence your inner critics with a few cleverly placed home upgrades from IKEA.

The Takeaway:

Christmas campaigns don’t have to be sentimental or reverent. A lighthearted and tongue-in-cheek approach is sometimes just as effective. But if you do go the rowdier route, make sure you take IKEA’s approach and ground the campaign in something tangible and relevant, like home shame.

Aldi’s Kevin the Carrot Campaigns

When most people think of Aldi, they think of Kevin the Carrot. This adorable and tenacious little vegetable has been the star of every Aldi Christmas campaign since 2016. And that should come as no surprise, considering Aldi saw more than a 15% increase in sales after Kevin’s charming debut.

Curious and charismatic, Kevin the Carrot finds himself in new adventures every holiday season. And loyal customers anxiously await to see what the new year’s ad campaign will bring. In fact, searches for “Kevin the Carrot” outnumber searches for “Santa Claus!”

The Takeaway:

Brand mascots aren’t right for everyone, but they are immensely effective under the right circumstances. Ronald McDonald, Flo from Progressive Insurance, Toasty from ToasterTubs, and Tony the Tiger are just a few other examples of brand mascots done right.

If you are willing to put in the work to build a unique mascot that stands out from the crowd, there are plenty of advantages to make it worth your time. They’ll boost brand engagement, make your business much more recognizable, and keep customers coming back for more.

Starbucks Holiday Cups

Not all ad campaigns must take the form of video marketing. In fact, some of the most popular and effective holiday campaigns involve promotional products.

Take, for example, the Starbucks holiday cup phenomenon.

The brand unveiled its very first holiday cup way back in 1997. In 1999, they made the switch from magenta-hued holiday cups to festive red ones, and a cultural icon was born. Every year since, consumers across the globe have flocked to their local Starbucks throughout the holiday season for a chance to sip coffee from festive red cups.

Sound silly? It is, a little. But it’s also immensely effective at boosting Starbucks’ sales during this time of year. It’s also boosted their brand recognition in incalculable ways. Many of the brand’s loyal customers now consider its first Starbucks Red Cup of the year to be a favorite annual tradition.

The Takeaway:

If you have a loyal customer base, promotional products/services can be a great way to say “thank you.” They may also help to increase your brand recognition and generate buzz about your company. Plus, done right, promotional advertising can be a cost-effective marketing strategy!