"Commercials have been a part of the holidays for as long as the holidays have encouraged consumerism" -- Stella Danielson
Commercials have been a part of the holidays for as long as the holidays have encouraged consumerism. With an appeal to sentimentality, nostalgia, and family values, some of them have been running for decades.
Here is a look at some of the classic holiday commercials from the 70s to the present.
Here is a look at some of the classic holiday commercials from the 70s to the present.
M&Ms (circa 1970)
This commercial features happy white people pulling packets of M&Ms out of stockings and mailboxes, to the M&M version of Deck The Halls, with Santa Claus himself offering the slogan, “melts in your mouth, not in your hand.” This slogan is M&Ms longest running, which doesn’t really make sense because if you hold an M&M in the sun for long enough, it will definitely melt - maybe the slogan is supposed to mean that nobody would leave an M&M in their hand long enough for it to melt because M&Ms are so good.
Hershey's Kisses (circa 1989)
In this popular commercial, which has aired every holiday season since 1989, 11 chocolates ring to the tune of “We Wish You A Merry Christmas.” It is simple, memorable, and familiar, making it nostalgic and effective.
Campbell's Soup Snowman (circa 1998)
First aired in 1995, this commercial features a snowman who melts away into a boy after being warmed up by Campbell’s Soup. Whether this is heart-warming or very creepy, is up for debate. Either way, it’s still around for the public to enjoy, year after year.
GMC - one for you and one for me (circa 2018)
In this recent commercial, a man gives his wife a holiday surprise: two GMC vehicles, a red model for her and a black one for him. Before he can explain she goes to the black model and says, “I love it.” This commercial is less warm and family-based than other older commercials; the background is streamlined and sparsely decorated, appealing to a more "stylish" adult audience.
While holiday commercials have been similar throughout the decades, the has been a shift away from tradition as companies like Hallmark cut spending on traditional television commercials and moved online. The question is, can online ads be as effective as commercials in getting people to buy things?
Every holiday season comes with commercials, new and old, so that for some they have become an essential part of the holidays. On the Youtube version of the Hershey’s Kisses commercial, people commented things like “I can’t imagine a Christmas without this commercial.”
Luckily, they don’t have to.
Every holiday season comes with commercials, new and old, so that for some they have become an essential part of the holidays. On the Youtube version of the Hershey’s Kisses commercial, people commented things like “I can’t imagine a Christmas without this commercial.”
Luckily, they don’t have to.