As each holiday season approaches, the marketplace grows increasingly competitive as major brands ramp up their marketing and advertising. The holidays bring enthusiasm to both brands and consumers, as well as the chance for brands to develop new strategies designed to make them stand out from their competitors. Success during the holidays requires a lot of planning, a strong understanding of your audience, and how best to tailor your marketing message to connect and engage with consumers. But you don't need to wait for the holidays to learn about what top brands are doing to make sure they stay on the consumer's 'nice' list. Discover what new trends are affecting how brands are changing their advertising and what new challenges brands will face and must overcome.

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Apple’s Moving Holiday Ad Follows a Father’s Journey With Hearing Loss

Apple depicts a father's journey with hearing loss in its emotional holiday ad.

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Ryan Reynolds Spoofs Netflix’s Hot Frosty in New Aviation Gin Ad

Ryan Reynolds, via his Maximum Effort agency, parodies the recent Netflix hit Hot Frosty in an Aviation gin ad.

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Walmart vs. Target: Online Searches Reveal Who Is Winning the Holiday Shopping Season

With the holiday shopping season underway, analysts are looking to Walmart and Target for signs of what’s to come. So far, the messages have been mixed. Walmart reported sales at [...]

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Iams’ Dog Balloon Got Stuck Before a Parade to Highlight a Vital Pet Issue

Mars Inc.’s Iams made it look like a two-story-tall dog balloon got stuck en route to the Chicago Thanksgiving Parade to draw attention to a pet health issue.

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McDonald’s Christmas Light Show is an Ode to Spontaneous Drive-Thru Dinners

The U.K. push continues the chain's successful lighthearted 'Fancy a McDonald's' campaign.

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Behind the Scenes of Coca-Cola’s AI Reinvention of a Holiday Classic 

One of the buzziest campaigns of the holiday season so far is Coca-Cola’s artificial intelligence (AI) reboot of its classic ad, “Holidays Are Coming.”

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JD Sports Redefines Family in Subversive Holiday Campaign

Sportswear retailer JD Sports overturns idealized images of families that are often present in holiday marketing.

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Ketel One Collabs With Patrick Schwarzenegger to Give Brand a Modern Twist

Actor-entrepreneur Patrick Schwarzenegger is the first “spirit advisor” for Ketel One, anchoring a social, digital and experiential effort during the crucial year-end selling season.

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Target Debuts Kris, a Modern Santa, as It Shifts Holiday Marketing Strategy

Target debuts Kris, a modern Santa, as it runs two holiday campaigns to stand out in the busy period.

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John Lewis Christmas Ad Goes in New Direction With Relatable Sister Story

John Lewis ventures into new territory for its anticipated Christmas ad.

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Disney’s Holiday Film Introduces an Unlikely Dynamic Duo: A Boy and His Octopus

Taika Waititi directed the funny, moving short which was developed by Adam&eveDDB.

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Walmart’s Black Friday Campaign Spoofs Your Favorite Film Genres

Walmart debuted "Deals of Desire," a 10-part series spoofing genres of entertainment and dropping Black Friday deals.

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Lidl Takes On Coca-Cola With Its Own Christmas Truck in the UK

Food retailer Lidl, which operates roughly 12,350 stores across 31 European countries, is turning a can of its Freeway cola brand into a truck weighing 15 tons and measuring 20 [...]

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Coca-Cola Brings Its Classic Holiday Characters to Life With AI

Coca-Cola is bringing its iconic holiday characters, such as Santa Claus, its caravan trucks, and its polar bears, to life with AI. This holiday season, the brand is unveiling AI-driven [...]

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Bridgerton Star Adjoa Andoh Serves Beauty in Boots Christmas ‘Werkshop’

Boots Christmas ad stars Bridgerton actor Adjoa Andoh as the British retailer expands further in beauty.