Christmas 2023: 7 holiday campaign ideas with examples from Spar UK, DFS and other brands
The holiday season is the perfect time for brands to get creative with their marketing strategies and connect with their audience in a festive and memorable way
In this blog post, we will explore a variety of engaging and playable Christmas marketing campaign ideas that can help you captivate your audience and spread holiday cheer. From gift finders to an old-school snake game, these campaign ideas will not only entertain your customers but also promote your brand and drive valuable engagement.
1. Advent calendar
Advent calendars are a beloved tradition during the Christmas season, and a digital version provides a fantastic opportunity for marketers to engage their audience throughout the entire month. By implementing an advent calendar campaign, you can create a sense of excitement and anticipation while offering daily competitions and exclusive promotions to your customers.
Søstrene Grene
Søstrene Grene, a Danish retail chain known for its unique ambiance and extensive range of products, embraced the advent calendar concept to generate new leads during the Christmas season. Their advent calendar featured a daily quiz question that was intricately crafted around the brand. Participants could unlock a new lock each day, revealing a quiz question related to Søstrene Grene’s products, Scandinavian design, or the brand’s core values. Plus, by participating, potential customers could win a Christmas gift. The lead form was at the end of the game, after the quiz question, ensuring that participants would first access the advent calendar, and answer the quiz question, before having to give their contact details.
Interested in the results? Read the full story of Søstrene Grene advent calendar.
2. Drop game
The drop game is a modern twist on a classic arcade game that can add excitement and interactivity to your Christmas marketing campaigns. Participants are challenged to catch or avoid falling items using a container, earning points and unlocking rewards along the way. It is one of the most popular Christmas games we see.
Manuscript Pen Company
Manuscript Pen Company, a family brand with a rich heritage in creative pen and other tools, partnered with The Lionheart Tales to create an engaging Christmas-themed drop game. Participants were required to sign in and provide marketing permissions for both Manuscript and Lionheart Tales to play the game. As an incentive, there was an enticing prize draw for a Lionheart Stationery bundle.
In the game, players joined Ralphy on a mission to save Christmas. Their task was to move Ralphy across the screen, catching presents that had fallen from Santa’s sleigh to earn points. However, they had to be careful of falling coal, which deducted points from their total. The challenge was to collect 150 points before the time ran out. This game concept not only entertained participants but also highlighted the collaboration between Manuscript and Lionheart Tales while highlighting their unique products.
3. Spot the difference game
The spot the difference game is a classic and engaging playable experience that can be incorporated into your Christmas marketing campaign to entertain your audience while promoting your brand. Participants are presented with two similar images and are challenged to find the differences between them.
DFS
DFS, a renowned furniture retailer specializing in sofas and soft furnishings, implemented a captivating spot the difference game to enhance their Christmas marketing campaign. The game was accessible directly without having to fill out a registration form, which meant that it had low barriers to entry.
After spotting the three differences, participants could enter a competition and have a chance to win a sofa worth £2,000. They were required to complete a registration form that asked for their first and last name, email address, and phone number, and included a marketing permission opt-in.
4. Gift finder
A gift finder is another version of the product recommender and a fantastic Christmas campaign idea that helps people find the perfect gifts for their loved ones. This playable campaign engages users by asking a series of questions to understand their preferences and provide tailored gift recommendations. By offering a seamless user experience and personalized suggestions, a gift finder can alleviate the stress of gift shopping and enhance customer satisfaction.
Siren Craft Beer
Siren Craft Beer, a modern brewery based in Berkshire UK, utilized a gift finder on their website to assist their audience in finding the ideal gifts. The campaign began by asking users who they were buying for, followed by inquiries to best describe the recipient’s interests or preferences such as being a foodie, art nerd, sports lover, music fan, beer geek, or techie. They then asked about the recipient’s beer preferences, dietary requirements (if any), and whether the gift was for a specific occasion such as Christmas or a birthday. Additionally, users were asked if the recipient would like to receive more beers, merchandise, or both, and to specify their desired price range.
Based on the provided answers, Siren Craft Beer showcased two gift ideas that aligned with the user and recipient preferences. Each suggestion was accompanied by a compelling call-to-action button, directing users to purchase the recommended gifts immediately. Notably, this engaging playable campaign was not gated by a lead form, as the primary goal was to boost sales and provide a seamless shopping journey for customers.
5. Scratchcard
The old school scratchcard game is a beloved classic, particularly popular as a standalone Christmas campaign or as part of an advent calendar. Participants are presented with virtual scratchcards that they can “scratch” to reveal instant prizes or offers. This luck-based game provides a thrilling and playable experience for your audience, making it an excellent addition to your Christmas marketing strategy.
SPAR UK
SPAR UK embraced the festive spirit by utilizing a scratchcard game in their Christmas campaigns. Participants were invited to sign up for a chance to instantly win prizes every day. By filling in their name, email, and postcode, participants gained access to the scratchcard and had the opportunity to subscribe to SPAR UK’s email list. The scratchcard itself featured a Christmas theme, putting participants into the Christmas spirit. The chance to win instant prizes added an extra incentive for participation and heightened the excitement of the campaign.
6. Wheel of fortune
The wheel of fortune game is an exciting and playable experience where participants have the opportunity to spin a virtual wheel and win prizes or discounts. To incorporate the wheel of fortune into your Christmas campaign, you can customize the wheel with a Christmas theme, such as adding holiday symbols, colors, or images. Additionally, consider offering Christmas-themed prizes, discounts on holiday products, or exclusive festive offers to make the game even more enticing for participants.
The Burger Concept
The Burger Concept also embraced the holiday spirit by incorporating a Christmas-themed wheel of fortune into their campaign. Participants were invited to spin the wheel and win popular prizes or discounts from their menu until December 24th. The lead form, which was completed before the game, asked for the participant’s name, email, telephone number, post number, and included a verification question.
By offering discounts or free items from their menu, The Burger Concept effectively incentivized footfall to their restaurant during the Christmas season and collected valuable data points on their audience.
7. Swipe it
The swipe it game is a fun and playable campaign where participants are presented with images and have the option to swipe left (dislike) or right (like) to indicate their preference. This game concept allows participants to browse through various options and make quick decisions based on their preferences. For a Christmas campaign, the swipe it game can be used to help participants curate their holiday wish list by presenting them with gift ideas or product suggestions.
Hi FI Klubben
Hi FI Klubben incorporated a swipe it game into their Christmas campaign where participants were encouraged to swipe right if they liked the products shown or swipe left if the products didn’t appeal to them. The game aimed to inspire participants with different products that could be added to their holiday wish list.
After completing the swipe it game, participants were directed to a lead form where they had to provide their first name, last name, email address, and had the option to participate in the competition for a SOUNDBOKS. This allowed Hi FI Klubben to collect valuable information on their new leads. Finally, on the last page of the experience, Hi FI Klubben showed the products that participants liked based on their swipes. Participants could then click on CTA buttons to read more about the different products.
Want to discuss your Christmas marketing ideas with an expert?
As the holiday season approaches, it’s essential to have captivating and festive marketing strategies that resonate with your audience. The ideas discussed in this blog post provide a range of interactive and engaging approaches to elevate your Christmas campaigns. From advent calendars to interactive games, there are endless possibilities to spread cheer and drive customer engagement.