christmas Archives - MARKETECH APAC

Global – Amplify, a global creative firm specialised in experience and culture, has stepped up to help Santa this holiday season. For years, the world’s most famous North Pole resident has evaded detection throughout his annual globe voyage.

However, in the fast-paced world of intelligence and monitoring, the Amplify innovation team became concerned about an impending time when Santa could struggle to do his job without being caught.

Amplify’s internal innovation team has developed a prototype to solve one of Santa’s main concerns—preserving the joy of the holiday season—inspired by anti-surveillance apparel.

Version 1 was created with the global network of Amplify offices in mind, allowing Santa to elude facial recognition software on December 25th. The algorithms will be fooled, and he will be identified as a fox in London, a seagull in Australia, a rat in New York, and a raccoon in Los Angeles.

Speaking about the prototype, Amplify design team says, “Working with such an iconic figure present in so many cultures is an opportunity we couldn’t let go.”

Sydney, Australia – Global supermarket chain ALDI has launched its latest campaign in Australia, which encourages Aussies to celebrate and go big on the little things that make a Christmas feast feel special.

Created in partnership with BMF, Zenith Media, and Ogilvy PR, the campaign gives a comedic take in appreciating Christmas side dishes which are usually overlooked, showing that going big on it can make their Christmas even more special.

This campaign coincides with ALDI’s extensive range of seasonal products being made available at affordable prices, giving Aussies the means to give every dish on their table the main-character energy this festive season.

Talking about the campaign, Jenny Melhuish, marketing director at ALDI, said, “From the beloved sides to feasting favourites like the ham or the turkey, Aussies can have the Christmas they want by shopping with ALDI, making substantial savings and without ever compromising on quality.”

“This year, we want shoppers to be able to go big on the little things without going big on their budgets in the process. This can easily be a reality for all Aussies by simply making ALDI their one stop Christmas shop this festive season,” she added.

Meanwhile, David Fraser, executive creative director at BMF, commented, “A ham and turkey without sides is just a ham and turkey. They only become a Christmas feast when they’re surrounded by a plethora of sides. So it felt good to give sprouts and potatoes the limelight for a change.”

The integrated campaign will air across TV, cinema, radio, OOH, social, owned channels, and PR.

Australia – QIC is inviting all Australians to embrace their inner child, with the launch of its ‘Merry Everything’ Christmas campaign, encouraging customers to switch their adult perspective to see the holiday season through the eyes of their younger selves.

Created by Jane Doe Creation, QIC’s campaign kicks off with a ‘Naughty or Nice’ film tackling the age-old question of who’s been naughty and who’s been nice with a playful twist that sees the baton passed to the kids to judge their parents and relatives.

Directed by Alex Feggans at Austin Studio, the campaign will be running online across social media and will be supported by OOH signage and in-store activities including Santa photography, spend to win giveaways, free gift wrapping and more.

Elissa Maine, executive creative producer at Jane Doe Creation, said, “Christmas is a time for coming together with family and loved ones and to mix it up a little, this year we let the kids decide who was on the ‘Naughty & Nice’ list.”

“Casting real families and following the threads of their responses to build out our storytelling was a deliberate casting decision put forward by Alex. It radiates real warmth and connectivity throughout the campaign and brings a genuine smile to your face,” she added.

Meanwhile, Bronwyn Cooper, head of marketing at QIC, commented, “We are adults all year round, yet there’s a special time of the year when we can let someone else out to play. The holidays are a time to create special memories with the ones we love most, and Merry Everything invites Australians to share the joy and channel their inner child this Christmas.”

As part of the Merry Everything campaign, QIC will also be launching the Naughty or Nice Quiz, where shoppers can determine whether they are likely to be on Santa’s naughty or nice list by entering the online quiz – with all participants going in the draw to win a $1,000 gift card.

Sydney, Australia – Upscale department store chain MYER has unveiled its newest inspiring Christmas campaign titled ‘Make Your Merry Meaningful’ via collaboration with creative agency Clemenger BBDO.

The bold, bright, and fun campaign reminds Australians that Christmas is more than just a season of giving but also a time for everyone to connect, show love, and express appreciation for their loved ones through sentimental gifts that hold meaning and thought.

MYER’s campaign will also include a digital film featuring the endearing character Wendell, a wombat-shaped soap who has been thoughtlessly regifted year after year, from Christmas to Hanukkah. In the film, he shares his wisdom from being re-gifted all over the country and says that it’s the thought that counts.

The campaign reinforces MYER’s position as the ultimate destination for gifting, helping Australians find the perfect gift within their budget for their loved ones so that all gifts are treasured, unlike Wendell.

With fun and engaging taglines, the campaign will span TV, BVOD, OOH, digital, social, online, in-store VM, and immersive in-store experiences like gift wrapping and team member uniforms. It will run from November 2 until Christmas Eve.

Geoff Ikin, chief customer officer at Myer, said, “The campaign is a reflection of Myer’s commitment to making Christmas truly special for everyone. Amid the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, Myer wants to remind Australians that Christmas is more than just a season of giving; it’s a time to connect, show love, and express appreciation through gifts that hold deep meaning and sentiment.”

He added, “We’re here to help every Australian to give thoughtfully, mindfully, and meaningfully this year—from our expertly curated Giftorium, our world-class service to assist and inspire choice, professional gift wrapping, and our renowned Santaland to entertain the family—we have everything all under one roof.”

Tristan Graham, ECD at Clemenger BBDO, also shared, “The best Christmas ads entertain us while also making us view that time of year a little differently. And what’s more entertaining and thought-provoking than advice from a gruff little wombat soap who’s been regifted since the 80s? ”

Australia – Michael Hill, a jewellery retailer, has launched its Christmas campaign, which showcases how families can celebrate a Christmas to remember through thoughtful gifting.

Conceptualised alongside CHEP Brisbane, this year’s campaign follows the story of a family going through some changes, when the father embarks on a new relationship.

It also shows the impact that the new relationship has on his daughter, the challenges she faces in coming to terms with the change in her family dynamic, and her dad’s new love interest trying so hard to be accepted into the family.

Jo Feeney, chief marketing officer at Michael Hill, said, “This Christmas, more than ever, people are looking for meaningful gifts that last long after the festive season. Jewellery is not only seen as one of the most thoughtful gifts, it’s also a lasting memory, marking special moments in life.”

Meanwhile, Christy Peacock, creative lead at CHEP Brisbane, commented, “This year’s story celebrates the special connection between dad and Evie, his teenage daughter. Evie’s surprise gift to dad’s new partner on Christmas Day is as much about showing her love for her dad as it is about welcoming a new member to the family.”

The campaign appears in Australia, New Zealand and Canada from today across TV, cinema, online, social, press, OOH and in-store.

Bangkok, Thailand – KFC Thailand transforms its iconic bucket into the new ‘KFC Basket the Bucket’ this Christmas to join Thai people in their obsession with gifting baskets. This is in collaboration with their newly appointed creative agency, Wunderman Thompson Thailand. The KFC ‘Basket the Bucket’ is made of locally sourced materials and handcrafted by local artisans, with the iconic chicken bucket packaging a perfect fit inside it.

According to KFC Thailand, gifting during the festive season in Thailand is always an epic battleground of festive hampers or gifting baskets. The basket has been a symbol of well-wishing and gifting for Thai people.

The 30-second commercial that came with the campaign shows Thai people receiving usual gifts given this Christmas as they sarcastically let out dry laughs before showing a man munching on KFC chicken and ends with lines, “when the bucket comes, its party on!”

Chief Marketing Officer Suhayl Limbada at KFC Thailand said, “Taking a global icon like the KFC bucket and infusing it with the locally famous gift basket depicts the richness and beauty of our country’s culture and is a very special project. As people return back to celebrating special moments with their loved ones, to be able to incorporate our iconic KFC Bucket as a gift in such a unique way is a perfect ode to our excitement at the prospect of a festive season that is full of cheer and Finger Lickin’ Good moments.”

Park Wannasiri, chief creative officer of Wunderman Thompson Thailand adds, “KFC is a leader that always wants to stay connected and culturally relevant. We are always looking for the opportunity to infuse our brand into the culture in the most distinctive way, not just driving sales but also building the brand. Although KFC is not always associated with end of year gifting, ‘Basket the Bucket’ changes everything. By turning our iconic bucket into a gift basket, a symbol of the Thai gifting season, we directly put ourselves into the centre of attention this festive season.”

KFC also mentioned gifting their friends clown, king, and dragon, with their unique bucket basket this Christmas, to show their generosity for the holiday season.

Sydney, Australia – Christmas is no doubt coming to town, and Australia-based supermarket chain ALDI has released the new instalment of its Christmas campaign, newly called ‘Overcooked Generosity’.

The said ad is the sophomore rendition of the ‘You Can’t Overcook Christmas’ campaign launched by ALDI Australia last year. The campaign, conceptualised together with creative agency BMF, aims to encourage Aussies to ‘go all-out’ this festive season and feed the ‘spirit of generosity.’

The campaign comes with a 30-second understated comic that sees two women trying ‘too hard’ to not be the one to grab the very last piece of prawn off the table out of ‘generosity’. Just to avoid the prawn finally landing on one’s plate, the women fight it off with silly aggressive stunts such as plates being shoved with one of the women even throwing herself out the door, only to roll down the veranda to avoid the prawn.

In a real jovial punch, we find that there are indeed more prawns cooked and prepared for everyone. The ad finally ends with the line, ‘more prawns, more everything, because you can’t overcook Christmas’.

ALDI Australia’s Marketing Director, Mark Richardson, said, “At a time when Aussies will be auditing their festive plans to balance the Christmas they want, with the Christmas they can afford, ALDI plays a unique role in helping people Overcook their Christmas, without overcooking their budget.”

Richardson continued “Aussies can have the Christmas they want while saving the money they need and not compromising on quality. Because at ALDI Christmas is about more than just savings, it’s about getting more for your money.”

Meanwhile, David Fraser, creative director at BMF attributed the concept of the new ad to the proverbial family animosities that are always bound to happen when families get together during the holidays, even saying that Christmas isn’t complete without a few well-meaning relatives engaging in a polite fight.

“Overcooking such a simple truth felt like it would strike a chord with Aussies. And hopefully, ALDI can help families have one less argument this year,” Fraser said.

Aside from BMF, ALDI collaborated with key agency partners Zenith Media, and Ogilvy PR to bring the campaign to market across key media channels, including TV, outdoor, radio, digital, social, PR, catalogue, owned website, EDM, media partnerships, and POS.

Melbourne, Australia – In the spirit of the upcoming Christmas season, Australian department store chain Myer has launched a multi-touchpoint campaign, encouraging Aussies to indulge, smile, and shop more this holiday season.

Part of the campaign is a film that is set on Christmas eve, where a couple faces the relatable stress of having to wrap their family’s long list of gifts. Starting from exhaustion, the couple finally gets into their groove, transforming the mundane palaver into an exhilarating performance.

With fun, cheeky, and attention-grabbing tag lines such as, ‘Stuff the turkey, stocking and self-control’, ‘Grab Christmas by the baubles’, and ‘Deck the halls, kitchen and living room’, the campaign will be brought to life across TV, BVOD, OOH, digital, social, online, in-store VM, gift wrapping and team member uniforms.

The campaign is conceptualised by Clemenger BBDO, with its media strategy led by Essence.

Speaking about the campaign launch, Geoff Ikin, chief customer officer at Myer, said that they are approaching the festive season with more confidence than ever.

“From our much-loved Melbourne Christmas Windows, which will feature iconic scenes in celebration of Disney’s 100 years of wonder, to our national Santalands, curated Giftoriums and our Myer one VIP shopping nights, we are there to help our customers celebrate this festive season,” he said.

Ikin added, “The campaign has been created to cut through the noise in typically the most cluttered media environments at Christmas. It’s fun, engaging, irreverent and offers what our customers love – a little surprise and delight. Australians love to celebrate Christmas, and so do we.”

Meanwhile, Jim Curtis, chief creative officer at Clemenger BBDO, commented, “Christmas is a weird and wonderful time of year filled with rituals that under normal circumstances would make absolutely no sense whatsoever. We leave carrots in our driveways for flying reindeer, we wear itchy, woollen sweaters in the middle of summer and we go the extra mile to show our loved ones how much they mean to us.”

He added, “This year we’re asking Australians to let the season be the reason and double down on everything that makes Christmas, Christmas. Yes, that even means fully embracing the unique task of wrapping gifts at midnight the night before.”

Australia – Despite the Christmas festivities getting nearer, around 20% of Aussie consumers are going to buy cheaper and more practical gifts for their family and friends this Christmas, as cost of living pressures force them to be conservative in their spending habits. This is according to the latest data from digital experience provider Sitecore.

The data notes that one in five Australian shoppers expect to purchase fewer gifts and spend less overall, while the majority expect to spend the same amount as in 2021.

Despite this, one in three high-income Australians plans to spend more this season. Overall, the trend is likely to swing to more practical presents for the majority of Christmas shoppers.

The report also found that Gen Z is feeling the pinch – one in three expect to use a BNPL (buy now pay later) service, cut back on subscriptions, regift or sell personal possessions to afford this festive season.

Despite no restrictions on in-person shopping, online commerce will continue to dominate with only 35% planning to shop in-store more than online. While online shopping continues to be prevalent for the travel category, in-person shopping remains strong in most categories, especially food & drink, beauty, and apparel.

In addition, low-cost shipping offers are important to consumers in Australia, who believe A$9 is the maximum price they should pay. Higher-income shoppers are very likely to say that they will meet free-shipping minimums by adding to their cart, or will pay extra to guarantee delivery, two things that lower-income shoppers cannot afford to do.

Paige O’Neill, chief marketing officer at Sitecore, said, “Our survey shows that shoppers are deeply informed and looking for the best deals and online shopping experiences that brands can offer this Christmas. This season, shoppers will explore the best deals online and seek out brands that offer competitive pricing, buy-now-pay-later options and low-cost shipping.”

He added, “Brands that empathise with consumers’ inflation-forced financial constraints and focus on meeting their needs by delivering content that focuses on value and shows empathy and understanding will come out ahead this holiday season.”

Bengaluru, India – In one of the most unexpected gifts for the holiday season, local insurance provider ACKO Insurance has recently launched a holiday campaign that targets to make roads in the city of Bengaluru safer to travel by fixing its current inconsistent road structure.

Done in partnership with creative agency Leo Burnett Orchard, the campaign sees a bunch of workers clad in Santa Claus costumes working to fix the road potholes in the wee hours of the night. The project, which is also made in partnership with organization PotHoleRaja, patched over 150 potholes near Royal Meenakshi Mall in Bannerghatta to help make the roads safer and ensure a smooth ride for the commuters.

Further in the campaign video, onlookers watch the truck doors open as the Santas get to work, with a Christmas melody as a backdrop. The following morning, residents express their joy and gratitude upon waking up to the gift of a patched-up road.

Speaking about the campaign, Ashish Mishra, EVP for marketing at ACKO, said, “The campaign was born out of our desire to play a part in eliminating this menace and making road travel safer. We made this vision a reality by collaborating with PotHoleRaja to give the city’s residents an ideal Christmas gift. The campaign is also especially close to our hearts since it is part of ACKO’s bigger mission to promote and prioritise road safety for all.”

Meanwhile, according to Prathap B., founder and CEO at PotHoleRaja, their focus is to have accident-free roads and save lives by fixing potholes. He also added that their agenda is to drive awareness and find effective means to fix potholes.

“So, when we were approached for this campaign, we felt this would be the best thing we could do during Christmas for the people of Bengaluru. We are always on the lookout for companies and partnerships that understand our vision of pothole free roads, so we thank ACKO for supporting our cause,” Prathap said.

Pravin Sutar, creative head India at Leo Burnett Orchard, added, “Christmas is all about childlike innocence and smiles. And that’s exactly what we wanted to spread for the residents of Bengaluru. We hope that we’ve raised the bar for Christmas advertising in India, with this piece.”

The film is being amplified through digital channels and across social media.