With Christmas and the New Year just around the corner, it’s time to remember the good that will surround us these holidays. Christmas ad creators in countries around the world do their best to trigger the most positive emotions of their customers. In this article, I have tried to collect the best Christmas ads of Coca-Cola. You will learn throughout the years of their ads, how they have successfully engaged their audience by evoking emotions.
Image Credit: Metro
1958: Santa Doll Christmas Ad
Certainly a very simple Christmas ad by today’s standards, but it was achieving the main advertising goals in 1958 – a talking Santa Claus doll offers a drink of Coca-Cola.
1980: Disneyland
There is no Santa Claus in this Christmas. But there is a full set of Disney characters (as of the 80th year, of course). The song is called “I would like to teach the world to sing.” The video expertly combines the good feelings of the holidays with a certain drink… Coca-Cola!
2006: The Greatest Gift
This Christmas ad was made for a television advertising campaign by Mother London Agency. The 60-second clip begins on a winter’s night near the Sullivan & Sons Store, where Santa Claus treats a young lady to a bottle of Cola. He continues to entertain the same girl as she grow up and during different periods of her life. This epic Coca-Cola Christmas advert artfully embraces the cherished memories of a child at Christmas. It ends when the same girl, now a grandmother, giving a Coke back to Santa. Enjoy this commercial… with the drink bottle if possible.
2007: Beard
The Coca-Cola Christmas advert campaign in Argentina for Christmas Day, 2007, which was developed by Ogilvy & Mather, offers a way to share Christmas spirit (let’s all spread the Christmas spirit!): do good things for each other. The action begins in a small town with a bearded guy who brings a lost sheep to the farmer. After that, the irreversible motion of the good deed begins. As the ultimate consequence, everybody who did something good (including even dogs and small children!), start to grow a beard! Very, very positive commercial, but a bit on the strange side.
2008: The Star
A perfect example of a holiday infomercial for 2008 Christmas in Mexico. Santa Claus launches a star into the sky and it flies over the cities. The song by Elvis Presley called “Can’t Help Falling in Love with You” sounds in the background and inspires everyone to love. By the way, a shortened version of this Coca-Cola Christmas commercial would later be used in 2013.
2010: Snow Globes
It was a global advertising campaign in 2010 which was centered on a television infomercial called “Snow Globes.” It included the new Coca-Cola Christmas song, “Shake Up Christmas.” The campaign took place on TV, the Internet, outdoor advertising and advertising in cinemas, promotions on point of sales, social media and an iPhone app. Fast forward to today, with the Facebook App that allows creating virtual snow globes with photos of user’s friends and shaking them!
2014: Give a Little Happiness
This is one of the emotion provoking Coca-Cola advertisements ever. Santa opens great book – the naughty and nice list – and the song by Jimmy Durante, “Make Someone Happy”, begins to play. Then, people from all walks of life are made happy by a simple act of kindness by another person. From a frazzled housekeeper, to a young child, to a disabled person, their smiles in response to kindness embody the spirit of giving at Christmas. We can see how people, anyone, can do something to to make someone happy. The ad shows that it is much easier than most of us think.
And Finally, Famous Christmas Trucks
Perhaps you have wondered why I have not mentioned anything about the cult Coca-Cola Christmas truck? I left the best for last! The famous trucks were created by W.B. Doner in 1995. Since then, they have become a true symbol of Christmas. And it is pointless to tell something extra, as this video was translated for more than two decades! But our hearts still freeze when hear “Holidays are Coming…” Let’s watch the first and the latest version of the ad.
It is noteworthy to mention that the 2016 Coca-Cola Christmas ad has been criticized because of the absence of a real Santa: only his image was present on the truck.
We have conducted a short excursion through Coca-Cola Christmas advert history. Likely you have noticed that the main features of all these videos are their constant improvement and their consistent attention to holiday emotions. If you are also interested in improving your marketing strategy and evoking more emotions like Coca-Cola, you can register on our Valoso blog. Here you can find the most useful tips, advice, and guidelines for video improvement. Moreover, Valoso has a wide array of experienced professionals in video editing. Don’t miss the moment!
