Here is our roundup of the best socially impactful 2022 Christmas campaigns. We don’t just look at the poignant or the ones that make us laugh, we see who is really using their advertising to make a meaningful impact that goes beyond the festive period. See who has made this year’s top 4:
Disney – The Gift (US)
Starting off with Disney’s 2022 Christmas advert ‘The Gift’, part of their ‘From Our Family to Yours’ trilogy which supports the Make-a-Wish foundation. ‘From Our Family to Yours’ launched in 2020 and since then, Disney have committed support worth more than $4 million to its long-standing charity partner, Make-a-Wish International.
‘The Gift’ tells the story of a girl whose family is about to change through the addition of a new baby and the advert ends with her sharing her toy with her new sibling.
The advert makes our top 4 as the SocialMarks framework considers advert longevity, as well as whether a company provides ongoing support that goes beyond monetary contributions. Since the Disney and Make-a-Wish partnership began in 1980, Disney have helped to grant more than 145,000 wishes. The advert also encourages people to donate to Make-a-Wish, not just at Christmas, but throughout the year and Disney matches all donations totalling up to $100,000.
John Lewis – The Beginner (UK)
Retailer John Lewis launched their Christmas advert ‘The Beginner’ as part of their partnership with the ‘Building Happier Futures’ program, which commits to helping young people who have experience of the care system.
The advert opens with a man learning to skateboard. At the end, it becomes clear why when a social worker is standing with Ellie, a teenager waiting to go to her new foster home. The protagonist is using skateboarding to connect with Ellie.
‘The Beginner’ makes our top 4 as it encourages viewers to purchase from the Lewis Bear range whereby 25% of profits go towards Action for Children and Who Cares? Scotland. Through the Christmas period, the retailer supports children in care and young people leaving care as well as donating decorations, food, and gifts. But their partnership goes well beyond the Christmas period. They are transforming communal spaces of selected residential facilities run by Action for Children with new electronics and furnishings. They also provide apprenticeship opportunities within the John Lewis Partnership. Our SocialMarks framework scores companies highly for having outstanding active participation and long-standing relationships with charities. It is evident that much thought has been put into ‘The Beginner’ and the social impact engagement goes well beyond the campaign.
Kroger – The Magical Cookbook (US)
Kroger’s 2022 Christmas commercial ‘The Magical Cookbook’ focuses on sharing treasured memories during the Christmas period. Telling the story of sharing recipes in the festive season, the advert is compelling and helps to generate strong empathy for the Brand. It makes our top 4 as Kroger uses this space to highlight their goal to create Zero Hunger and Zero Waste communities by 2025.
Walkers & Comic Relief – It Feels Good to Share (UK)
Walkers’ 2022 Christmas advert ‘It Feels Good to Share’ highlights the importance of talking about mental health, re-releasing their advert from 2021.
It shows the main character, Larry, putting on a brave face when visiting family at Christmas. Larry is accompanied with an emoji face – which shows how he really feels. The advert ends with Larry being asked by a friend “how are you?” to which he replies, “I’m fine.” His friend goes on to ask, “how are you really?” bringing to light how often people pretend to be fine whilst struggling. The voiceover is radio presenter Roman Kemp saying, “let’s talk more – because it’s good to share.”
In August 2021, Comic Relief and Walkers launched the Smiles Fund which invests in projects across the UK that offer early intervention mental health support. As well as the ad campaign, as part of its partnership with Comic Relief, Walkers has donated £2 million across 2021 and 2022 to support mental wellbeing programs.
