Somehow Christmas 2018 is already on the horizon and we can practically taste the mince pies! ๐ฅงWith it marks the start of lots of Christmas social media campaigns, and the perfect opportunity for organisations to delight, entertain, and inform. But what makes great festive social media content? ๐ค
There's more competition for attention on social media than ever before and so brands need to go above and beyond to stand out and achieve their objectives. ๐ฅ
This is easier said than done, and sometimes you need some inspiration to spark your own creative thinking. To help you on your way, we've collated a list of the top 10 Christmas social media campaigns that we're loving and why they're so successful! ๐ฅ
1. Royal Mail's Singing Post Boxes
This first campaign stood out to us for it's sheer creativity! Royal Mail have successfully turned an everyday activity into one that sparks surprise and delight in people of all ages. The organisation upgraded their post boxes in a number of cities to sing to you when you post your letters in. ๐ฎ
As competition in the postal service market increases, this campaign creates lots of positive conversation around the brand which means when customers come to select their delivery service for Christmas parcels, Royal Mail is front of mind. โ๏ธ
Consider how you can bring an element of novelty to your interactions with customers this Christmas! โจ
Weโre launching four โsingingโ #postboxes in locations across the UK this week. You'll have the chance to hear festive jingles break out as you post your letters!
โ Royal Mail (@RoyalMail) 26 November 2018
They're located in London, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Belfast. Why donโt you give them a try if youโre nearby? pic.twitter.com/IGdB3I3M1L
2. New Zealand Police's Pawfect Christmas Gift Campaign
Who can resist adorable service dogs? The answer: NO ONE! ๐ถNew Zealand police know this to be true too which is why their Christmas campaign is perfectly positioned around them.
Their Police Dog Trust calendar is one of the ways in which the force raise funds to support the care of retired police dogs and increase awareness of the vital role that dogs play in policing. ๐
These beautiful images are striking and appeal to animal lovers across the globe which has helped to broaden their reach, all wrapped up with some unavoidable puns that make this post super shareable!
The 2019 Police Dog Trust calendar is available for pre-order! - https://t.co/5Kf7pzifJy ๐๐พ
โ New Zealand Police (@nzpolice) 20 November 2018
Would make a pawfect Christmas gift.#doggoswithjobbos pic.twitter.com/nO128s6QjE
3. North Lincolnshire Council's Festive Treasure Hunt
Our next favourite comes from North Lincolnshire Council who recently launched their Christmas Treasure Hunt that leads participants across Scunthorpe in search of bauble shaped clues. ๐
This campaign is ticking a lot of boxes by providing an activity for families to do together, as well as promoting local interest areas and trade by taking residents across the town to areas they might not have been before. ๐ถโโ๏ธ
Have you considered how you could make the most of your town/city with themed challenges or quizzes? ๐
๐ต๐ปโโ๏ธ๐How are your Christmas treasure hunts going in #Scunthorpe today? Find all the baubles, unscramble the letters and be in with the chance of winning our hamper of AMAZING prizes. Grab your trail sheet from Oldrids @oldridsdowntown ๐๐ป #ScunthorpeXmas pic.twitter.com/jVF3aPR27t
โ North Lincs Council (@NorthLincsCNews) 24 November 2018
These are the baubles youโre looking for! Grab a Christmas Treasure Hunt sheet from Oldrids or @2021VisualArts and hunt down all 20 for a chance to win! #ScunthorpeXmas pic.twitter.com/crXQGbeHZM
โ North Lincs Council (@NorthLincsCNews) 24 November 2018
4. Aldi's Kevin the Carrot Takeover
We had to include a little Kevin the Carrot action as he's taken Twitter by storm! If you're not aware of Aldi's Christmas carrot mascot then we definitely recommend taking a minute to check out their full Twitter feed. ๐ฅ
This is a masterclass in how to create engaging social media content! The loveable, brave, and honourable Kevin features as the underdog in the battle of evil parsnip versus good carrot and we can't help but feel like Aldi are telling the tale of their own brand rising against existing supermarket giants. ๐
This creates the Awww feeling that Hel Reyolds described in our recent webinar when content is just plain adorable and connects with us on a human level. Content like this performs really well and Aldi's campaign is no exception, encouraging families to share their own cute festive moments building a real community feeling! ๐
Christmas means annual family photo time ๐ท. We'd love to see your own family snaps for the chance to win a family of cute carrots! Ts&Cs apply: https://t.co/5mInjkq96zpic.twitter.com/hiZA5f1l3z
โ Aldi Stores UK (@AldiUK) 22 November 2018
5. Eddie Stobart's Santa Fun Run
For those looking to create online AND offline experiences, Eddie Stobart's Santa fun run is a brilliant idea! ๐
Not only will there be lots of great photos of different Santas bobbing around on the run, but this is an event that colleagues, communities, customers, and families can get involved with. All while raising crucial funds for the Wish Upon a Star charity! ๐
This campaign shows off the organisation's warm and friendly personality that will help to drive (pardon the pun ๐) more like-minded people to their page, to apply for their jobs, and to become part of their community!
On your marksโฆ have you registered for our family Santa 5km fun run yet? The event at Daventry Country Park on 2nd December will be raising funds for our #charity @whenyouwishUK. Register by emailing susan.norris@eddiestobart.com or call 01788 823 222 pic.twitter.com/CMPXvn4fRN
โ Eddie Stobart Official (@EddieStobartCom) 15 November 2018
6. Scottish Fire & Rescue Service's Christmas Opening Hours
In the excitement of Christmas it's easy to forget that not everyone's on holiday. The Scottish Fire and Rescue service created this very eye-catching and poignant campaign that makes you stop and think. ๐ฉโ๐
We wouldn't all be able to enjoy the festive period with peace of mind without the teams of fire fighters, police, and medical professionals that continue to work around the clock. ๐ฐ
We know that a lot of our readers will be working over Christmas and New Year and we just wanted to say thank you! ๐
Here's a quick reminder of our opening hours over the festive period. โฐ๐๐
โ Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (@fire_scot) 22 December 2017
Christmas is a time for celebration. But whatever happens, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service will be ready to respond to keep communities safe.#WeAreSFRSpic.twitter.com/TJOMKgfk02
7. Huawei's #RechargeYourMates Campaign
This next campaign is fantastically designed to demonstrate the benefits of Huawei's latest smartphone that actually allows users to share their phone battery with friends. ๐
The organisation's ad is a really polished example of how to bring humour and drama to social media with their parody of a crime thriller. But again, the underlying message plays into the fact that Christmas is all about giving and spending time with family and friends. We're getting the feel-good factor! ๐ค
While content like this is often more resource and budget intensive, you can create a similar look and feel that's just as effective with less. Videos that look more rustic can actually appear more authentic and even perform better so don't be put off by budget constraints! ๐น
Low battery can be tough, even for a character as hard as @StephenGraham73. Watch until the end to see how you can help #RechargeYourMates this Christmas. pic.twitter.com/Z7uyu8mqKm
โ Huawei Mobile UK (@HuaweiMobileUK) 23 November 2018
8. Let's Sign's British Sign Language Advent Calendar
As we're rapidly approaching December it's almost time to crack open the first doors on our advent calendars. Let's Sign, an organisation that creates British Sign Language learning books and materials, have capitalised on the excitement of the Christmas countdown to create their own advent calendar with a host of festive signs to raise awareness of the importance of BSL. ๐
This is an awesome idea that's not only really easy to follow but it's a visual campaign that catches the eye and is very shareable! Why not create your own advent calendar and add even more value to each day as you countdown by sharing a video with more detail or another downloadable resource to go alongside? ๐ช
#BSL #ChristmasSigns #AdventCalendar to download and print. pic.twitter.com/jxcvg4o1ce
โ Let's Sign (@DeafBooks) 24 November 2018
9. Redrow Homes' Christmas Bake Off
What could be more perfect than The Great British Bake Off's Val with a Christmas showstopper!? Redrow Homes have partnered with the GBBO legend to showcase the beautiful kitchens in their newest homes and teach people how to make recipes from her book. ๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ณ
This campaign is a genius idea to reach a wider audience, treat Redrow's customers and communities, as well as create the cozy family feeling that prospective home buyers are looking for! ๐ก
Have you considered how you could incorporate influencers that share your values into your Christmas campaigns? ๐ฐ
second attempt at @RedrowHomes Christmas cake . Next attempt next week . If you want to taste this cake and Louiseโs bakes come to The Poplars Garforth LS25 1NT this Saturday and Langley Grange Scissett HD8 9HU on Sunday when we will be baking in the beautiful Redrow kitchens pic.twitter.com/npD06w6Y2N
โ Valerie Ann Stones (@valstones) 7 November 2018
10. Salford Football Club's #JumpersForGoalposts Campaign
Last but definitely not least we had to share this campaign from Salford FC! Homelessness is a challenge all year round, but with the colder weather it's particularly dangerous to be on the streets at Christmas and the football club recognise that action needs to be taken. โฝ๏ธ
This clever campaign maximises the high profiles of their footballers to spread their message and encourage donations of warm clothing to help those in need. This video also conveys emotion which makes it more memorable and as a result people are more likely to get involved. ๐ช
Don't forget that hashtags are super important for campaigns like this so if you're planning your own charity content, take your time to establish a catchy and unique hashtag and promote it widely. Not only does this help to keep track of all your related content, but it helps your audiences and communities to get involved! #๏ธโฃ
In Salford, people are four times more likely to be homeless compared to the rest of the UK.
โ Salford City FC (@SalfordCityFC) 19 November 2018
This winter, we are launching a Christmas appeal to collect warm clothing to donate for those who need it most when temperatures drop.#JumpersForGoalposts pic.twitter.com/phh0VpuCSZ
That's our round up of the 10 Christmas campaigns we're loving so far. From the serious to the silly there's something for everyone and with so much competition for attention on social media, brands are having to get more imaginative than ever! ๐ฅ
We know this is just the start of the Christmas content and we want to know what campaigns have caught your eye and which is your favourite from this list - let us know @CrowdControlHQ! ๐