DISCUSSION
The RetailWire Christmas Commercial Challenge: The Final Competition
Written by George Anderson
Sources: Ads by Etsy, TJX Cos., Macy's, Big Lots
Christmas is past and retailers are dealing with returns from the holiday season while pushing out clearance items to finish the year strong.
From early reports, the 2019 holiday selling season was a positive one for retailers. Data from Mastercard SpendingPulse put the overall sales increase at 3.4 percent above 2018 with online growing 18.8 percent year-over-year.
With the holidays drawing to an end, it is now time for the RetailWire community to choose a champion from this year’s Christmas Commercial Challenge.
The retailers that came out on top in the five-week playoff were:
Week One
Etsy’s “Here’s to You” campaign captured 70 percent of the votes in its matchup with Amazon.com. RetailWire BrainTrust panelist Mohammed Amer said, “Etsy’s spot celebrates the moments filled with the joys of giving and receiving. The unique artisan character of their products shines through to emphasize their values and brand promise.”
Week Two
Macy’s “Santa Girl” commercial was the favorite among 68 percent of those who cast a vote in the weekly matchup with Kohl’s. Casey Golden, another member of the BrainTrust, said Macy’s spot “embraced” the retail chain’s “heritage and modernized a play on the Miracle on 34th Street.”
Week Three
TJX Cos. came out on top of Old Navy with 93 percent of the votes cast. A review by Saint Joseph University’s Richard George said the “Follow Me” spot featuring actor Zachary Levi “puts the viewer in the holiday spirit” and communicates a message of selection and savings to the audience. “Core or new customers can get the message and the spirit with this commercial,” he concluded.
Week Four
Big Lots eked out a win over Best Buy in week four of the competition with fifty-four percent of votes cast. BrainTrust panelist Jeff Sward called Big Lots’ “Decorate Big. Save Lots.” spot festive and added that it “feels like Christmas.”
Week Five
While BrainTrust panelists praised both Target’s “Thinking of You” and Walmart’s “Live Better. Together.” commercials, voters were clear in their preference for the former and its upbeat holiday message. Richard Hernandez, director at Affiliated Foods and a BrainTrust panelist, said, “The Target commercial is fun, the message of their offerings is clear, it’s bright, the Target dog is there and the music fits.”