MNTM SELECTION: HOLIDAY ADS THAT WARM THE HEART

10. 8. 2023 The holiday season may be far ahead, but there's no time to waste in planning for it. Each month, QuickFrame by MNTN compiles a selection of the best ad creatives whose concepts have resonated with audiences. And now is a good time to take a look at a few favorite holiday ads from the past season that can provide inspiration for upcoming holiday campaigns.

STUDY UK: IPA RESEARCH DETAILS CHRISTMAS CUTBACK PLANS

3. 8. 2023 Two thirds of UK adults are planning some cutbacks in their Christmas spending, according to new research from the IPA – understanding pain points and opportunities will be crucial.

THE DRIEST HUMOR, THE MOST TOUCHING STORIES AND THE BEST CHRISTMAS COMMERCIALS. THAT’S TV ADVERTISING IN THE UK

12. 7. 2023 UK TV spots are winning awards around the worlds. And rightfully so. British creatives are pouring out some interesting ideas and are able to play both the poignant and the humorous notes. This is evidenced by the large number of awards that British brands took home from this year’s Cannes Lions 2023 International Festival of Creativity.

HOW TO MARKET FOR THE HOLIDAYS

17. 2. 2023 Whether it is Valentine's Day, Christmas, Ramadan or even Single's Day, the holidays continue to be a time of big spending, and as such, a period of ambitious advertising. But amid growing economic uncertainty and shocking shifts in consumer behavior, the advertising industry can't just return to business as usual. No, marketers, it's time to be smarter about how you approach your upcoming holiday ad blitz.

REFLEX’S PICK: THIS YEAR’S CHRISTMAS ADS, WHICH ARE A TRULY BIZARRE SPECTACLE!

24. 12. 2022 Christmas commercials have somehow become part of our Christmas experience. From the time I was a little boy, Santa relied on Home Credit and then hopped on a Coca-Cola truck and took off around the world. New Christmas commercials are made every year. But not every year they succeed. They're a pretty specific genre that either has to move or entertain, ideally both, and you have to accept that not every year is a holy day. Even so, the editors of Reflex managed to find some really good pieces. Watch with us!

CZECH CHRISTMAS CAMPAIGNS WANT TO AVOID CLICHÉS

23. 12. 2022 Many Christmas campaigns on the Czech market have in common an effort to avoid clichés or sentimentality.

BABY JESUS OR SANTA CLAUS? HOW CZECH CHRISTMAS ADS DIFFER FROM FOREIGN ADVERTISING

23. 12. 2022 Advent marks the beginning of a period when advertisers’ budgets are releasing larger sums of money into TV marketing. This is driven not only by the desire to thank their customers and wish them a prosperous new year, but also by the motivation to catch up with sales targets in the fourth quarter. According to statistics, investment in Christmas advertising rose by a billion in 2021 compared to the previous year. In recent years, many online retailers have joined traditional brand advertisers. TV advertising is valued by consumers as a great source of inspiration for Christmas shopping and also tops the charts in terms of relevance of recommendations and trust in the quality and value of products. In recent years, Christmas campaigns have also often been an unofficial competition to see who can film the spot that captures the audience’s heart, sticks best in their mind or (even) goes viral. TV ADVERTISING IS THE MOST CRUCIAL IN INFLUENCING CHRISTMAS SHOPPING BEHAVIOUR According to RTU, Christmas advertising has a big influence on what gifts people buy for their loved ones. According to research by Nielsen Admosphere, almost two-thirds of Czechs are influenced by Christmas advertising and the percentage of women is higher than men. Of course, with the popularity of social networks, customers are also inspired by other platforms, but they are only third on the scale. In the second place there’s the good old fashioned 'word of mouth', i.e. a recommendation from someone we know. But TV spots are still the best advisor when deciding on a gift for our loved ones. CZECH CHRISTMAS ADVERTISING HAS ITS SPECIFICS Most of the Czech commercials have one factor in common - fun. In the past, brands were often afraid to go down this route, but this tendency has been visibly modified in the Czech environment in recent years, and the domestic scene is gravitating towards funny ads. Czech creatives are not too keen on theatrical film environments and deeply moving advertising. Maybe it is due to a different culture or a limited budget, but as the creators of the 2006 spot for Vodafone with Petr Čtvrtníček proved, even with a small budget, Czechs can make funny and functional advertising that then goes viral on the Internet. NARRATIVE COMMERCIALS LIKE THE BRITISH ARE RARELY SEEN IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC Although Czech advertising (not only Christmas advertising) is to some extent influenced by foreign countries, it still keeps the Czech distinctive mentality at the forefront. Unlike the Czechs, British marketers try to create mostly touching and emotional content for Christmas. The preparation, execution and processing of advertising, which relies primarily on the story and the overall atmosphere, requires precise execution as well as a high budget. To make commercials such as those created by John Lewis, a legend of Christmas advertising, is a very high standard in terms of Czech budgets. Although it is not impossible, domestic filmmakers more often bet on easier (cheaper) forms of the concept.

MEDIA IN CR AT CHRISTMAS: MAINLY TV, THEN READING BOOKS AND VIDEOS

22. 12. 2022 Watching TV is by far the most popular Christmas media activity among Czechs. Czech fairy tales and czech films are the most frequently watched, with the most popular title being the fairy tale Three Nuts for Cinderella.

CZECHS MAINLY ASSOCIATE COCA-COLA AND KOFOLA WITH CHRISTMAS

22. 12. 2022 Of the respondents who associate a particular brand with Christmas, about half of them mentioned Coca-Cola and Kofola.

TV SETS UP CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE, REGULAR SHOWS END

19. 12. 2022 Since the December 19th, the largest domestic TV stations will start Christmas broadcasts. most of the regular programmes are going on Christmas break.

DESPITE FRAGMENTATION, VIEWERS FLOCK TO HOLIDAY PROGRAMMING; EFFECTV STUDY SHOWS SEASONAL OPPORTUNITY TO REACH CONSUMERS

19. 12. 2022 Despite changes to how viewers watch television, advertisers can still reach consumers through holiday programming, according to a study by Effectv, the ad sales arm of Comcast.

CHRISTMAS ADS 2022: HOW BRANDS ARE CELEBRATING THE HOLIDAY SEASON

16. 12. 2022 Every year, Christmas comes early for brands as they race to debut their holiday ads before the peak shopping period begins. 2022 is no different, and advertisers have officially started stepping into Christmas by bringing a bit of festive cheer to screens.

TV RATINGS ON CHRISTMAS EVE? WELL ABOVE THE YEARLY AVERAGE

15. 12. 2022 On 24 December, Czechs spend over 6 hours watching TV and Christmas Eve is one of the highest TV viewing days of the year.

TYPICALLY CZECH CHRISTMAS. IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC, HOLIDAY ADVERTISING IS HANDLED DIFFERENTLY, THE CREATORS ARE NOT AFRAID OF CONTROVERSIAL HUMOUR OR SERIOUS MESSAGES

8. 12. 2022 Czech Christmas ads are a category in themselves. It’s quite possible that abroad they would look in disbelief and awe at, for example, a Kofola pig, while for us the ad is the epitome of Christmas spirit. Of course, Czechs are no strangers to classically emotional and serious spots, and even excel at them. But the big domestic specificity is the fact that the most memorable advertising achievements are largely humorous pieces. Even so, they combine what we always look forward to at Christmas. The two categories then complement each other beautifully on the screen, creating a commercial mix that suggests that Christmas really is just around the corner! THE UNDYING LEGEND: KOFOLA - THE GOLDEN PIGGY Even Czechs have their own advertising that de facto heralds Christmas. Just as the UK has their John Lewis, we have our wild boar, but it lacks something to the golden one. The legendary Christmas advert doesn't seem to have aged at all since 2003, when it first appeared on TV screens. Unlike John Lewis, who year after year comes up with new original spots exquisitely rich in narrative, this domestic gem has made do with a few basic remasters and adaptations over nearly twenty years. The spot brilliantly combines honoring popular Christmas traditions with typical Czech situational humor. The main role here is played by the superstition of the golden pig that appears to those who fast on Christmas Eve. The popular catchphrase "No, I don't have to, I can see it already." is proof that this superstition can take on a whole new dimension when you go into the woods. This year, however, the re-launch of the ad will have a sad touch - on 1 November, its author Robert Peňažka died after a long illness. But for this achievement alone he will certainly never be forgotten, even though he himself admitted that no one expected the ad to become such a success. "With Kofola, the intention was not to create a legendary campaign at all, but to come up with a good Christmas campaign. That's the main ingredient. If you do it right, it will pay off and it has a chance to become a legend," he recalled in 2020. Well, in this case, he succeeded brilliantly.

CANADA STUDY: INSPIRATION FOR BUYING CHRISTMAS PRESENTS IS DELIVERD FROM TV ADS

28. 11. 2022 Recent research realized by Cint has confirmed that 89% of people pay attention to Christmas adverts on TV, and a large nr of people also take inspiration from these adverts to buy Christmas presents.

THE FESTIVE SEASON IN BRITISH RETAIL GOT OFF TO AN EARLY START THIS YEAR

25. 11. 2022 It´s Christmass already knocking on the door and the holiday season in british retail has started early this year. The cost of living crisis is forcing struggling shoppers to spread their Christmas shopping over a longer period and supermarkets are responding by deploying festive campaigns earlier.

PRIMA WILL AGAIN PRESENT A COMEDY AT HOME ON CHRISTMAS EVE

25. 11. 2022 The Christmas broadcast of television Prima is based on traditional programmes, on Christmas eve it will broadcast a comedy alone at home.

NOVA DEPLOYS THREE PEANUTS FOR CINDERELLA, VOYO KING OF ŠUMAVA AT CHRISTMAS

11. 11. 2022 The main Christmas fairy tale on TV Nova will be the fairy tale Three nuts for Cinderella. the video platform Voyo will premiere the miniseries King of Šumava.