December is a unique time of year for television. Christmas specials can be seen on a wide variety of channels—from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer to cheesy Hallmark movies, to Christmas themed episodes of your favorite sitcoms. It's become a basic American tradition to indulge ourselves in television during the holidays.
But with any television show or movie comes ads, and Christmas time is no exception to that. Almost every single ad in the month of December covers a wide variety of holiday deals and sales so that you can prepare to get all your shopping done accordingly. But while commercial breaks might typically be a nuisance to some, during the holidays they just seem to have a special charm, as there are some ads that we can just never forget.
1. Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup
What’s a better way to stay warm during the chilly holiday season than with a bowl of hot soup? Campbell’s certainly got that message across in their 1998 ad featuring a snowman thawing out into a little boy after eating some delicious chicken noodle soup.
The weather outside may be frightful, but a bowl of Campbell’s is so delightful! So, if you’re feeling like a snowman this Christmas, maybe grab a bowl of your own so you can thaw out, too!
2. Coca Cola’s Christmas Trucks
The bright red 18-wheelers have always been a defining part of Coca Cola’s brand, but in 1999 they took the television world by storm with their “Holidays are Coming” ad. In fact, the ad was so popular that now, every year during Christmas time, Coca-Cola trucks decorated with lights toured around Great Britain. People will line up hours ahead of time just to get a glance at the vehicles!
It’s undeniable that the beverage’s Christmas campaigns have become a huge part of the holidays. After all, it just isn’t the Christmas season if you don’t get to see that famous image of Santa sipping a bottle of Coke!
3. The Hess Truck's Back
Cue the sound of annoying children’s singing voices. This ad might not be as heart-warming as it is annoying, because the second you hear this ad on television you know it’s going to be stuck in your head for the rest of the day. But for Hess, the holidays mean marketing their line of green and white toy vehicles.
They must be doing something right though, because the Hess Toy Truck has been one of the longest running toy lines in history, having started all the way back in 1964!
4. Hersey's Kisses Wish You a Merry Christmas
28 years is a long time for a commercial to run, but Hersey’s Chocolate doesn’t seem to have the intention of stopping their 1989 ad anytime soon! This Christmas ad is actually one of the longest running ads in television history, so you can be sure to see it on your television for years to come.
There’s something strangely adorable about a group of Hersey’s Kisses standing in a Christmas tree formation as they wish you a Merry Christmas with the sound of bell chimes. The commercial is simple, but effective, as it has filled homes with holiday cheer for nearly three decades.
5. The M&M's Meet Santa Clause
Who would have thought that an ad of Santa Clause passing out could be so endearing? First airing in 1996, M&M’s Christmas commercial featuring the red and yellow M&M characters meeting Santa has become a holiday staple. While many Christmas ads go for a typical, heartwarming approach, M&M’s candy decided to go for something comical instead.
You aren’t going to see many other ads that show the man in red falling to the ground stone cold because of talking candy. Their approach has proven successful though, as over 20 years later the commercial can still be seen playing on televisions across America.
What’s your favorite holiday ad? Which ones do you remember best from your childhood? Do you think that the holidays would be the same without them? Or can the commercials just be skipped altogether in favor of those famous Christmas movies?
