CHRISTMAS 2023: WATCH ALL OF THE LATEST ADS

22. 12. 2023 | 5 min read Welcome to The Drum’s Christmas campaign round-up for 2023. Here, you’ll be able to watch and review all the best ads from around the world.

WRONG ADS SERVE TO THE WRONG CONSUMER 1 IN 3 TIMES

22. 12. 2023 | 4 min read Agencies report that the wrong ad creative is served to the wrong consumer nearly one in every three times, according to new research.

TV’S EFFECTIVENESS IS DRIVEN BY MORE THAN JUST PRICE

21. 12. 2023 | 5 min read Thinkbox highlights data that shows linear TV advertising has increased in price by 20% – not 50% – since 2019, and suggests that while price is an important factor in TV’s effectiveness there are other things to consider.

OUT-OF-HOME ADS CONSISTENT WITH TV ASSETS ACHIEVE 2X MORE BRAND RECALL

20. 12. 2023 | 3 min read System1, the Creative Effectiveness Platform, and JCDecaux UK, the UK leader in Out-of-Home advertising, today revealed its latest research based on viewers’ emotional response data captured via the new OOH in situ Test Your Ad platform created in partnership with JCDecaux. Festive OOH ads matching TV campaigns are twice as effective at branding, scoring 62% on two-second brand recognition (Fluency), which measures the strength and speed of brand recognition, compared to 30% for OOH ads that didn’t align with TV creative. This is significant given the average attention time for OOH is two seconds.

MILLENNIALS ARE THE KEY AUDIENCE FOR AD-SUPPORTED STREAMING, SAMBA TV SAYS

20. 12. 2023 | 3 min read About 68% of millennials surveyed by the analytics firm said they have an ad-supported streaming subscription – more than any other generation.

CHRISTMAS SPECIAL: THE MOST ANIMATED CHRISTMAS ADS

19. 12. 2023 | 8 min read The Christmas season is a time when the battle for consumer attention requires maximum effort. Animated adverts are among the most powerful marketing tools in every brand’s arsenal. Animation allows creatives to showcase greater imagination and originality, which is crucial in standing out in a highly competitive environment. Let’s take a look at advertisements that have harnessed the potential of animation to its fullest.

DENTSU’S 2024 MEDIA TRENDS REPORT

19. 12. 2023 | 4 min read Dentsu is out with its annual media trends study and finds that generative AI is not just a trend but future-redefining technology with the potential to “lead a period of growth for media and a new golden age of creativity.

CHRISTMAS SPECIAL: THE MOST STAR-STUDDED CHRISTMAS ADS

17. 12. 2023 | 7 min read It’s undeniable that celebrities can be a powerful tool in television advertising. Who wouldn’t want to look like the famous Kate Moss in jeans? A well-known personality can draw a lot of attention to a brand. Celebrity marketing simply works, and this is especially true for Christmas commercials. According to international statistics, the use of celebrities in holiday campaigns has even been on the rise. Let’s take a look at some of the most star-studded Christmas TV ads.

SCREENVOICE TOP 12 CHRISTMAS CAMPAIGNS 2023

15. 12. 2023 | 4 min read The year has come and gone, and famous and lesser-known brands have come out with their long-awaited Christmas campaigns, which unmistakably draw us into the pre-Christmas spirit and put us in the mood for a genuine festive atmosphere.

ADS CAN STRESS PEOPLE OUT, ESPECIALLY AROUND THE HOLIDAYS. HERE’S HOW BRANDS CAN CHANGE THAT.

13. 12. 2023 | 5 min read If you feel your nerves tighten a bit when you hear the sound of holiday bells jingling in a TV ad, you’re not alone. According to Healthline, 62% of Americans describe their stress levels as “very elevated” or “somewhat elevated” during the holiday season – and only 10% say it’s a stress-free time of year for them. Another survey, conveniently conducted by a heartburn medication brand, found similarly that the percentage of Americans who say the holidays stress them out is 88%.

SMARTER ADVERTISING CHOICES: ITV’S AUTOMATED CONTEXTUAL TARGETING TOOL

12. 12. 2023 In a captivating presentation at the Future of TV Advertising Global in London on December 5, ITV and Captify showcased their innovative approach to advertising by focusing on consumer emotions. The presentation, titled “Leveraging data and moments that shift consumer intent,” delved into the intricacies of targeting TV ads based on consumer search intent, unveiling new opportunities in contextual TV reveals, and providing insights into the future of data-powered TV.

COCA-COLA CHERISHES ITS SANTA CLAUS. HOW DID ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL MARKETING “ALLIANCES” IN HISTORY TAKE SHAPE?

11. 12. 2023 | 15 min read Although Christmas in the Czech republic is mainly associated with the Christ child, it is not possible to ignore the global popularity of the american Father Christmas, Santa Claus. And in fact, if we take into account the historical context of shaping the image of this character, we are much closer to Santa in our culture than we are often willing to admit. But the legend of Santa Claus is first and foremost a real modern Christmas story in which the marketing of a global soft drinks company played a huge role. And although it is often said that Santa exists because of Coca-Cola, this is not entirely true. But the combination of these two unlikely allies has become so ingrained in the social consciousness over many decades that it is very hard to think of one without the other. But it hasn’t always been this way...

CHRISTMAS SPECIAL: THE MOST TOUCHING ADS

10. 12. 2023 | 8 min read Tears welling up is nothing unusual during the holiday season. Alongside festive decorations and omnipresent holiday music, the tender mood can also be attributed to a heightened sense of togetherness we experience during Advent and Christmas. More than ever, we think about those we have lost and those in need of our help. That’s why advertisements built around touching stories often strike a deep chord with us. Which Christmas ads have hit the most emotional notes this year and in past years?

BRANDS TO SPEND RECORD £9.5BN ON CHRISTMAS ADVERTISING

9. 12. 2023 | 3 min read Media inflation set to lift ad spend by 4.8% this Christmas, according to Advertising Association and Warc data.

CONSUMERS DON’T GET TIRED OF ADS, ONLY MARKETERS DO

8. 12. 2023 | 14 min read Data shows there’s no such thing as advertising ‘wear-out’, so save your new campaign budget and spend it on making your current ads effective for longer.

CHRISTMAS BY “UNUSUAL” HEROES. HOW HAS CHRISTMAS ADVERTISING MOVED FROM NOSTALGIA TO MODERNITY?

8. 12. 2023 | 16 min read Christmas advertising has changed over the years. To some extent, it could be argued that the dominance of Santa Claus and other traditional Christmas characters has ended. They have been replaced by somewhat unusual heroes who, on the contrary, we do not a priori associate with the festive season. However, they do not only bring a festive atmosphere but also complex stories in which tradition as well as important messages that are fully in line with the trends of today play a role. It is not necessarily a stolen Christmas - on the contrary, it is an annual gift of distinctive creativity. CHRISTMAS BY CHEERFUL VEGETABLES One of such “unusual heroes” is the most frequently mentioned mascot of this year’s Christmas season, which is in the spirit of the comeback of the character known as Kevin the Carrot. The character has been closely associated with the British-Irish retail chain Aldi since 2016, and given that Kevin is essentially an animated carrot, this is a very telling example of how the Christmas advertising market is shifting from the familiar and traditional to the more experimental.

TOOLKIT: MARKETERS GEAR UP FOR A BRIGHTER 2024

7. 12. 2023 | 3 min read Despite very real concerns about the economy, the majority of marketers around the world are optimistic and expect business to be better next year than this, according to a new WARC report. The Voice of the Marketer 2024 is a deep dive into The Marketer’s Toolkit survey data of 1,400+ marketers worldwide. Key findings Marketers are optimistic despite economic worries Two-thirds (64%) of marketers indicated that economic recession will have the biggest impact on marketing strategies in 2024, while 41% highlighted inflation and the cost-of-living crisis.

DON’T SHELVE THAT CHRISTMAS IDEA TOO SOON, STUDIES SUGGEST

6. 12. 2023 | 4 min read A growing body of evidence indicates that ideas and advertisements enjoy a much longer shelf life than many have assumed, with vintage favourites like Coca-Cola’s Holidays Are Coming and Aldi’s Kevin the Carrot outperforming the market – so it may be time to rethink how to approach Christmas. Why wear-out matters There is no evidence to suggest that ads become less effective as they age, but it may feel like they do, especially when as a brand or an agency professional you are watching the same piece of creative for the millionth time by mid-October.