The big day is next week! The children playing with their new toys, the journey to the family meal, and maybe even a glimpse of snow outside… let’s be real, it’s probably just rain.
2020 seems to have lasted forever; lockdowns, travel restrictions, delays/cancellations of movies, video games, concerts, and more. With many people looking forward to 2021, with the United Kingdom being the first nation to take orders for a COVID-19 vaccine, and life beginning to return to some semblance of normality.
However, before we can welcome in the New Year, we have to pass the dreaded holiday season. Personally, I am a bit of a Scrooge, I could do without the shops playing Christmas music before December even starts, or the shouting across the table for the last roast potato on Christmas day. But this year is going to be different, not just for the scrooges, but for those who enjoy Christmas; from the first Christmas song of the year to the anticipation of a white Christmas.
With a large number of people opposing the government’s “Christmas Bubble” rules, there will be many who decide to stay at home this Christmas, which may mean alone. Loneliness can be hard to deal with at the best of times, and with Christmas being a time of togetherness these feelings are only going to be harder to deal with.
Luckily, 2020 has brought about numerous solutions to the problem of loneliness this Christmas. Whether it is playing your usual family Christmas games via Zoom, which is what I will personally be doing, or having your Christmas presents delivered directly to the recipient’s door, as per the Yardstick 2020 Secret Santa.
As many people have spent more time this year inside, on their computers, many more people have found themselves reading more blog articles, getting through more emails, or spending more time on social media. For better or for worse, as Facebook can be a chore to traverse (or is that just me?), this means that advertisers have had a prime audience for their ads this year, almost to a point where you swear that’s the only ad you ever see; yes, I’m looking at you YouTube music.
It’s not just big companies that have been upping their social media advertising this year, at The Yardstick Agency we have seen a massive increase in our clients wanting to advertise, and getting more results on their adverts, this year.
Whilst the Scrooges in the world, including myself, like to complain about how Christmas is just a commercial holiday, it is hard to argue that the holiday isn’t an advertiser’s wet dream. Even Santa is a huge example of this, Coca Cola has practically hijacked the bearded old man, and made him who he is today.
I’ve heard many say that Coca Cola turned Santa red, which isn’t wholly true. Santa’s “official” colour wasn’t red before Coca Cola started using him in their campaigns, but he did wear red before then… but now, Christmas isn’t official in some peoples’ eyes until the Coca Cola truck Christmas advert hits the TV.
Aside from Coca Cola, many other companies are now capitalising on the holiday season and making Christmas begin when they say; John Lewis has been doing this with their Christmas adverts for the past few years now, and Aldi has also jumped on board with Kevin the Carrot, and his Christmas adventures.
Whilst we’ll probably never rid Christmas of its commercialised aspects, we can definitely ensure that we spend some time with family, even if it’s via Zoom this year. Have some laughs, play some games, and groan at the jokes inside the crackers.
From everyone at The Yardstick Agency, have a merry Christmas!
