Marketing Minute — December 2024

While the Super Bowl might be the holy grail for advertising and marketing, the holidays are a close second. This month, we are highlighting holiday-themed campaigns we liked, loved and were unsure of.

As we close out 2024, here is the final marketing minute of the year.

Peppermint Partnerships

Since its launch in June 2022, Rhode Beauty has been a fan favorite of beauty influencers—especially with Swedish it-girl Matilda Djerf. For nearly two years, Djerf has been using and posting about her love for Rhode’s Peptide Lip Treatment, so much so that the brand created the holiday flavor in partnership with her and made her the face of its 2024 holiday campaign. Influencer collaborations and holiday campaigns aren’t necessarily groundbreaking, but it is a reminder that authentic partnerships are more impactful to your audience.

Airbnb Saves Christmas

Have you ever thought about how Santa delivers presents to hotel rooms? We didn’t until Airbnb released its “Santastrophe” spot. Quick-witted, festive and fun, this ad communicates the advantages of Airbnb properties versus hotels in an engaging way, while connecting with its current audience and tapping into a potential new audience of those who travel for the holidays.

Coca-Cola Catches Flack

You can count on Coca-Cola to generate some of the most well-received holiday ads each year. The polar bear is just one example that comes to mind. But, this year, the iconic brand tried something new and tapped into AI models to produce a series of holiday spots. Generated using Leonardo, Luma, Runway and Kling, the ads were met with backlash for mistakes present in the ads and the lack of human touch. Throughout the year, AI has made big strides and splashes with consumers and this instance is no different. And, while AI is here to stay, moments like this exemplify AI’s limitations and prompt us to consider when and how the technology should be used.

Volvo Creates a Tear-Jerker

Volvo’s newest ad for its EX90 SUV has made its mark on audiences. It’s a powerful example of how to captivate an audience by blending emotion, suspense and purpose. The narrative captures viewers’ attention while subtly showcasing Volvo’s core message of safety and innovation. Whether you have 15 seconds or 10 minutes, good storytelling leaves a lasting impression, like this ad did.

Happy Holidays and see you in 2025!