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It’s Etsy versus Hobby Lobby to begin the 2022 RetailWire Christmas Commercial Challenge

Written by George Anderson

Sources: Etsy - ’To The Travelers”; Hobby Lobby - “Christmas is what you make it”

Is it Christmas yet? Walmart kicked off its holiday sales promotions on October 1. Target’s Deal Days launched on the sixth. Amazon.com ran its Prime Early Access sale five days after that. The need to stand out is critical as retailers go through a holiday sales season that is “anything but typical,” according to Jack Kleinhenz, chief economist at the National Retail Federation. The trade group has forecast that industry dollar sales, excluding auto, gas and restaurants, will increase between six and eight percent over last year’s 13.5 percent gain. One thing that retailers are doing in typical fashion is Christmas commercials. They have turned to their ad creatives to communicate messages that frequently tug at consumers’ heart strings with the goal of opening their wallets in the process. The 2022 RetailWire Christmas Commercial Challenge (year 10 of our annual event) kicks off today with two different approaches to holiday marketing from Etsy and Hobby Lobby. Etsy’s “To the Travelers” spot pays homage to those hitting the road to see loved ones for the holidays. It’s a timely theme — the travel industry reports a resurgence in consumers taking trips after years of staying home due to COVID-19 safety concerns. Airline ticket sales as of September were up more than 56 percent year-over-year and nearly 11 percent higher than in 2019, according to Mastercard Spending Pulse, CNBC reports. Travel spending is expected to remain high through the end of the year. [embed]https://youtu.be/m0HLfvbyejU[/embed] Hobby Lobby’s  commercial tells the story of two young girls, hot chocolate and its organizational belief that “Christmas Is What You Make It.” See what the spot’s featured characters make of it. [embed]https://youtu.be/kOME-jeiJOk[/embed]

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