With Christmas 2025 fast approaching, we’ve seen a host of standout PR campaigns and festive adverts this December. From singing post boxes, questionable advent calendars and the revival of an Alison Limerick soundtrack, brands are pulling out all the stops to capture seasonal attention.  

But with so much noise during the festive period, what really makes a good Christmas campaign? 

Christmas is a season that is deeply rooted in emotions. It’s a long-standing tradition for many that carries years of memories that people will often feel strongly about. Because of this sensitive nature, capitalising on emotional storytelling is one way to make your campaign have an impact. 

But how does a campaign ignite these memories and feelings surrounding Christmas? That brings us to the three F’s: Festive, Fun and Family. 

Festive 

First of all, any campaign or advert needs to be festive – obviously. Christmas is a time when we think of snowfall, lights, hot chocolates and plenty of food and being wrapped up in plenty of warm clothes. These are all core elements, but it’s how they are used which sparks our personal memories and attachments to these items. And of course, you can always use established Christmas icons like The Grinch, or the Big Friendly Giant, to get the message across. So many of us feel the start of Christmas is when the John Lewis Christmas advert drops. For all its creative wonder, it simply makes it feel like Christmas.  

Fun  

For most people, Christmas is a fun time of year. It’s about seeing loved ones, opening presents and playing ridiculous games that will have everyone laughing the night away – and maybe a drink or two. Most campaigns aim to reflect this in one way or another – the whole family looking silly as they play a game of Wii Sports, or grandad holding up his new jumper, the joke being it’s the exact same one as the jumper he’s currently wearing. Point is, Christmas is a time to let loose and share gifts that riff off inside jokes. When brands are trying to sell their product to you, the actual product is almost secondary – how much fun your family is having with it is the main thing. It’s a simple but effective tactic. Maybe the campaign will be a quirky, fun activity or an advert which really showcases this traditional enjoyment.  

Family 

This is perhaps the key theme.  A successful Christmas campaign will be something that features loved ones spending time together or will have you and your family doing an activity together. But it’s not just about trying to sell a product; the connotations of family are everywhere. This year’s Aldi Christmas advert features Kevin the Carrot getting married and all his fellow vegetables and carrots joining the happy moment. Is it insane? Sure. Does it represent family – absolutely. The theme of family runs throughout all of Christmas and the campaigns brands are running. This is what really drives that emotional storytelling, brings back old memories and helps create new ones. This is what will put the icing on the Christmas cake and deliver that strong impact.  

Is that all? 

This is just the basis for creating a strong Christmas campaign. We are increasingly seeing brands using these three pillars and integrating pop culture into them. Just look at Asda centering their campaign around the Grinch, or John Lewis featuring a 90’s dance classic soundtrack by Alison Limerick in their Christmas advert. The list goes on and it’s no surprise that brands are taking advantage here. Integrating popular music and films creates a sense of familiarity with the audience and can help to instantly capture their attention. And as mentioned earlier – it’s all about bringing back memories and creating that sense of nostalgia to deliver an emotional impact.