Who doesn’t love lists, especially when family’s around to debate them? It’s why we’ve compiled one for this blog, and it will bring you laughter, emotion, gratitude, and possibly a sweet tooth. Santa doesn’t work here but we’ve made a list, and we’ve checked it more than twice, because of how enjoyable its contents turned out to be.

‘Tis the season to be jolly, and a great ad campaign should make consumers that and plenty more. To celebrate the season of giving, we thought we’d highlight some of the finest Christmas advertising in history - along with some commentary on what small business owners can draw from it. In fact, you’ll see the acronym “TFSBO” after each campaign’s title, which will stand for “Themes for Small Business Owners”.

So snuggle up with some eggnog, maybe some corn you brought for popping, gather friends or family and enjoy the list!

Air Canada Buys Everyone a Round Around

TFSBO - Home

The sheer execution of this ad is brilliant. Notice the cinema-level skill at hand from the opening seconds, how it immerses you in the sound of a city, the gleeful energy of a packed pub. All to pay off in a touching portrait of what it means to be going home - regardless of where you are.

The notion of home is valuable to advertisers because it humanizes them. When you get your audience feeling warm and fuzzy inside, they associate you with feeling warm and fuzzy. Simple psychological math.

Apple Enables Gift-Sharing

TFSBO - Story

The ad in the list that would win “Best Short Film”, Apple’s depiction of how powerful a great tool can be is masterful in its subtlety (seriously, if you just showed someone this video with no context, how many people out of 10 would recognize it’s a spot for Apple?). It doesn’t need to invite you into their product offering or promotions, because they’re inviting you into something all of us love - a fantastic story. Not to mention a perfectly-fitted Billie Eilish number.

Stories are more impactful than facts or data because we respond emotionally to them, and emotions stick with us far more than thoughts. Think of a break-up you’ve been through. Do you recall the day of the week, the weather, what time it was?

Or do you recall how you felt?

We dedicated an entire blog post to the power of storytelling in business, and Apple’s snowy tale of a gifted girl couldn’t have echoed it any better.

Nick Offerman Savors Lagavulin Scotch...for a While

Note; the video is only age-restricted because of Lagavulin scotch being featured.

The close TFSBO runner-up here was simply…being different. You’d have to imagine this idea for an ad campaign - Nick Offerman sitting, staring, and sipping for 44 minutes - was lambasted by some in strategic meetings, and maybe even caused for a firing or two. But it’s so audacious, so defiant of norms, that it becomes a classic. Its humor lies with it becoming a sort of staring contest, like the ones you’d do in grade school to see who smiled first.

Original humor and boldness will grip audiences because frankly, they’re rare in advertising. For an industry that likes to practice cheesiness and playing it safe, bold can easily become gold.

Mickey Mouse Gets Timeless

TFSBO - Family

You had to expect at least one tearjerker! Disney’s brilliant use of time is three-fold here:

1) It gives the spot a more narrative feel (hint - STORY!)
2) By showing the grandmother and granddaughter, each in their youth, this narrative becomes generational.
3) This generational aspect then makes Disney - the connective tissue - generational.

It’s an expertly-crafted trifecta, the core of which is the most universal value we know aside from survival - family. Make an ad campaign about family, and you will subconsciously get the audience on your side.

Google Gives us a Throwback

TFSBO - Nostalgia

Even at the risk of leaving some young’ins in the dark, Google’s showcase of its Assistant through a Home Alone time warp is the best “combination ad” in the list. On top of a brilliant creative core is an unmatched product display. It’s almost easy to miss, because your brain is too busy re-living the confined adventures of Kevin McCallister. It hooks you with the nostalgia, then compels you with all the product can actually do.

As for SBOs, nostalgia is deeply powerful because it brings us joy, and when we’re joyful, we’re more likely to buy.

REI Rebels

TFSBO - Brand Identity

This one also had an extremely close TFSBO runner-up, which I’d have called virtue. But overall, it’s so astoundingly REI that brand identity must take the cake. #OptOutside wasn’t some empty gesture by the outdoor retailer to boost coat and beanie sales - it was a full on commitment in 2015 that saw REI shut their doors - on Black Friday no less - AND pay each of its 12,000 employees to get some fresh air.

This expression of brand identity serves up something any customer will always appreciate - authenticity. People know when they’re being bs’ed, and they know when someone is actually walking the walk. They’re happy to reward the latter.

Hershey Stays The Same

TFSBO - Consistency

Hershey played the long game with their genius holiday routine. This core idea of jingly kisses started when George H.W. Bush was in his first year as president, and the company has never looked back. I’d wager $100 that in years 2-4 of the spot, half of the creative team was pleading to try something new. Jump forward over 30 years, and the brand awareness for the foil-wrapped bites of heaven couldn’t be better come the holidays. It’s a master class in how consistency reinforces brand and message.

Think about a non-holiday example such as GEICO. Even though commercial content may differ, the consistent quirky tone and messaging is precisely the same. You don’t see them regularly pivoting to an animated spot, followed by a dramatic campaign driven by a social stance. You see the same brand, the same way, every time. And Hershey knew this power many moons ago.

We hope you got some sort of emotional ride through this wild industry’s Christmas advertising years! And as always, should you or someone you know have a business that could benefit from these TFSBOs and many others, we at Iliad Media Group would love to discuss how...

...after we wish you a  Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!