The roots of Christmas advertising
Much of what we associate with Christmas today is linked to Charles Dickens’s 1843 novella A Christmas Carol, the invention of Christmas cards in the same year, and the popularisation of the Christmas tree. Add to this the figure of St Nicholas as a mysterious gift-bringer, and you have the perfect Christmas story — one offering an excellent opportunity that retailers, naturally, could not afford to miss as they sought to sell their stock. And so Christmas advertising entered the scene.
One of the earliest known examples of “Christmas advertising” dates from the late nineteenth century. It was an advertisement by Newball & Mason in Victorian England.
This beautifully crafted advert shows the commercial art of the period at its best, from the typography and biblical references in the headline to the detailed depiction of baskets and the flawless product placement on Santa Claus’s chest.
However, it was probably not the very first Christmas advert. The earliest festive advertisement may have appeared as early as 1728. At that time, a jeweller placed an advert in The Country Journal claiming that “you could buy the same necklace that Queen Caroline of Ansbach, wife of King George II, gave to her own children”. The advert was clearly aimed at wealthier audiences. And this continued to be the case later on. In The World Encyclopedia of Christmas, Gerry Bowler notes that “an advertisement published in the New York Journal in 1770 was aimed at the upper classes: jewellery, teapots, dress swords and pocket pistols were deemed to be proper gifts to and from Ladies and Gentlemen this season”. Socio-economic status has always played an important role.
In the nineteenth century, the first true print adverts began to appear, focusing on Christmas gifts, sales and seasonal offers. Typical examples included advertisements by retailers selling textiles, books, toys or jewellery, promoting the goods they had on offer. At the beginning of the twentieth century, large companies — publishers, toy manufacturers and food producers — began running mass campaigns focused on Christmas. These were already coordinated seasonal promotions across print, catalogues and posters.
The real turning point came in the 1930s, when Coca-Cola — perhaps unintentionally — helped shape the modern image of Santa Claus: its adverts introduced a cheerful man with a white beard and a red coat, bringing a sense of warmth and anticipation into the festive atmosphere.
Video: The Legend of Coca-Cola and Santa Claus
Modern Christmas marketing
Many decades later, Christmas campaigns evolved from simple visuals and slogans into sophisticated spots with strong storytelling, a nostalgic atmosphere and often an almost cinematic quality. One of the most important milestones was Coca-Cola’s “Holidays Are Coming” advert, first broadcast in 1995. The red trucks lit up with Christmas lights, the distinctive musical motif and the snowy landscape — all of this became a symbol of Christmas.
The following years showed that such advertising could act as a signal: for many viewers, it “officially” marked the start of the festive season. In this way, the advert turned into a small cultural ritual. One of the brands that undoubtedly managed to become a benchmark in this respect is John Lewis, which began releasing its Christmas adverts in 2007. And with great success — its adverts soon became a social phenomenon. Today, John Lewis is practically synonymous with Christmas advertising, and each of its Christmas spots is a closely watched media event. Perhaps this is because John Lewis Christmas campaigns are not about direct sales. Instead, they focus on story, emotion and memories. One outstanding example was the 2011 spot “The Long Wait”, which tells the story of a boy who can hardly wait for Christmas — not because of himself, but because he wants to give his parents a present.
Video: John Lewis – The Long Wait
A series on the history of brands’ Christmas advertising
Christmas adverts are by no means only about sales. They are about storytelling, building emotion and shaping a vision of Christmas. Often, they are also about how our understanding and perception of the festive season influence brands. In the following articles in this series, you will discover how various famous brands have responded to their times and to changing trends through their Christmas campaigns, and how the aesthetics and style of their advertising have evolved over time. Next time, you can look forward to the history of Coca-Cola’s Christmas advertising.