Despite inflation and continued concerns of a recession, the 2022 holiday season saw both online and in-store sales increase slightly. However, the season did differ from recent years as retailers discounted heavily while consumers diversified their spending and shopped earlier due to the overall rise in prices and a hunger for experiences and gatherings post-pandemic. As consumers headed to stores, brands and retailers began rolling out festive marketing initiatives and materials in late October/early November. On the following pages, we provide a glimpse at how some retailers and brands activated during the holiday season — online, in stores and beyond.
Unilever partnered with singer Mariah Carey to create a limited-edition collection for its Walmart-exclusive Find Your Happy Place line. The collection comprised 19 candles and personal care items, which rolled out to stores and Walmart.com ahead of the holidays. In stores, a four-way pallet display depicting Carey merchandised the collection, while a brand showcase within Walmart.com spotlighted the items and the available scents.
PepsiCo’s SodaStream released a white-and-gold version of its Terra sparkling water maker exclusively at Target ahead of the holiday season. An endcap display merchandised the new SKU, encouraging shoppers to “Give the Gift of Gold,” while also stocking the standard black SKU, bartending accessories and a variety pack of flavor drops from sibling brand Bubly that included a recipe booklet. The Bubly packs were merchandised on a shelf tray carrying a QR code that linked shoppers to more recipes.
Lindt & Sprungli USA launched its first interactive virtual storefront in mid-November. The fully 3D storefront offered a photorealistic store interior, colorfully decorated for the holidays. Site visitors could move around the store and click on different departments and areas, such as the Chocolate Lab, the Lindor truffles wall and the gifting and boxed chocolates station, to explore the brand deeper and complete special activities.
Target teamed up with Nestle for a digital campaign matching homemade treats from the manufacturer with crafts from private label Mondo Llama. A co-branded promotional page within Target.com spotlighted recipes, such as pumpkin pie and banana cake, using ingredients from Nestle brands. Each treat was paired with a holiday-themed Mondo Llama paint or activity kit. Employing a “bring home the merry makers” message, the page also let shoppers click to add ingredients for each treat to their cart and directed them to Nestle brand websites for the full recipes.
Mars Inc.’s M&M’s ran a festive digital ad on the Rite Aid website that linked to an account-specific landing page touting the candy brand’s holiday flavors. Communicating a “make holiday magic” message, the ad directed to the branded page using a “Shop Now” button.
Albertsons Cos.’ Safeway hosted gingerbread-making events on Dec. 3 and 17 in the bakery section at select stores. The event was free and open to shoppers who purchased a gingerbread house and registered in advance. Participating stores merchandised boxes of gingerbread kits from brands, including Wilton Enterprises and Albertsons’ Signature Select private label, on a festive table display next to a standee promoting the event near the bakery.
Nestle Purina Petcare deployed a holiday-themed vending machine at pet-friendly Westfield Century City Mall in Los Angeles, doling out free dog and cat treats through Dec. 24. The machine included a digital touchscreen that asked shoppers a few questions about their pets to determine which treat to recommend, from brands including Beggin’ and Fancy Feast.
Talking Rain’s Sparkling Ice ran a holiday-themed digital ad on Meijer’s website in November. The ad depicted a “Get festive flavor” message and branded imagery on one side and spotlighted individual products from the brand that could be rotated manually. Each highlighted item included an add-to-cart button and linked to the product details page.
At Kroger, a branded floorstand from Ferrero Rocher invited shoppers to send a holiday wish to loved ones. On the display, a QR code below a “Give a Golden Greeting” message directed users to a dedicated mobile landing page where consumers could create and send holiday wishes and enter a sweepstakes. From Nov. 14 through Dec. 12, consumers could enter weekly drawings for prizes, including a personalized Cameo video from actress Mandy Moore or a pyramid box of Ferrero chocolates.
