10 Holiday Marketing Campaign Examples + Marketing Tips

Is it too early to start planning your holiday marketing campaign? If you’re reading this in December, don’t worry — you can get a head start for next year. In this post, we’ve gathered ten of the best holiday marketing campaigns from recent years to help inspire your ideas.

When you’re ready to build your own campaign, check out HubSpot’s guide to seasonal marketing. We also recommend Campaign Assistant, a free AI tool that helps create copy for ads, landing pages, or emails.

The Best Holiday Marketing Campaigns

1. Etsy: Where’s Waldo/Wally:

Etsy’s ad hits all the right notes. It feels cozy and brings back memories of searching for Waldo in those books. The ad shows Waldo, or Wally as some call him, wearing his red-striped sweater and beanie, weaving through crowds of people. At the end, he meets his partner, Wenda, at a coffee shop and says a lovely line: “Sometimes, it takes someone who really knows you to make you feel seen.” It’s simple and perfect.

What we like: This ad brings joy, like finally finding Waldo. Etsy uses it to remind us how special it feels to get a gift from someone who really understands us. It also suggests Etsy is a great place to find those thoughtful gifts.

2. Chewy: Coal, the Holiday Surprise:

This ad made us wish we could get Coal for the holidays — but not the usual kind of coal. It starts with two girls opening gifts and finding only coal-themed presents. Then, their mom brings in a rescue puppy named Coal. The puppy’s eyes are so cute it made us as happy as the girls in the ad.

What we like: Chewy not only made a sweet ad but also talks with fans and answers questions in the YouTube comments. This shows they really care about their customers.

3. Chick-fil-A: Legends of Evergreen Hills:

Chick-fil-A created a magical world called Evergreen Hills. In 2019, they introduced Sam, a little girl who just wanted to build a snowman. The ad, “The Time Shop,” encouraged giving the gift of time. Now, Sam is a bit older, and her story continues in five short episodes on the new Chick-fil-A Play app.

This app offers animated shows, podcasts, and games. The first episode is on social media, helping promote both the app and Chick-fil-A restaurants. This campaign connects stories across different platforms, building excitement over time.

What we like: We admire their dedication to building this story world and sharing it in many ways, making the campaign feel fresh and exciting.

4. Kroger: Share Your Food, Share Your Heart:

This ad tells a sweet story in just one minute. Set to the song Lonely People by America, it shows a boy who notices his grumpy old neighbor seems lonely during the holidays. He decides to sneak some food from his family’s holiday meal and leaves a small plate of snacks at her door.

Seeing his kindness, the family invites the neighbor to join their big holiday meal. The ad ends with the message: “Share food. Share love.” We see the family happily talking with their neighbor.

What we like: This ad makes you want to stop what you’re doing and reach out to someone around you.

5. Disney: The Boy and the Octopus:

This short film feels more magical than many recent Disney movies. Directed by Taika Waititi, it tells the story of a boy who finds a lively octopus stuck to his head after swimming in the ocean. They quickly become friends, and the boy shows the octopus the world on land, while a soft version of Part of Your World plays.

One night, after watching a Christmas movie, the octopus wants to ride with Santa and see more of the world. Together, they make a plan to meet Santa.

Throughout the story, you see little Disney touches like a Buzz Lightyear toy, a Star Wars lightsaber, and a Mickey beanie the boy uses to hide the octopus.

What we like: This short is fun, warm, and full of the magic Disney is famous for.

6. Hershey’s Kisses:

We have to mention this classic ad. Since 1989, it has shown red and green Hershey’s Kisses as bells playing We Wish You a Merry Christmas, led by a silver Kiss.

Though it has changed a little over the years, the ad stays mostly the same and is loved by people across the country. Even those who usually dislike ads say they like this one.

What we like: This ad has lasted a long time without losing its charm and has become a holiday tradition for many.

7. Outback: Koala on the Walla:

Outback Steakhouse offers a fun holiday twist with “Koala on the Walla,” a playful take on Elf on the Shelf. The jingle says, “He knows all your secrets. Every rule you’ve broken.” This koala watches carefully and won’t give you steak if you’ve been naughty. We hope Koala on the Walla replaces those mischievous elves found in many homes.

What we like: Though the koala sounds strict, it’s very cute, and we wouldn’t mind having it around, even if it’s spying on us from the washing machine.

8. GAP: Holiday ‘24:

This ad is not full of bright colors or fast scenes, but that’s what makes it special. GAP brought together a group of talented singers from different backgrounds and social media. They sing Together Again by Janet Jackson without any instruments, just their voices. This ad shows that you don’t need fancy effects or a big story. A simple and beautiful idea can still leave a strong message.

What we like: We love how different voices and styles come together in this song. Each singer shines in their own way.

9. LEGO: Herding Home for the Holidays:

This year, LEGO didn’t make a full holiday movie. Instead, they made a fake trailer for a movie that doesn’t exist. It’s called Herding for the Holidays. The story is about someone from the city who goes back to a farm to take care of goats—yes, Lego goats! The trailer feels like a fun Christmas movie, just like the ones on Hallmark. Even though it’s not real, it makes us want LEGO to turn it into a full film.

What we like: It’s simple—goats and LEGO together. What’s not to love?

10. Coca-Cola: Secret Santa:

No list of holiday ads feels complete without Coca-Cola. However, they released a new ad made fully by AI. It didn’t look great and wasn’t very pretty, but it got people talking—a lot. The ad was based on an old one from 1995 that used real trucks and people. This time, three AI studios worked together and used four different AI tools to make it. But the final video had strange details—like trucks that didn’t look right and wheels that didn’t move. Even the Coca-Cola logo looked wrong in some shots.

People didn’t like it. Many said it felt cold and lifeless. News sites wrote about how fans reacted, calling the ad “soulless.”

What we like: Even though many didn’t enjoy it, the ad got attention. It shows that even a “bad” ad can get everyone talking. We’re curious to see if Coca-Cola will go back to using a real Santa next time.

What we don’t like: The AI tool may be helpful, but it’s not perfect yet. If you look closely, things just seem off, like the logos and how the trucks move. For something made with so much tech, it should’ve looked much better.

Go Forth and Be Merry

These ads show that there are many ways to bring holiday joy into your message. There’s no one right way to do it, but what all good ads share is heart. Think about what makes the holidays special for your audience, and share that story. For us, what really works are ads that feel warm, remind us of the ‘90s, or show happy family meals. We’re definitely feeling inspired by Kroger’s ad—and yes, we’re thinking of making beef wellington too!