Soon after Halloween passes (literally, November 1), the Christmas paraphernalia goes up. I used to be nauseated by how money-driven retailers must be to shove money-spending down our throats. Then, I remember that the Christmas music also starts soon after on the radio, and most importantly, the Christmas-themed commercials.

Seasonal advertising is probably one of my favourite type of advertising – it gives copywriters and art directors an opportunity to encapsulate the emotions felt during every holiday and prompt some sort of response from its viewers/listeners.

Here are a few of my most anticipated Christmas advertising:

 1. Coca-Cola
From their seasonal packaging to their feel-good advertisement spots, Coca-Cola is definitely number one on my list of favourite Seasonal Advertising Campaigns.

 2. M&Ms
Who wouldn’t love the two M&M characters? Seeing these animated chocolates, with whom a lot of us have grown a kinship with over the years, live out the innocence of preparing for Santa Clause’s arrival – brings back the memories in 30 seconds (or less).

 3. Tim Hortons
Tim Hortons definitely gets the “feel-good”, “patriotism”, and “family” notions spot-on. Who doesn’t like a bit of those things during the holidays?

 4. Old Navy
If you’re the type of person (and who isn’t?) that appreciates an upbeat, jolly, dance number – then you would look forward to these commercials too.

 5. Target
Still considered to be fairly new to the Canadian market, Target has the ability to capture feel-good and “hip and trendy” in the same ad spot.

While the underlying goal in every advertisement is to push sales, it is no wonder why marketers spend most of their ad money in the fourth quarter: people are more willing to spend during the holiday season and are vulnerable to the emotions that come along with Christmas. Still, if only for the appreciation of great creative work: I thoroughly look forward to Seasonal Advertising Campaigns.

What are some of your favourite Seasonal Advertising Campaigns?