It's Christmas eve morning! So much excitement surrounds this cherished holiday. It's the time of year when people fully appreciate even the smallest act of kindness and generosity. Brands know this all too well. It's the perfect time for companies to market real-life experiences and drive their message forward. That's why we're happy to roundup a few examples of brands that knocked it out of the park with their holiday experiential marketing campaigns.
Carlsberg, the Danish brewing company, knows how to go viral. They set up a 27 ft. fir Christmas tree that dispensed complimentary Carlsberg beer in London It was a unique and engaging way to reach consumers simply by tapping in to the spirit of giving. They also gave away limited-edition beer bowls to a lucky few. Although Carlsberg's pilsner beer isn't a traditional holiday favorite like egg nog, it was on that day.
Brands that engage with the latest technology tend to innovate. Using cutting-edge 360 degree Oculus virtual reality technology, TGI Fridays created the world's very first virtual dog-sled ride. Who hasn't wished they could barrel through a blanket of snow behind a pack of well-trained dogs? The restaurant chain chose to film in Lapland, Finland after voters chose it as their perfect Christmas holiday destination. Anyone with a virtual reality headset could travel through a snow-covered winter wonderland from the comfort of their own home.
WestJet Airlines, the Canadian low-cost carrier, set up a live video link of Santa Claus so he could ask passengers what they would like for Christmas. Answers ranged from big screen televisions to socks and underwear and a plethora of toys. WestJet volunteers scrambled to pick up 250 individually wrapped presents, as per the flyers' request. After the passengers went to collect their baggage, they noticed a flurry of gifts coming down the conveyer belt. Needless to say, they were plenty surprised. It was truly a Christmas miracle.
For their experiential holiday marketing campaign, the Scandinavian furniture chain asked a group of young kids from Spain to write the Three Kings a letter of what they wanted for Christmas. Afterwards, the kids were asked to write a second letter to their parents. Once the parents started to read the letters addressed to them, they noticed that the children surprisingly omitted any mention of material gifts. All they wanted was for their parents to spend more time playing, tickling, or having dinner with them. IKEA pulled at our heartstrings and remind us of what this time of year is really about. Well played, IKEA. Well played.
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