Our Top 4 Marketing Campaigns of 2022!
Tis’ the season for Christmas Campaigns, and boy were we in for a treat this year! From heart-felt messages, to throwbacks to the past, we can easily say we’ve thoroughly enjoyed watching them all.
As an agency that specialises in Marketing and events, these campaigns are definitely up there as one of our favourite parts of the holiday season!
Here are unite’s Top 4 Christmas Marketing campaigns (in no particular order)!
Let’s begin with John Lewis’ Christmas Advert named “The Beginner”. It starts off with our protagonist giving us a little giggle as he tries (and fails!) to master the art of skateboarding - he’s no Tony Hawk towards the end, but he’s definitely got the basics down. Then things start to become a bit blurry - maybe because this is when I started blubbering. We find out that he’s not picking up skateboarding as just a hobby, but so that he can better connect with the young girl that they’ve decided to foster who, judging by the skateboard in her hand, “skates a bit too”. This advert is definitely top of the list for me, because by partnering up with Action For Children it emphasises the importance of investing in the care system, rather than just giving gifts.
Powerful marketing uses emotion all of the time, but John Lewis go one step further, selling the values of their brand, rather than the products we tend to prefer. Once hooked, you’re invested in more than a single purchase, you’re invested in the brand.
So.. “Where were you in ‘22?” - that’s the title for this year’s Paddy Power advert. They’ve taken advantage of the first World Cup to take place in Winter and we love it! This advert is definitely relatable to pretty much most of the UK who would be celebrating the football (plot twist - we didn’t win). The best thing about this advert was it showed a very British Christmas and everyone celebrating together - and that’s one of the best things about a big sporting match or the festive season. It brings everyone together, whether that be friends, family or even strangers!
Despite the obvious challenges that come with promoting the world cup venue, Paddy Power have successfully tied their campaign to a trend that many are heavily invested in. A mention of the world cup is enough to intrigue many, so why not use it to sell?
Directed by Taika Waititi, Amazon’s “Joy is Made” advert is another heart-warming story about a young girl and her father. The young girl is quite clearly captivated by her snow globe, bringing it everywhere with her - even the dentist office. So, the father transforms the greenhouse into a life-size snow globe for her!
The EU general manager of marketing at Amazon has said in a statement: "We’re constantly inspired by the inventive spirit of Amazon customers and we wanted to tell a story with a different view of generosity and giving at Christmas, and the joy from doing something special for someone you love,"
"We’re happy to play a small part in the creation of that joy, but the hero of the story is a father's love for his child."
The cynic in us would say this is an attempt to make a global, scary corporation with its share of bad publicity look a little more personable. But where’s the Christmas spirit in that? Whatever the campaign’s true purpose - Amazon is front of mind…
The UK’s favourite bear, Paddington Bear is back and making another appearance in a Barbour Christmas advert. This years advert is called “One of a kind-ness” and it starts out with Paddington walking past Mr Curry’s house to see no Christmas decorations up, unlike the rest of the street, and he’s just missed the Christmas carolling so it’s fair to say he hasn’t managed to get into the Christmas mood yet! Paddington decides to get Mr Curry a present to let him know he’s thinking of him, so he decides to get him a unique re-loved jacket! After receiving his gift he puts his Christmas lights up and enjoys the festive season!
Group Marketing Director and Managing Director USA at Barbour, Paul Wilkinson has said in a statement: “We are delighted to feature Paddington in our Christmas film. Extending the life of our garments has been at the heart of our brand for over 100 years and through Barbour Re-Loved, a key focus of our Wax for Life initiative, we have been able to demonstrate in a humorous and sentimental way, the importance of upcycling and how much a thoughtful and unique present can mean particularly at Christmas time.”
A great message that supports tangential trends in the world - environment, sustainability and care. Do we mind that Barbour has used our marmalade loving friend as an influencer in an affiliate marketing campaign? Of course not! Even if it is a clever amalgamation of modern tactics and traditional media.
We’d love to hear what your favourite Christmas campaigns were for this year! Do you prefer when there’s a deep underlying message or is it best kept simple and sweet? Let us know in the comments below and Happy Holidays!
