When we think about holiday ads, we usually think about the B2C Christmas ads flooding social media and television. But why should all the festive fun be limited to consumer brands? Business brands can join in on the holiday cheer, too!
Many B2B brands creatively use the festive season as a springboard for their own creative marketing campaigns. We at Pepper Virtual Assistants love the holidays and the themed ads that pour in. With Christmas right around the corner, let’s take a look at some of the best holiday ads by B2B brands this year.
HubSpot – #HolidayHub
Microsites are a great way to categorize content and target specific audiences without deviating completely from your main content. This year, HubSpot launched the #HolidayHub microsite, a holiday-themed page that targets e-commerce customers.
The #HolidayHub site is filled with different holiday marketing resources that marketers can download and apply to their businesses. The content itself isn’t a far cry from HubSpot’s usual content on their main website. The only difference? The ones on the microsite revolve around marketing during the holidays.
WeWork – #wwgiftguide
Unlike for consumer brands, creating a holiday marketing ad for business brands can be tricky. However, WeWork’s Christmas campaign showed that B2B companies can do it, too!
The campaign began with an article published in Creator, the brand’s entrepreneur magazine. Over the course of two weeks, several gift idea articles were published. Each segment featured a different theme like gifts for the family and gifts for the digital nomad. Readers would also find products from WeWork’s member companies thus helping to support its community of creators.
Intel – Starbright Holidays
Disney has been known for its spectacular light shows. This year, they’re making history by partnering with Intel for the first ever US light show with drones.
Over the course of a year, Intel designed the Starbright Holidays light show for Disney. Guest of all ages will witness the spectacle as 300 Intel Shooting Star drones light up the night sky above Disney Springs. The flying robots are ultra-lightweight and are set to paint the sky in captivating colors perfectly choreographed to traditional holiday music.
Norton – Santa Got Secure
Generally, we know Norton as a security software used to protect our computers and information from viruses and data breaches. To an extent, that is true and boring for most. But for the holidays, Norton shared that security can be entertaining by upgrading Santa’s systems.
“Santa Got Secure” follows Santa around in the North Pole as he shares the importance of keeping your systems up-to-date. He interacts with his head elf and even his son. Essentially, the ad pokes fun at Santa, recalling his mishap last year with the humbug and highlights how they’re taking extra precaution this time with the help of Norton.
Microsoft – Microsoft Celebrates the Spirit of the Season
This year has been a rollercoaster and this season, Microsoft wants to remind us that the holidays are all about uniting and spreading the love.
For their latest Christmas ad, Microsoft gathered a group of people who have made a difference in the world this year. They each have been involved in some way in some of the biggest issues that we faced in 2016. Essentially, their message focuses on the spirit of the holidays. It is about people coming together and celebrating what is good and right with the world. As the ad says, “When the world seems dividing, coming together can be a beautiful thing.”
Over the last couple of years, holiday advertising has shifted from the corniest and gimmicky content to more relatable, creative, and entertaining ads. What makes these B2B holiday campaigns effective is the fact that they are built on creating real connections with their customers. When creating a holiday campaign for your business, remember to keep it grounded in the spirit of the season while still finding subtle ways to promote your brand!
Do you know other B2B holiday ads that we missed on our list? Tell us about them in the comments! If you’d like to explore working with a virtual assistant, you can avail of our free five-hour trial! We’ll be happy to lighten your load this holiday season!
Check out the other parts of our Best Holiday Ads of 2016 series:
- Best B2C Holiday Ads of 2016
- Best B2B Holiday Ads of 2016
- Infographics Fridays: Best Holiday Ads of 2016
Pepper Virtual Assistants is a business solutions firm that specializes in virtual administrative and personal assistance, online marketing, customer support, and copywriting. We are known for reliability through our managed services, responsive client handling backed by extensive training, and rockstar virtual assistants hired for their skills and expertise.
