On Friday morning, as the dying embers of Halloween began to settle and they begin to thaw Mariah Carey and Michael Bublé, I sat down with my morning avocado toast (yes, I’m a boilerplate millennial), turned on ITV and within seconds I was bombarded with my first televised Christmas ad of 2024. At 8am on the 1st of November.
10 years ago, I would have called this lunacy but today we’ve all grown accustomed to the concept of Christmas essentially taking over the last two months of the year. So, why should advertisers wait? Christmas campaigns seem to launch earlier each year, with brands rushing to be the first to own a slice of holiday attention. But is this jumpstart damaging the effectiveness of the campaigns that creatives have probably been working on since June?
While there are certainly valid economic reasons for pushing Christmas campaigns into November—or even earlier—does doing so risk diluting the impact of holiday advertising? Today, I’ll be kickstarting holidays month by exploring the potential impact of this trend on brand authenticity, consumer behaviour, and industry creativity.
1. Oversaturation and Predictability: Diluting the Christmas Spark
Launching campaigns too early leads to oversaturation. The holiday season used to be a strategic time to capture attention and build brand sentiment, but as November becomes packed with festive ads, brands blend into one rather than standing out. The impact? Consumers become desensitised, leaving even the best campaigns to fade into the crowd.
In a marketplace where the maxim “zig when others zag” remains gospel, the early push contradicts the creative principles of differentiation and surprise. By converging on the same strategy at the same time, brands undermine their own competitive advantage. As a result, the charm of individual Christmas campaigns erodes, damaging long-term brand loyalty and trust.
2. Consumer Pressure in a Cost-of-Living Crisis
Early Christmas campaigns might increase sales opportunities, but they also heighten consumer pressure. Pushing holiday messaging as early as November can encourage unplanned spending, which may not be feasible for everyone, especially in a time of rising costs. In a cost-of-living crisis, urging consumers to buy and celebrate early can feel insensitive, even opportunistic, creating a disconnect between brand intent and consumer reality.
Financially strained consumers may respond negatively to early campaigns, associating the brand with pressure rather than festive joy. Given that today’s consumers value authenticity and empathy, aligning holiday messaging with the genuine spirit of giving—and timing it appropriately—can help brands nurture stronger relationships with their audiences.
3. Crowding Out Other Cultures and Celebrations
Launching Christmas ads in early November often sidelines other important holidays such as Diwali, Hanukkah, and Thanksgiving. This approach can undermine a brand’s inclusive message, signalling that other cultural celebrations are of secondary importance.
If brands wish to showcase diversity and inclusivity, they must respect the significance of different traditions by adjusting their campaign timelines accordingly. Waiting until December could provide the space needed to honour other holidays, allowing a brand’s Christmas messaging to resonate more genuinely with broader audiences.
4. Hollowing Out the Holidays: The Authenticity Trap
The early campaign trend has accelerated the commercialisation of Christmas, replacing heartfelt holiday warmth with materialism. Instead of fostering a sense of togetherness, many campaigns risk appearing hollow, contributing to the seasonal barrage of “buy more, spend more.” With 66% of consumers seeking brands that stand for something meaningful, premature festive campaigns could inadvertently position brands as disconnected from the season’s essence.
For example, iconic holiday campaigns like the ubituitous Coca-Cola’s “Holidays Are Coming” trucks ad evoke nostalgia and communal joy without excessive sales messaging. If brands prioritise a balanced, authentic approach that emphasises connection over consumerism, they’ll likely earn higher regard and engagement from their audiences.
5. Environmental and Brand Responsibility
While Christmas campaigns can boost brand exposure, their early start often leads to increased production and distribution of single-use promotional items. These contribute to environmental waste, particularly when the longevity of a campaign item is cut short by launching too early. For brands that espouse eco-conscious values, rushing Christmas campaigns could contradict their commitment to sustainability, resulting in a credibility gap.
Brands aiming to communicate their environmental values can benefit from delaying their campaigns to minimise waste and reduce the need for disposable promotional material. Such choices not only align with responsible brand values but also resonate with increasingly eco-aware consumers.
6. Employee Burnout in the Creative Industry
The shift toward early Christmas campaigning also impacts those who make it happen: creative teams. When campaigns launch in early November, designers, copywriters, and strategists feel the pressure months in advance, leading to long hours and increased expectations. The repetitive, high-stakes environment can exacerbate burnout—a growing concern in the industry that undermines job satisfaction and talent retention.
Prioritising well-being within the advertising world benefits not only employees but also the quality of campaigns. Happier, well-rested creatives are better positioned to produce inspiring, high-quality work that captures the true holiday spirit rather than recycled messaging under a time crunch.
Striking the Right Balance: The Case for a Return to December Campaigns
While launching Christmas ads early may appear beneficial from a sales perspective, the approach could backfire spectacularly, drastically diminishing the magic of the season and alienating consumers. A strategically timed December launch, meanwhile, would allow a brand to stand out, enhancing emotional impact and fostering genuine holiday anticipation removed from the eye rolls and fatigue of the early November launches we’ve now become accustomed to.
By resisting the urge to join the early Christmas scramble, brands can preserve the holiday’s authenticity, deliver meaningful campaigns, and engage consumers in a more thoughtful way. Perhaps this restraint—rather than jumping into the Christmas season before the pumpkins have rotted away—could be the next evolution in holiday advertising? Or maybe I’m just thinking out loud and am fed up of hearing jingle bells on my car radio before Bonfire night.
Another Creative Opinion
By John Laurence Domingo, Head of Social Media at Carbon Digital
"Christmas comes early in the Philippines. As soon as the calendar flips to the 1st of September, shopping malls play on full blast the holiday songs of local icon Jose Mari Chan and the Mariah Carey hit "All I Want for Christmas is You".
The long Christmas season is what makes the Philippines a unique market for Christmas campaigns. Brands have four months to roll out various campaigns leading to December 25 and even to New Year's Day, especially on e-commerce sale dates (i.e. September 9 or 9.9, October 10 or 10.10, November 11 or 11.11, and December 12 or 12.12).
This even allows marketers the chance to run full-funnel campaigns, ensuring success from both a PR and a sales standpoint before the year ends. But the long holiday season is not enough to succeed as a brand in the Philippines.
It is still essential that brands know who their actual markets are, what are their pain points or aspirations, and how the brand can offer a solution to these challenges or how brands can position themselves as reliable partners in improving people's lives or in the attainment of their personal goals."
Tamas Adam November 5th, in the morning
This is a classic example of the tragedy of the commons in game theory. While the public would benefit most if all brands began their campaigns in December, any brand that starts earlier gains an advantage over competitors. However, as more brands prioritize their own interests and launch earlier, this advantage fades, creating an increasingly crowded marketplace.Imagine if one brand chose to hold off until December: by that time, other brands would have been advertising for weeks, consumer fatigue would be setting in, and ad blindness would be on the rise. The brand’s message risks getting lost in the noise. What brand is willing to take the chance that its high-stakes holiday campaign might just vanish into the ether?