Coca-Cola's Christmas Ad Achieves Double Impact in Effectiveness

Coca-Cola has achieved a noteworthy accomplishment with its latest 2023 Christmas ad and its enduring 'Holidays are Coming' ad, both of which received exceptional effectiveness ratings as assessed by System1.

Recently, the brand unveiled its 2023 festive ad campaign titled 'The World Needs More Santas', emphasizing its core values of kindness. This year, in the UK, the ad will be accompanied by the long-standing 'Wonderful Dream (Holidays are Coming)' ad that showcases the iconic Coca-Cola trucks.

The effectiveness score of The World Needs More Santas fell short of surpassing Holidays are Coming on System1's Test Your Ad platform, but it still received an "exceptional" score.

System1's 'Test Your Ad' platform utilizes individuals' emotional reactions to an advertisement to forecast its long-term and short-term effectiveness. The star rating indicates the potential of the advertisement to effectively increase market share for a brand over the long haul. The rating ranges from one to 5.9 stars.

The ad "Holidays are Coming," which was first aired in 1995, has achieved the highest possible star rating of 5.9 stars. On the other hand, "The World Needs More Santas" has received a score of 5.3 stars. According to System1, any ad that surpasses the five-star mark is considered to have "exceptional" long-term brand-building potential. They have found that only 1% of ads on the platform achieve this level of success.

System1 evaluated the 2020 version of "Holidays are Coming" as the 2023 version has not yet been broadcast on UK TV during this festive season. It is worth noting that each year, the ad may undergo slight variations in its creative presentation and may be edited to different durations.

Holidays are Coming will premiere on Friday, November 10th, marking its first airing this year. Jon Evans, the Chief Customer Officer of System1, refers to Holidays are Coming as the "benchmark" for Christmas advertising.

“This year, the ad campaign "Holidays Are Coming" has received the highest rating of 5.9 Stars, highlighting its immense value for Coke and the effectiveness of continually investing in exceptional creativity," states Evans.

According to research carried out by Coca-Cola, the brand's longstanding advertisement generates considerable excitement and emotional attachment. A significant 44% of British consumers consider the ad to signify the official beginning of the Christmas season. Moreover, it evokes feelings of nostalgia (29%) and happiness (27%) among many British viewers.

According to research, the well-known jingle is highly memorable for consumers, with 67% of individuals stating that Holidays are Coming stays in their minds. The 1995 advertisement has consistently performed exceptionally well on System1's platform, consistently earning a rating above five stars. In 2020, both System1 and Kantar declared it as the most successful Christmas ad of the year.

The strong performance of the creative consistently confirms that ads rarely lose effectiveness, as indicated by data from System1, Kantar, and Analytic Partners. Therefore, Website columnist Mark Ritson advises brands to allocate their new campaign budget towards extending the effectiveness of their existing ads.

The Christmas Coca-Cola association

Last year it appeared Coca-Cola took this strategy, and just ran Holidays are Coming in the UK rather than also running a new ad. This year both will run.

When asked about this year's ad launch, Islam ElDessouky, the global creative, strategy, and content lead for Coca-Cola, spoke to Our Website and expressed the company's intention to make the most of the strong association it has established with the holiday season. Despite Coca-Cola's iconic status and deep integration into cultural and festive traditions, ElDessouky emphasized the company's desire to understand the audience's needs and identify opportunities to connect with them.

The World Needs More Santas aims to leverage Coke's connection to Christmas and Santa Claus. Lynne Deason, Kantar's head of creative excellence, praises the ad for embodying the beloved and iconic Coca-Cola feel.

The ad this year utilizes Coca-Cola's unique positioning and Christmas brand assets, incorporating its core values of happiness and optimism into the heart of the narrative. Kantar's effectiveness rankings place The World Needs More Santas among the top 6% for ad distinctiveness and the top 9% for brand cues.

In 2021, Coca-Cola launched a new advertisement called "Chimney" in conjunction with their iconic "Holidays are Coming" campaign. The ad aimed to highlight the importance of "human connections" through a heartwarming story about a young boy who did not have a chimney. According to System1's platform, the ad received a rating of 3.7 stars, which is considered a positive score. However, Kantar's Deason observed that "Chimney" did not possess the same level of uniqueness compared to the 2023 advertisement, as the brand's presence was less prominent in the Christmas narrative.

The 2023 advertisement does not match the effectiveness of the iconic "Holidays are Coming," but according to Evans from System1, its Test Your Ad score suggests that it will be one of the highest-scoring ads during the 2023 holiday season. He praises Coca-Cola for their use of the recognizable red and their creation of a humorous and unique portrayal of Santa Claus, making it the best Christmas advertisement from a Test Your Ad perspective.