Why the Holidays Are Still the Most Powerful Time to Advertise

The holiday season isn’t just a time of celebration—it’s a battlefield for attention. From big-box retailers to niche ecommerce brands, holiday marketing campaigns are what make or break Q4 revenue goals. And in 2025, competition will only get fiercer.

What’s changed? Consumers now expect more than just flashy discounts or “last-minute deals.” They crave emotional connection, personalization, and convenience. Your holiday campaign needs to deliver all three—ideally, across multiple platforms and with messaging that taps into real-time customer data.

The days of running a few generic holiday ads and hoping for the best are over. Today’s successful brands are building cohesive, full-funnel campaigns that blend digital and physical touchpoints. They're using everything from Google Ads to personalized direct mail postcards, wrapped in storytelling that evokes holiday cheer and drives real action.

From nostalgic holiday movies and classic Coca-Cola commercials to cutting-edge influencer gift guides and AI-powered retargeting, this guide will unpack the strategies behind the best holiday marketing campaigns—and show you how to stand out in the most crowded time of the year.

💡 Want to learn how LettrLabs helps brands launch omnichannel holiday campaigns with automated direct mail? Start here: Direct Mail Campaigns: Strategy, Types, and Examples

Why Advertising Holidays Still Matters in 2025

Even in a world of endless content and 24/7 promotions, advertising holidays remains one of the most effective ways to connect with your target audience—if you do it right.

People aren’t just shopping during the holiday season—they’re feeling more. The holidays trigger nostalgia, generosity, and urgency, creating a rare window where audiences are more receptive to emotionally driven ads, gift suggestions, and heartfelt campaigns. It’s not just about selling a product—it’s about becoming part of a tradition, a memory, or a moment.

And let’s be clear: this isn’t just about Christmas. The holiday shopping season spans everything from Thanksgiving to Hanukkah, New Year’s, and even smaller celebrations like Secret Santa or local winter festivals. That gives your business multiple chances to show up with relevant messaging, exclusive offers, and personalized touchpoints that drive real customer engagement.

More importantly, the brands that win during this time are the ones that start early. The planning, creative production, targeting, and logistics involved in running a high-performing holiday marketing campaign require foresight and coordination across teams—and channels. That includes direct mail, paid Google Ads, influencer content, email flows, and custom landing pages.

If your brand is waiting until December to act, you’re already behind.

💡 Looking to launch your own multi-touch holiday campaign? Explore how LettrLabs helps brands scale across print and digital in our Marketing Automation Hub.

Planning Your Holiday Marketing Campaigns

Launching standout holiday marketing campaigns starts long before the first snowflake falls. Whether you're aiming for holiday shoppers or loyal repeat customers, your holiday campaign needs structure, intention, and a deep understanding of your audience. Here's how to do it right:

🧠 Know Your Target Audience

The most successful holiday ads aren’t just festive—they’re relevant. Use customer data from past seasons, website behavior, and purchase history to create segments. Are they gifting for family or shopping for themselves? Are they price-sensitive or after luxury? That clarity helps shape your creative, offers, and timing.

Pro tip: Tailor your campaign copy and offers based on target audience segments—like gifting dads, stocking stuffer seekers, or last-minute shoppers.

💡 Need help identifying and reaching the right prospects? Check out LettrLabs’ direct mail list options to build hyper-targeted segments.

🎯 Set Specific Holiday Marketing Goals

Don’t just "do something festive." Ask: What’s the real objective?

• Increase sales of specific SKUs?
• Boost repeat purchases from loyal customers?
• Drive traffic to your landing page or store?
• Retarget site visitors or upsell high-value customers?

Every goal will influence which channels you choose and what your creative looks like. A Google Ads retargeting push will differ wildly from a handwritten mailer for your VIP list.

💡 For seasonal strategy inspiration across industries, see how brands use LettrLabs in our Black Friday/Cyber Monday campaign guide.

✨ Build Campaigns Around the Holiday Spirit

This is your chance to tap into the holiday spirit—and stand out from soulless discount spam. The best holiday marketing campaigns wrap offers in emotion: a cozy moment, a heartfelt message, or a shared tradition.

Themes that always work:

• Togetherness, family, and nostalgia
• Generosity and giving
• Humor and surprise
• Celebration and transformation

Think beyond generic "Merry Christmas" headers. Show, don’t just tell. Let your visuals, copy, and formats convey warmth, excitement, and that intangible festive spirit.

💡 Want to create personalized mailers that feel human and heartfelt? Learn more about LettrLabs’ handwritten mailers and how they help brands connect at scale.

Multi-Channel Execution for Holiday Ad Campaigns

The days of one-channel holiday marketing are over. Today, successful holiday campaigns are built to meet customers wherever they are—and guide them toward a conversion across multiple platforms.

Whether they see your brand in a Google Ad, a gift guide, a mailbox, or a TikTok scroll, the experience should feel connected, intentional, and relevant to the season.

🖥 Combine Digital and Physical for Maximum Impact

You’ll never beat the holiday ad campaigns from big-box retailers if you're relying on just one touchpoint. Smart brands pair fast-moving digital with tactile, memorable physical mail. For example:

• Use Google Ads for timely flash offers
• Retarget with a handwritten postcard referencing the same product
• Follow up with a printed letter offering a loyalty gift or holiday discount
• Send a follow-up reminder email with the same festive theme

Each channel supports the next, boosting customer engagement and maximizing ROI.

💡 Want to see all your physical mail format options? Browse LettrLabs' full lineup of direct mail formats, including handwritten cards, postcards, brochures, and more.

🔍 Why Google Ads Are Crucial for the Holiday Shopping Season

Google Ads should be a cornerstone of your holiday marketing campaigns. They’re fast, scalable, and can capture high-intent searches like:

• “last-minute gift for mom”
• “luxury skincare holiday kit”
• “eco-friendly secret santa ideas”

Pair this with retargeting powered by customer data, and you’ve got a conversion machine. Bonus tip: use UTM parameters to connect ad clicks to direct mail sends, using tools like LettrLabs' LeadReveal.

💡 Learn how to combine Google Ads with automated direct mail in our Radius Mail + Ads strategy guide.

🧱 Don’t Forget Your Landing Page

Even the best holiday ads can fall flat if your landing page doesn’t match the message. Make sure your page:

• Matches the tone and theme of your campaign
• Loads fast on mobile (shoppers are rushing!)
• Shows gift options or bundles up front
• Highlights urgency with timers, deadlines, and “ships by” dates

💡 Need to boost your checkout conversions too? Explore our ecommerce checkout best practices for more high-impact tips.

Top Themes That Power the Best Holiday Marketing Campaigns

The best-performing holiday ads don’t just showcase products—they spark feelings. Whether it’s joy, nostalgia, laughter, or love, the most memorable holiday marketing campaigns are rooted in emotional connection.

Here are some of the most effective themes that brands use to drive customer engagement and create campaigns people actually look forward to:

🎄 Emotion, Family, and Togetherness

Holidays are about family, friendship, and meaningful connections. Campaigns that lean into these values—like a grandparent opening a surprise gift or a child meeting Santa Claus—tend to perform incredibly well.

Example: The iconic Coca-Cola holiday ads have mastered this theme for decades. From the truck caravan to the polar bears, the message is always the same: together is better.

💡 Explore how brands use storytelling and physical mail to connect emotionally in our Handwritten Mail for Customers article.

😂 Humor and Surprise

Funny holiday ads cut through the noise. Think awkward family photos, surprise unboxings, or cheeky spins on traditional tropes. The key is to balance irreverence with relatability.

Example: A skincare brand launching a “gift set your cousin won’t regift this year” with matching mailers and TikToks.

💡 Looking to send holiday cards that break the mold? Check out our Handwritten Postcard options for more creative formats.

🎁 Nostalgia and Pop Culture

The right reference can stop people mid-scroll. Tap into beloved shows, decades, or even classic holiday movies like Home Alone or Elf. These cues instantly evoke trust and warmth.

Example: A campaign styled like an old Gilmore Girls episode or referencing It’s a Wonderful Life could capture millennial hearts.

💡 Need help translating pop culture into high-converting mailers? LettrLabs' customized marketing capabilities can bring your creative vision to life.

⏳ Exclusivity and Urgency

Make people feel like they’ll miss out if they don’t act fast. Use phrases like “limited run,” “ships by 12/20,” or “VIPs only.” Pair that with visuals of the perfect gift to generate FOMO-fueled action.

Example: Spotify Wrapped creates an entire season of urgency and shareability based on personal data—and it works.

💡 See how to drive urgency with creative offers in our Fear of Missing Out Advertising guide.

Iconic Holiday Ads That Still Inspire

Some holiday ads don’t just sell—they become part of the season itself. These legendary campaigns prove that with the right emotional angle, consistent branding, and creative execution, your message can become timeless.

Let’s look at the holiday ad campaigns that brands and marketers study year after year.

🥤 Coca-Cola: The Gold Standard of Holiday Advertising

You can’t talk about holiday marketing without mentioning Coca-Cola. The brand practically invented the modern image of Santa Claus with its 1931 ad—complete with a jolly red suit, rosy cheeks, and a bottle of Coke in hand.

Over the years, Coca-Cola’s holiday campaigns have mastered the art of nostalgia and holiday cheer, from the “Holidays Are Coming” truck caravans to the lovable polar bears.

Why it works: They use consistent visuals, evoke family and togetherness, and lean into universally understood emotions. Every year, you expect their ad. It’s not just an ad—it’s tradition.

💡 Want to learn how to build a repeatable, recognizable seasonal campaign? Start with a personalized format like a handwritten card to anchor your brand in memory.

💡 John Lewis: The UK’s Master of Emotional Connection

Every December, millions of viewers await the latest John Lewis holiday campaign—even outside the UK. These ads go beyond product. They’re short films built around human stories, unexpected friendships, and heartfelt endings.

Notable campaigns:

• Monty the Penguin (2014)
• The Man on the Moon (2015)
• Excitable Edgar (2019)

Why it works: The emotional payoff. These stories create an emotional connection between the brand and the audience—even if the product is secondary.

💡 Emotional storytelling works in physical formats too—see how LettrLabs’ printed letters allow space for longer, narrative-driven content.

📈 Spotify Wrapped: A Data-Driven December Ritual

Although not a traditional holiday brand, Spotify Wrapped has become a December event all its own. The yearly rollout taps into personal customer data to create something instantly shareable, emotional, and viral.

It’s a masterclass in personalized content at scale. People wait for it. They talk about it. They share it. That’s the dream.

Why it works: It’s exclusive, time-sensitive, and built around you. It taps into both holiday spirit and digital culture.

💡 Want to build your own data-driven experience? LettrLabs supports variable data printing and triggered sends—explore more in our Programmatic Direct Mail guide.

🌌 Midnight Opus: Building a Seasonal Identity From Scratch

Newer DTC brands like Midnight Opus (fictional or up-and-coming) are showing how to build iconic moments without decades of history. They’ve created a winter campaign built around “slow luxury,” dreamy mailers, and personalized product curation.

Why it works: It owns a unique theme, feels intentional, and builds a consistent seasonal rhythm. Every year, shoppers recognize the campaign’s look and vibe.

💡 Want your holiday branding to stand out visually? Learn about LettrLabs’ trifold brochures and how they allow you to tell multi-panel brand stories.

Best Holiday Marketing Campaigns by Category

Not all holiday marketing campaigns are created equal. What works for a national department store may flop for a niche ecommerce brand. The key is to tailor your holiday campaign to your product category, customer journey, and marketing capabilities.

Here’s how different types of businesses can win the holiday season with the right strategy.

🛍️ Retail & Department Stores

For physical retailers, the holiday shopping season is still all about foot traffic, visuals, and urgency. Combine immersive in-store experiences with digital and print media to drive shoppers into action.

Tactics that work:

• Window displays paired with holiday ads on local radio + social
• QR codes in-store that connect to “last-minute gift” bundles
• Limited-time promotions and Secret Santa-themed giveaways

💡 Want more tactics to drive in-store and post-purchase engagement? Read our full Retail Marketing Strategy guide for ideas you can steal this season.

📦 Ecommerce Brands

Ecommerce brands thrive during the holidays—but only if they stand out. The inbox is flooded. Ads are everywhere. You need something unexpected.

Winning strategies:

• Send a handwritten postcard offering early access or VIP-only discounts
• Use Google Ads to target “gift for [persona]” keywords, then retarget site visitors with a personalized mailer
• Launch a “Find the Perfect Gift” mini-site with a companion mailer that features a gift code

💡 Explore more creative campaign ideas in our full Direct Mail for Ecommerce guide, including abandoned cart, VIP winback, and bundled product strategies.

🎁 Subscription Brands

Holidays are prime time for subscriptions—gifting made easy. But competition is stiff. Make sure your holiday ads and mailers feel thoughtful, not templated.

Try this:

• Launch a 12 Days of Gifting campaign with daily product reveals via direct mail and email
• Send a handwritten insert with the first delivery, thanking them for joining the “holiday club”
• Use customer data to suggest plan upgrades or complementary subscriptions

💡 Browse 75 swipe-worthy examples in our subscription box direct mail guide.

🧼 Service-Based Businesses

Local service brands (HVAC, cleaning, wellness, etc.) often skip holiday marketing—and miss out. Even if you're not selling gifts, you're selling peace of mind, pampering, or prep for the new year.

Ideas to try:

• Send a “New Year, New You” handwritten letter with a seasonal discount
• Offer a Secret Santa deal—buy one massage, get one free for a friend
• Launch a Google Ads campaign for “gift card cleaning service” or “local spa holiday deals”

💡 See how brands in HVAC, wellness, pest control, and more are scaling results with Direct Mail for Home Services.

Holiday Campaigns That Tap Into Nostalgia and Pop Culture

We all know the feeling: hearing a holiday jingle from childhood, rewatching that one holiday movie, or recognizing a beloved character on packaging. Nostalgia is a powerful emotional lever—and during the festive season, it sells.

Pair that with pop culture references, and you can create a holiday marketing campaign that feels both fresh and familiar.

📺 Use TV Shows, Characters, and Iconic Lines

Think about who your audience grew up with. For Millennials, maybe it’s Friends or Gilmore Girls. For Gen Z, maybe it’s The Office holiday specials or even animated throwbacks.

Example: A campaign inspired by a fictional “Stars Hollow Holiday Market” taps right into that warm holiday spirit—and could be paired with real mailers sent in cozy fonts and muted winter palettes.

💡 LettrLabs can help you translate cozy aesthetics and references into print—get ideas from our Handwritten Card Examples.

🎬 Holiday Movies as a Creative Blueprint

There’s a reason holiday movies are rewatched year after year: they follow predictable, comforting emotional arcs. Brands can mimic that arc in their holiday ads—a little chaos, a lot of heart, and a satisfying resolution.

Example: A skincare brand that frames its BFCM-to-Christmas sale journey like a rom-com plot (think Love Actually meets shop now) could dominate both feeds and mailboxes.

💡 Need more storytelling format space? See how bi-fold and trifold formats help you stretch out your story with multiple panels.

The Role of Customer Data in Holiday Marketing Efforts

No matter how creative your holiday ads are, they’ll fall flat if you don’t send them to the right people. That’s where customer data becomes your secret weapon.

The top-performing holiday marketing campaigns aren’t just beautiful—they’re smart. They’re driven by real behavior, intent, and preferences. And during the holiday season, data is your best chance at cutting through the noise.

🧠 Use Purchase History to Personalize Offers

Segment your audience by what they’ve bought before, how much they’ve spent, or how recently they ordered. A returning customer who bought skincare last December? Send them a "You deserve the glow again" mailer with a perfect gift bundle.

Someone who browsed your pet collection but didn’t buy? Retarget them with a Google Ads campaign and a handwritten card that says “We saved something for [dog's name]…”

💡 LettrLabs supports deep personalization with merge fields and variable image support—explore how it works in our Variable Data Printing guide.

⏱ Use Behavior-Based Triggers for Real-Time Campaigns

Imagine a shopper visits your gift guide, spends two minutes browsing the “For Him” page, then leaves without checking out. Within 24 hours, they get a handwritten mailer showing the same item with a “Still thinking about it?” note and a QR code for 15% off.

That’s how holiday marketing should work in 2025. Instant, relevant, and deeply personal.

💡 Learn how to trigger automated mail based on page visits, UTM clicks, or abandoned carts with LettrLabs’ LeadReveal and integrations.

📊 Optimize What You Send and When You Send It

Run A/B tests using different creatives, incentives, or send dates. See what drives the most opens, clicks, or redemptions—not just in email, but across physical mail as well.

Use your attribution tools to understand which ads, campaigns, or mailers actually converted, and refine from there.

💡 LettrLabs' tracking & analytics dashboard lets you monitor delivery, engagement, and ROI in real-time—so you can actually measure campaign success.

Tips for Creating High-Impact Holiday Ad Campaigns

Let’s face it: during the holiday season, attention is the rarest currency. Your ads are fighting not just other brands, but Santa memes, Spotify Wrapped posts, and 10,000 unread emails. To win, your holiday marketing campaign needs to be more than festive—it needs to be strategic.

Here’s how to stand out, get clicks (and opens), and actually drive sales this season.

📅 Start Early (Like… Now)

The biggest mistake businesses make? Waiting until December. If you're planning your holiday campaign after Black Friday, you’ve already missed your window.

Start teasing in October. Drop hints. Create a waitlist. Build anticipation.

💡 Check out our BFCM holiday campaign guide to see how smart brands prep for holiday success months in advance.

🎨 Stick to One Bold, Festive Theme

Avoid chaotic visuals or changing your tone mid-campaign. Instead, create a single, cohesive theme that runs across all channels—Google Ads, mailers, email, landing pages, packaging.

Think: “12 Days of Warmth,” “Midnight Snowdrop,” or “Gifts that Hug Back.” Then reflect that theme in everything from font choice to envelopes.

💡 Need help turning your brand vibe into a real-world print piece? Explore our Direct Mail Design Best Practices.

⏰ Use Scarcity, Deadlines, and Cutoffs

Your holiday shoppers are busy—and last-minute. Deadlines help. Try:

• “Ships by Dec 20 if you order today”
• “Only 100 gift boxes left”
• “Offer ends Sunday at midnight”

These simple time-based cues drive urgency and make your ads more clickable.

💡 Pair countdown urgency with real-world follow-ups—see Abandoned Cart Direct Mail Headlines that convert.

💌 Integrate Direct Mail with Digital Efforts

The best holiday marketing doesn’t live in silos. Send a handwritten card to top customers, then follow up via SMS or retargeted Google Ads for a layered experience.

💡 Want help integrating direct mail with your Klaviyo flows or ad retargeting? Our automation tools make it seamless.

How LettrLabs Supports Standout Holiday Campaigns

Executing a high-performing holiday campaign doesn’t just take creativity—it takes tools, data, and logistics that work at scale. That’s where LettrLabs comes in.

Whether you’re a fast-growing ecommerce brand or a multi-location service business, LettrLabs helps you combine the emotional impact of real mail with the precision of digital automation—perfect for holiday outreach.

📬 Print and Digital, Seamlessly Synced

LettrLabs lets you connect your favorite digital tools—like Klaviyo, Zapier, Shopify, and Google Ads—to real-world print campaigns. That means you can:

• Send mailers triggered by browsing behavior or checkout status
• Retarget site visitors with handwritten postcards
• Automate loyalty gift sends to loyal customers or VIPs

💡 Explore all the tools and CRM workflows we integrate with on our Integrations page.

✍️ Personalization That Actually Feels Personal

This isn’t your average “Happy Holidays” print blast. With LettrLabs, you can send:

• Handwritten cards in 60+ real handwriting styles
• Personalized printed letters with first names, gift suggestions, and discount codes
• Postcards with variable images or festive QR codes

💡 See all our direct mail formats—from folded inserts to oversized postcards and premium letters.

📈 Campaign Insights That Track Real ROI

No more guessing if your holiday marketing campaigns worked. With LettrLabs, you get:

• Delivery status tracking for every piece mailed
• Engagement signals (scans, visits, conversions)
• Matchback reports for campaign attribution

💡 Monitor and optimize every campaign using our Tracking & Analytics dashboard.

🎄 Designed for Seasonal Scale

Whether you're sending 500 VIP gifts or 50,000 mass mailers, LettrLabs helps you:

• Launch fast using pre-built templates and auto-personalization
• Match print designs to your BFCM or holiday ad campaign assets
• Schedule deliveries based on region, product availability, or shipping cutoffs

💡 Curious how pricing scales for your Q4 plan? View our direct mail pricing breakdown or request a free sample pack.

Final Holiday Inspiration: 5 Quick Wins to Try

Running short on time but still want to launch a killer holiday marketing campaign? These plug-and-play ideas are designed to boost customer engagement, build brand loyalty, and spark holiday cheer—even if you're scrambling in December.

1. 🎁 Send a “Happy Holidays” Card with a Personalized Gift QR Code

Create a warm, branded moment with a handwritten card that includes a custom QR code linking to a curated “gift finder” page. Use customer data to personalize suggestions for each segment—like “For Your Tech-Loving Brother” or “Stocking Stuffers Under $25.”

💡 Launch this fast with LettrLabs' Handwritten Mailers—just upload your list and copy.

2. 📬 Retarget Your Best Customers with a Surprise Loyalty Postcard

Use behavior triggers or order history to identify loyal customers, then send a festive postcard thanking them and offering a sneak peek at your next drop or sale. Think of it as a “Just for You” moment, offline.

💡 Try this with our Printed Postcards—fast turnaround, high impact.

3. 🧊 Launch a “12 Days of Gifting” Mailer Series

Instead of one bulky catalog, break your campaign into 12 digestible cards—each revealing a new item, tip, or offer. Combine multiple platforms: mailers + SMS + social. People love surprises, and daily momentum keeps engagement high.

💡 Want to build this visually? Use LettrLabs’ Trifold Brochures for reveal-style storytelling.

4. ⏱ Use Countdown Messaging with Real Mail Deadlines

Send a letter titled “Still need the perfect gift?” with a clear ship-by date and an exclusive promo code. Add urgency with phrasing like “Last Chance for Guaranteed Delivery” or “Only 72 Hours Left.”

💡 Pair urgency-driven copy with formats like Printed Letters in Envelopes for a premium, time-sensitive feel.

5. 📦 Include a Holiday Insert in Every Order

Don’t let that empty box be a missed opportunity. Include a handwritten insert or tear-off with a “gift this to a friend” referral offer or New Year’s deal.

💡 See ideas for inserts and tear-off formats in our Packaging Insert guide.

Make the Holidays Count

In a landscape flooded with short attention spans, algorithm changes, and endless scrolling, holiday marketing is still one of the few moments where brands can genuinely connect with their audience.

Why? Because the holiday season is emotional. It’s nostalgic. It’s human. And it gives you a rare excuse to show your brand’s softer side—your values, your creativity, and your ability to deliver joy.

The best holiday marketing campaigns don’t just push promotions—they become a part of the celebration. From iconic Coca-Cola commercials to data-driven Spotify Wrapped drops, from a clever Google Ads retargeting sequence to a heartfelt handwritten card—this is where memorable marketing happens.

And the beauty is, you don’t need a million-dollar budget. You just need strategy, segmentation, and a little holiday inspiration.

LettrLabs is here to help you bring all that to life. Whether you're sending a single postcard, launching a full holiday ad campaign, or retargeting your highest-value customers—we help you do it beautifully, automatically, and at scale.

💡 Ready to launch your best holiday campaign yet? Book a demo or grab a free sample pack and see what LettrLabs can do for your brand this season.