The festive season is well and truly upon us so The Drum has pulled together its favourite Christmas activity from agencies this year. From Chritsmassy games to Twitter campaigns and embarrassing staff cards; we’ve been impressed at what agencies have come up with to get us in the Christmas spirit.
First up is creative agency CMW who developed an online game allowing clients to pelt their staff with snowballs. The 'Hit-or-Miss' game has not only shown clients the agency's digital capabilites, but it's completely addictive too.
Another favourite from this year comes from The Leith Agency who merged Christmas Jumpers and the classic game Space Invaders to make, wait for it...The Christmas Jumper Space Invaders Game. Excellent Christmas fun.
Another work-distracting game to come through our inbox this Christmas came from creative agency Tokyo. Entitled 'Merry Quiffmass' clients have been able to upload a photo of themselves onto a dedicated site and then try out a variety of Christmas Quiffs. The chosen look can then be shared via social media channels.
Some agencies used social media to spread the Christmas cheer this year. Marketing agency Havas PR ran a spoof Twitter campaign for Derek the Turkey, asking followers to vote wither he should be eaten, saved or donated this Christmas. Derek became much loved, even gathering followers on his own Twitter account, so readers will be pleased to learn that Derek was saved and is now happily gobbling about on Wildwood Farm.
Cheil decided to give the gift of Christmas past instead of a card this year, creating a Pinterest board filled with classic kids toys which could be won by entering a prize draw. Furbies, Beanie Babies, Scalectrix and a Transformer were all up for grabs and for every repin the competition received Cheil donated £1 to a kids charity. Web-design agency Blueleaf celebrated Christmas on National Elf Day. In the run up to the day the agency used Twitter and Facebook to ask its followers to vote for one of its staff members to dress up as an elf for the day. Strategy director Rob Smith won (or lost - depending how you look at it) with a massive 246 votes. His day as an elf was then well documented on Twitter and Facebook.
Digital marketing agency Knit developed a Facebook app allowing friends of the agency to create their own knitted Christmas jumper to be sent as a festive e-card. You can still make your own festive jumper on the Facebook app, and for every design received before January 2 Knit will donate £1 to charity.
Together Agency used a Christmas Jumper in a somewhat different way for its festive activity, launching the 'Up My Jumper' competition. Facebook visitors were asked to guess what was hiding up Santa's jumper, with correct guesses winning a prize. The Drum's own Ishbel McCloud won a rather impressive jar of sweets for her smashing guess. The Drum loved this Mobile Orchestra from AKQA. iPads, iPhones and iTouches were used to create a unique performance of The Carol of The Bells by members of the Pacific Chamber Symphony. You can experience this in full if you gather some friends with their phones-preferably around a crackling fire, with a mince pie on Christmas eve. Or would that be Christmas overload?
Digital Agency 20:20 went all high tech this Christmas, using 3D printing to create snowflake decorations. The affectionately named Snowbot could be watched live as it created the decorations, which were then given away as Christmas treats to people who tweeted the agency with the 'special Christmas code' associated with each snowflake.
Creative ad agency BBH also used 3D printing for its Christmas message this year. It asked people to enter a competition by donating to homeless charity Barnardo's. In return BBH selected an entrants home each day in the run up to Christmas and used 3D printing to create a bespoke snow globe of their house or flat. Other agencies went down the more traditional route with fun festive cards. Tangent sent us a brilliant eCard featuring members of its team dressed for what appears to be Christmas Day circa 1973.
Thread Design also wished everyone Merry Christmas with this eCard, depicting what looks like a scene from Happy Feet. Dancing penguins - always a winner at Christmas. Some great Christmas videos were also in abundance this year. Our favourites came from advertising agency isobel with its adorable pug puppy who clearly had one to many brussel sprouts, and Brass who showed us the teamwork that went into their eCard this year.
Direct Marketing Association offered its clients the chance to win a hamper this Christmas with the Clear and Present Danger Game. Players had to hit as many presents which fell from Santa's sleigh to win the prize. The game is running until the 31 December but FYI, a score of anything less than 580 won't get you on the leaderboard and anything over 700 puts you in the running for the Christmas hamper or luxury runner-up prizes.
Digital marketing agency Brave marked the festive season by playing a prank on its staff. Its holiday video shows a gift on wheels being used to lure unsuspecting passersby, who fancy opening a resent a little early, only to have it run away from them.
