Festive Marketing 101: A Review Of The Best Festive Campaigns Of 2022
A boring family get-together, a cool house party, a short vacay or a relaxed hangout with friends — no matter what you did for fun last year, we bet it was better than the two before that. And when it came to creating fun memories in the year 2022, the marketing wizards were not far behind.
So as we finally seem to have settled down in the new year, we thought it was time to look back at some of the best festive campaigns of 2022.
Staying true to the festive spirit, many brands tapped into the emotions of finding joy, family relations, aspirations and determination. While most kept things simple with a standard “Happy *insert festival here*” post, some showed the courage to deliver a groundbreaking moment marketing campaign.
Let’s recognise the brands who took things ahead with their creativity to generate significant social media noise, got enough clout and inspired us all in the process.
1. Blinkit: New Year 2022 meme carousel
We are confused about who to pick for THE best festive campaign of 2022, but we definitely know which one is the funniest. Because if we had a penny for every time Blinkit nailed something with the memes, we would have made Elon Musk so jealous.
The brand wrapped the year 2022 in a way that the internet gets. There was a meme for every taste, from Munna Bhai to The Office. And some flex-worthy numbers like highest tip and biggest order which they presented in their signature marketing style, i.e., funny.
The best part about memes — other than being great fun — is their high ROI-generating ability. They are said to generate 10 times more reach with 60% organic engagement. Not to miss their exceptional shareability, which is a primary reason for the exponential growth in the follower count of brands like Swiggy, Tinder and Flipkart.
So if you are looking to give a quirky dimension to your brand’s personality and keep things interesting for your users — memes are the way to go!
2. WhatsApp: #TheRealFireworks campaign
Before you mute your family WhatsApp group (no prize for guessing why!) — check this New Year brand post by WhatsApp.
Not shying away from saying something meaningful, it beautifully draws on the importance of virtual connection in times of increasing distance. Using fireworks as a metaphor for the euphoria that conversations have, it pushes people to connect with their loved ones.
WhatsApp also did something different by launching a video campaign instead of using pictures, which is a good choice if you look at it from the perspective of engagement.
You can take inspiration for your brand to create consistent, impactful reels that produce an almost 40% higher interaction count than traditional videos.
3. Urban Company – #AVeryUCChristmas campaign for Christmas
We all have that one friend who wants to have biryani when everyone is having pizza!
Going forward with a contrarian approach, Urban Company’s Christmas 2022 campaign was something quite unique — a good contender for the best festive campaigns of 2022.
You would expect something like Secret Santa to be a quiet affair, right? Not with Urban Company. Instead, with their #AVeryUCChristmas campaign, they pushed the idea of ‘#NotSoSecretSanta’, encouraging people to tag friends and family in the comments and mention the Urban Clap service that they wanted to gift them.
And to make the campaign successful, Urban Clap also promised coupons worth Rs. 50,000 to some lucky winners. The comments got them good engagement and thereby increased the post’s reach significantly.
A good lesson here can be to take a moment to think about how to do a trend differently. People online might feel mentally drained after watching the same narrative being played over and over again.
4. Vi (Vodafone Idea) – #Vi12DaysOfChristmas campaign for Christmas
So you finally found out that Santa is not real, and now those gifts don’t feel as special. Sad, we know. But what if a brand turns itself into Santa to start a giveaway to make your Christmas special? Sounds interesting, right?
That’s exactly what the telecom brand Vi did with its #Vi12DaysOfChristmas campaign. In a 12-day-long run, the brand put out creatives with easy riddles that people were required to solve and answer in the comments, in order to stand a chance to win the prize.
One might say a giveaway-themed Christmas campaign is very tried and tested. But it was the execution that set Vi’s brand voice apart. They kept the communication consistent and very simplistic for an impressive two weeks.
Given that contests generate a conversion rate of around 34%, it can be a good idea to put out regular giveaways, especially when you are just building your brand. And with the potential for a decent engagement rate, it can be an essential part of your communication strategy.
5. Paper Boat – Nostalgia-filled campaign for Diwali
Is it possible to feel nostalgic about things that you might not have experienced? Well, Paperboat’s amazing communication strategy makes you feel just that!
Playing on the emotions of childhood nostalgia their creatives remind you of little things we all have experienced as a kid. Or even if you missed on a few things, you certainly get the emotion behind it. Now that the power of great communication.
Tapping into a familiar zone of high-on-storytelling campaigns, the brand pulled off one of the best festive campaigns of 2022.
The creatives highlighted the things we remember doing during Diwali preparations while smoothly integrating products like almonds, pistachios, mixed nuts, etc. — basically everything that works well as a Diwali gift.
A good insight here is about brand positioning. The way Paperboat has masterfully aligned itself with childhood memories is the reason it managed to not only slide in seamlessly in a highly competitive market — ruled by big players like Tropicana and Real — but also earn a respectable name for itself.
6. Cadbury Celebrations – #ShopsForShopless campaign for Diwali
We all do something heartfelt for others during Diwali, don’t we? Even though only a few, stronger among us can stick to it beyond a week. But that’s a separate debate.
Cadbury Celebrations’ creative team did a great trick in moment marketing by using the age-old concept of festive-goodness into making a sweet, brand-appropriate and one of the best festive campaigns of 2022.
They created a platform for street hawkers where they can display their products and connect with customers without any trouble. This way, the brand not only did a good thing for people who struggle to make a living, but also gripped the audience with the emotion of goodness.
With their mantra of “kuch meetha ho jaaye”, the brand has established itself in the minds of modern Indian consumers as a synonym for sweetness, for both taste and deeds. Therefore, it was only fitting to talk about something so positive.
You can use a similar approach for your brand by playing to your strengths while remaining true to the trend. All in all, a great Diwali 2022 brand post!
7. Netflix – Bella Ciao post for Holi
We don’t mind Netflix’s ads, because that’s one way of watching Netflix without a subscription! Another is their Youtube channel, where they regularly feature influencers like Tanmay Bhat, Kusha Kapila and Srishti Dixit watching content on their platform.
If there is one brand that has mastered the art of subtle plugging, it’s them! So it came as no surprise when for one of the best festive campaigns of 2022 they used their own show Money Heist to create a fun Holi creative.
The coloured faces of main characters in action mode were precise in capturing a realistic side of Holi celebrations. It was a good decision to play in a familiar zone of funny and subtle promotion. Not to miss the great insight mentioned for Blinkit — memes are great for engagement!
And finally, the caption, ‘HOLI HEIST! Bella ciao, rang lao aur Arturo ko bhagao 🔫🎨’, was the cherry on top!
8. Tata Tea Premium – #HoliMetaverseWali campaign for Holi
For all those who think they are out of this world, Tata Tea Premium did one of the best festive campaigns of 2022 by creating a Metaverse for a virtual hoil party.
What was dubbed as “world’s first Holi on metaverse”, had engaging games and a special performance by the music duo Sachet-Parampara, which people could enjoy in their favourite avatars.
That’s not all, the brand also had special Holi-themed packaging for their product. The campaign took the brand’s hyperlocal narrative forward by including cultural aspects of different regions in both: the packaging and the metaverse.
It was a good example of a legacy brand trying to adapt in a dynamic market using futuristic tech. With constantly changing customer mindsets and rapidly increasing competition, a brand can’t survive without experimenting with new features, touchpoints, communication and offers.
Make sure to introduce some innovation into the market every six months or so to be at the top of your game!
Conclusion
While it’s not always necessary to jump on to the bandwagon — remember nothing is better than having a truly original voice (case in point: Zomato) — it will not hurt your brand to cater to a wider audience that may or may not be your TG. And the best way for that is sometimes to go with the flow. Because even if you don’t top the trending charts, it would create enough clout to beat your regular marketing outputs. And who knows, you just might become the next viral thing!
