75 Days Until Christmas: What Brands Can Do to Elevate Their Christmas Strategies in 2024

As the calendar flips to October 11th, we find ourselves a mere 75 days away from the festive season. For brands, this pivotal moment signifies not just the countdown to Christmas, but an urgent call to action. In a landscape saturated with holiday promotions, standing out is more crucial than ever. 2024 presents a unique opportunity for brands to leverage innovative strategies that captivate consumers and create lasting impressions.

This year, we’re witnessing a resurgence of traditional yet effective approaches, including out-of-home advertising, immersive experiential marketing and personalised experiences. These strategies are not just trends; they are essential tools for brands aiming to elevate their Christmas campaigns and forge deeper connections with their audiences.

In this piece, we’ll speak to experts who explore how these tactics can transform holiday marketing and why they should be front and centre in any brand’s strategy as we approach the most wonderful time of the year.

Zoe Zelken, Creative Strategist, Imagination

During festival season, brands find themselves in a crowded market. It is a challenge to stick out and cut through the noise. However, one sure fire way for brands to make a splash is to leverage experiential marketing. Whether it is a pop up, an in-person launch event, or a virtual try on experience, immersive retail feels culturally relevant because it forges a relationship between the consumer and the brand. Inevitably, these moments instil a lasting memory for the consumer.

One brand that is truly killing it when it comes to experiential marketing is Coach. The brand has taken an electric approach to retail, unveiling pop-ups for a younger audience that showcase the brand making sustainable waves. By using experiential marketing as a way to promote sustainable practices, Coach is inspiring us all to show up for impact. As we look towards the festival season, it will be exciting to see how brands tell stories in new ways and create impact that drives cultural change.

Sam Maloney, Head of Agencies, Outbrain

Every year, as a consumer, it feels like Christmas starts earlier and earlier. Shops are full of Christmas decorations – only last Sunday I bought a snow globe for my 4-year-old because he ‘had to have it’ and we’re not even out of September!

An earlier start for Christmas is certainly illustrated in advertising. Outside of the usual supermarket burst between the middle of October and the start of November when everyone votes for their favourite Christmas TV ad, brands are looking for new and innovative ways to stand out among the noise.

Strategies such as content marketing and storytelling, influencer partnerships, omnichannel shopping, sustainability, and interactive video content can help brands elevate their campaigns. These strategies should be part of a brands media mix to deliver on three key areas that are important to consumers at this particular time of the year;

Consumer Expectations Are Higher: Shoppers expect brands to offer seamless, personalized, and engaging experiences during the holidays. A well-rounded, multi-channel approach ensures that brands meet these rising expectations.

Holiday Competition Is Fierce: Brands need creative, impactful strategies to break through the noise and connect emotionally with consumers. We’ve seen the first in the John Lewis 2024 advert trilogy and its nostalgic elements are already tugging on heartstrings and opening customers up emotionally.

Loyalty and Engagement Matter: Holiday campaigns that emphasize community, values, and convenience can build brand loyalty and drive repeat business long after the holiday season. For example, Coca-Cola’s campaign last year focused on kindness, over being product-centric, a value it’s long stood by since 2013’s ‘Kindness Goes Viral’ campaign. It’s clearly paying off as the brand has been the second-best performing festive advertiser of the last three years (according to System 1).

Adam Charles, Chief Growth Officer, Sparks

The 2024 holiday season is set to be a battleground for consumer attention, and with research showing that a growing number of shoppers plan to spend big this year you can see why brands are vying for creative ways to stand out.

The most memorable moments of the festive season revolve around experiences – those shared occasions when friends and family come together. This presents brands with a unique opportunity to tap into this desire for emotional connection, and create long-lasting affinity with customers by offering innovative brand experiences that resonate deeply, foster loyalty, and leave a memorable impact.

One approach is the resurgence of out-of-home (OOH) advertising combined with on-the-ground experiences. Picture a holiday wish tree on a billboard in Times Square, where consumers scan a QR code to write a digital wish on a decoration and attach it to the tree, share it across social channels, and watch the tree grow as their wish is featured and more wishes are added. This fusion of tech and tradition amplifies emotional depth while creating shareable, viral moments.

Sampling stations and interactive pop-ups also provide opportunities to connect directly with consumers, offering personalized experiences that foster brand loyalty. Integrated data collection at these activations can further support future campaigns, creating a feedback loop between brand and audience.

By using tech, creativity, and the emotional core of the holidays, brands can break through the holiday clutter, creating experiences that are not only memorable but impactful long after the season ends.

Dawn Paine, CEO & Co-Founder, Aurora

To elevate their Christmas strategies, brands need to focus on the 3 F’s of Christmas, Feeling, Friends & Family and Fun. These should be the pillars of any strategy aimed at cutting through the noise of the season.

  1. Feeling: During a time when audiences are bombarded with festive messaging, standing out has never been more critical. Brands should prioritise being bold and brave in their storytelling, putting emotion at the forefront. This season is about more than just selling – it’s about tapping into the nostalgia, joy and reflection that people feel. Thoughtful narratives that evoke strong emotions will linger in the minds of consumers long after the decorations come down.
  2. Friends & Family: While tradition remains a core theme, modern campaigns should embrace inclusivity and celebrate the diverse ways people send the holidays. Christmas doesn’t have to be wrapped in the typical cliches – it’s an opportunity to showcase how the holiday manifests uniquely for different communities, cultures and family structures. Brands should weave in messages of joy and togetherness that appeal to a wider audience, ensuring everyone sees themselves represented in the holiday magic.
  3. Fun: To avoid getting lost in a sea of sameness, brands need to embrace the playful side of the season. Think beyond the predictable – incorporate humour, creativity and real-life scenarios that surprise and delight. Consider riffing off social media trends and integrating unexpected elements that show products in amusing and imaginative ways. Whether it’s showing dogs getting holiday grooming with hair appliances, or a kitchen product doubling as a playful holiday helper, leaning into fun and reliability can transform mundane ads into memorable moments.

By aligning campaigns with the three F’s, brands can craft a Christmas strategy that not only stands out but connects meaningfully with their audience