Christmas is no longer just a moment in the calendar, it’s a full-scale marketing season.
In 2025, brands are approaching holiday campaigns with more strategy, more channels, and more intent than ever before. The goal isn’t just to sell gifts, but to create relevance, emotion, and visibility in one of the most competitive periods of the year.
So, what are brands doing differently this Christmas?
Emotional Storytelling Still Leads Christmas Campaigns
Despite new formats and technologies, emotional storytelling remains the backbone of the most successful Christmas advertising campaigns. Brands continue to focus on themes like family, belonging, generosity and shared moments, creating stories people want to watch and share.
A clear example is John Lewis, which once again leaned into emotionally driven storytelling rather than product-led messaging. Their Christmas campaign prioritised connection and meaning, reinforcing brand affinity over immediate sales, a strategy that consistently delivers long-term brand value.
Social Commerce Shapes Holiday Buying Behaviour
One of the biggest evolutions in Christmas marketing strategy is the role of social commerce. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram have become key sales channels during the holidays, not just awareness tools.
Retailers such as Marks & Spencer activated Christmas campaigns directly inside TikTok Shop, using creator-led content, recipes and product demos to drive impulse purchases. This approach shortens the customer journey and aligns perfectly with how younger audiences discover and buy gifts.
Tradition, Updated for a New Generation
Iconic Christmas campaigns haven’t disappeared, they’ve adapted. Brands with strong festive heritage are updating familiar assets through new formats and technologies.
Coca-Cola, for example, continued to build on its iconic Christmas universe while experimenting with AI-generated content and digital-first activations. The result is a campaign that balances nostalgia with innovation, staying relevant without losing its emotional impact.
Christmas Campaigns Are Now Fully Omnichannel
In 2025, the most effective Christmas campaigns go far beyond a single TV spot. Successful brands connect multiple touchpoints under one cohesive festive narrative, including:
Short-form social content and Reels
Influencer and creator collaborations
Personalised email marketing and gift guides
Paid media across social and search
Seasonal landing pages and curated collections
Consistency across channels is key to building recognition and driving conversions throughout the entire holiday period.
How LOUD Can Help Your Christmas Campaign
At LOUD, we help brands turn Christmas campaigns into full-season strategies, from creative concept and storytelling to content production, social media, paid campaigns and performance optimisation.
Whether it’s building an emotional brand narrative, activating social commerce, or designing an omnichannel Christmas rollout, LOUD can help you.
