Top 5 US holiday ads to watch right now

By Audrey Kemp, LA Reporter

November 15, 2022 | 6 min read

What better way to ring in the most wonderful time of the year than by watching some of the most memorable, whimsical and comical ads from brands and agencies? Here are five of the most festive holiday campaigns thus far.

Ocean Spray’s cranberry sauce is, evidently, a wiggly wonder / Credit: Ocean Spray

5. Verizon: Free 5G Phone + Another Gift by McCann

Verizon parodies the holiday classic A Christmas Carol with Paul Giamatti and Cecily Strong for an ad highlighting the brand’s exclusive Black Friday promotions. In the ad, Ebenezer Scrooge, played by Giamatti, struggles with spotty reception in Ye Olde Town Center. Strong encourages the self-diagnosed Bah Humbug to see the error of his ways, and switch to Verizon this holiday season for a free 5G phone – plus a whole host of gifts to give, be it a tablet, smartwatch or earbuds.

4. Swarovski: Ignite Your Dreams by General Idea

Bella Hadid shrinks down to the size of a fairy in a dazzling new ad for Swarovski. In the spot, the supermodel explores a spellbinding world of Swarovski sparkling crystal jewelry, while bells chime in the background. The creative ushers in a new platform for Swarovski, ‘Ignite your dreams,’ and with it a new brand identity, refreshed packaging and a goal of bringing forth the imaginative possibilities of crystal to the modern world.

3. Etsy: To the Travelers by 72andSunny

Etsy’s Christmas campaign includes two emotive ads, ‘To the travelers’ and ‘To the new parents,’ both of which underscore how the gift of giving can connect people. ‘To the travelers’ specifically highlights the magic people bring when coming come to their loved ones for the holidays – a gift in and of itself.

It’s the first campaign introducing the online retailer’s new creative platform ‘Etsy has it,’ which aims to showcase the one-of-a-kind items available to purchase from independent sellers.

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2. Amazon: Joy is Made by Lucky Generals

Amazon’s annual Christmas campaign is a real tear-jerker this year. The short film, titled ‘Joy Is Made,’ follows a girl completely and utterly transfixed by her Christmas snow globe. It never leaves her sight, bringing her comfort at her dentist appointment, providing her company across the dinner table and later sitting at her bedside.

When her father begins to understand how special the snow globe is to her, he decides to bring its magic to life, recreating its scene in their greenhouse. The commercial was directed by Academy Award winner Taika Waititi, known for films such as Jojo Rabbit and Thor: Love and Thunder.

1. Ocean Spray: Power Your Holidays by Orchard Creative

If Amazon scores the most moving spot, Ocean Spray unequivocally earns the funniest. In ‘Power your holidays,’ the brand hasn’t even attempted to make its canned cranberry sauce look remotely appetizing or appealing. Instead, it leans into how it looks straight out of the can: solid, yet mobile.

The spot chronicles a rather lackluster dinner party. That all changes when three uncanned cranberry sauces join the cornucopia at the table. Its wobble is mesmerizing, infectious even, as the guests get their wiggle on, mimicking its movements.

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