What will come of Christmas Advertising 2020

Will advertisers deliver a much needed dose of happiness and joy, or will Covid-19 be adding more doom and gloom? Not to sound like the Grinch but Covid-19 has ruined 2020 and Christmas this year is not going to be the same.

As always, this time of year is when brands begin to roll out their Christmas ad extravaganzas. Not only are they vital for business, but research last year found advertising plays a key role in getting people in the festive mood, and in these times, rarely has there been a greater need to lift the public’s spirit. Consumers are crying out for advertisers to provide some festive cheer!

But for marketers and designers having to devise relatable Christmas ads while being uncertain as to what Christmas will even look like this year, the challenge is huge..

Each year, big brands like John Lewis and Amazon can be relied upon to dig deep into their budgets and bring out the big bucks to spend on their blockbusters, as they battle to win the Christmas ad showdown. 

The campaigns released so far have been a mixed bag of attempting to distract customers from the pandemic, and directly addressing the elephant in the room. Amazon has been widely commended for sensitively approaching the topic in a way that doesn’t feel downbeat. Argos on the other hand decided to swerve the topic altogether and is all about possibilities and dreams. Seeing Christmas through the eyes of children. The hotly anticipated John Lewis advert has also now arrived and is part of a campaign called ‘give a little love’ which aims to raise 5 Million pounds to help 100,000 families in need. They always create a tear jerker!   

There is the issue of family gatherings; how would advertisers be able to recreate these group scenes without knowing if people would be able to get together? Which is why Argos went down the route of ‘magic’, which it used as a way to talk about dreams coming true, depicting young magicians seeing their extended family in a dreamlike theatre setting.

This Christmas looks to be one for the history books. There’s no doubt that brands will be less generous with their ad spend, but that doesn’t mean consumers should expect no gifts. We hope you all receive that magic and sparkle that everyone deserves during the festive period.
If you need help with your Christmas advertising contact our friendly team [email protected].