On Strategy Showcase – Holiday Ads Special Live from Chicago

Date: December 17, 2025
Host: Fergus O’Carroll
Location: Merchandise Mart, Chicago
Panelists:

• Samantha Seskow (Chief Strategy Officer, Leo Burnett Chicago)
• Petter Howard (Head of Creative Excellence, Ipsos)
• Mark Gross (Co-Founder & Co-Chief Creative Officer, High Dive)
• Namisha Jain (Chief Strategy Officer, High Dive)

Episode Overview

This festive live episode brings Chicago’s ad industry together to celebrate and critique the best holiday ads from the US and UK. Host Fergus O’Carroll and a panel of top strategists and creatives examine 14 standout holiday spots, revealing the strategy, emotional impact, audience reaction, and effectiveness behind each. The episode is interactive, with a voting paddle system for audience reactions and expert testing/research insights from Ipsos. The overall tone is lively, humorous, and filled with candid industry reflection, with a balance of professional analysis and seasonal cheer.

Key Segments and Discussion Points

1. Show Introduction and Format (00:00–06:00)

• Fergus welcomes the Chicago audience and sets a relaxed, festive atmosphere.
• The panel is introduced: Samantha Seskow (Leo Burnett), Petter Howard (Ipsos), Mark Gross, and Namisha Jain (both High Dive).
• Ads to be discussed were short-listed by panelist votes, then tested by Ipsos for audience reaction and effectiveness.
• Panelists will share their #3, #2, and #1 favorite holiday ads.
• Audience involvement is encouraged with voting paddles and open comments.

2. Industry Trends and Pre-Show Examples (06:00–09:27)

• Fergus highlights two key trends in holiday advertising:
  • Wear-Out Anxiety: Marketers worry more than consumers about reusing holiday campaigns.
  • Episodic Storytelling: Long-running campaign characters, e.g., Aldi’s “Kevin the Carrot,” become Christmas fixtures in the UK.
• Memorable Moment: Audience watches the “Kevin the Carrot” wedding spot, an homage to “Love Actually.”

3. Panelists’ Third Favorite Holiday Ads

A. Liquid Death – AI Spoof (09:27–14:45)

• Presenter: Samantha Seskow
• Concept: Irreverent spoof of Coca-Cola’s classic holiday ad, featuring AI gone wrong.
• Panel Insights:
  • “It felt really on brand for them... a spoof of Coca Cola featuring AI gone wrong.” – Samantha (10:03)
• Effectiveness (Ipsos):
  • Younger audiences liked it for its quirky humor; older viewers confused.
  • Only 2 out of 150 people recognized the Coca-Cola spoof; most saw just “bears attacking robots.”
  • Quote: “We have to remember this room isn’t generally the audience.” – Petter (12:22)
  • Overall: Middle-of-the-road effectiveness, but perfect for Liquid Death’s target.

B. Home Instead – “Home but Not Alone” (Macaulay Culkin) (14:45–21:26)

• Presenter: Mark Gross
• Concept: Macaulay Culkin reprises his “Home Alone” persona, now concerned about aging parents.
• “Doing spots like this when you revive characters from movies is very difficult to do well.” – Mark (15:25)
• Challenge: Low brand recall; many viewers enjoyed the nostalgia but did not remember Home Instead as the advertiser.
• Quote: “They knew it was home something. They didn’t know who the brand was at all.” – Petter (18:53)
• Debate: Does fleeting, seasonal nostalgia outweigh poor brand connection?

C. JC Penney – “It’s What They Thought That Counts” (21:26–24:39)

• Presenter: Namisha Jain
• Strategy: Rather than focus on price, spot reframes value around emotional holiday “winning.”
• “It’s not just about getting something nice. It’s about winning the holidays and showing up and throwing down.” – Namisha (21:36)
• Functional benefit (price) becomes an emotional advantage (outsmarting expectations).

D. Tesco – “That’s What Makes It Christmas” (24:39–26:46)

• Presenter: Fergus O’Carroll
• Strategy: Honest, slightly chaotic view of family Christmases—relatable, real, funny.
• Effectiveness (Ipsos):
  • “Tesco’s a—It’s an ad for Christmas more than it’s an ad for Tesco. There isn't really a role for Tesco in it.” – Petter (26:05)
  • Familiarity of the brand helps with recognition, but lacks a strong call to action.
  • “It’s a great insight in search of a problem to solve.” – Namisha (27:18)

4. Panelists’ Second Favorite Holiday Ads

A. Gap – “Give Your Gift” Choir (27:32–31:52)

• Presenter: Samantha Seskow
• Strategy: Refreshes '90s Gap nostalgia using a choir and basic fashion for new and old audiences.
• “They’ve taken this...uncool brand and made it cool again.” – Samantha (27:32)
• Effectiveness (Ipsos):
  • Highly positive emotional reaction to the song, some confusion about the ad’s point.
  • “People just didn’t know what was happening and they were very confused about what they saw. But they loved the song.” – Petter (31:40)
  • Branded well, but storytelling left some viewers wanting context.

B. Disney – “Best Christmas Ever” (32:05–37:21)

• Presenter: Mark Gross
• Concept: Emotional storytelling spot by Taika Waititi; girl gives a creature “lips” and a Disneyland trip.
• “I thought it was charming...But you know what I’m saying at the end, I feel like strategy wise...” – Mark (34:13)
• Effectiveness (Ipsos):
  • One of the highest-scorers emotionally; storytelling pulls viewers in.
  • “Storytelling is something we see as...most positive drivers of persuasion.” – Petter (35:23)
  • Feels like branded content more than interruptive advertising.

C. Etsy – “Little Drummer Boy” (37:26–41:08)

• Presenter: Namisha Jain
• Strategy: Subtle Christmas narrative about a misunderstood boy, culminating in a tailored Etsy gift.
• “It did not look like a Christmas ad at all...I had Christmas ad fatigue.” – Namisha (37:37)
• Effectiveness:
  • Applauded by the live audience—rare standing ovation.
  • Emotional resonance, solid brand integration as the gift resolves the story.

D. Chewy – “Junior, the Forever Friend” (41:22–44:42)

• Presenter: Fergus O’Carroll
• Strategy: Celebrates enduring pet-owner relationships; hits dog-lover emotions.
• Effectiveness (Ipsos):
  • Top performer—strong empathy, with Chewy seamlessly integrated as the solution.
  • “This is actually one of the top performing spots overall. Hugely positive emotional reaction.” – Petter (43:13)
  • Emotional category is crowded, but this stands out for positivity/network.

5. Panelists’ Favorite (Top) Holiday Ads

A. Waitrose – “The Perfect Gift” (Keira Knightley Rom-Com) (45:05–48:32)

• Presenter: Samantha Seskow
• Concept: Long-form branded mini-romance with Keira Knightley.
• “This is another example of a retail...brand...How did it rate?” – Fergus (47:02)
• Effectiveness (Ipsos):
  • “People loved it. Really emotional, super high emotional reaction.” – Petter (47:32)
  • Ran as a one-minute Instagram cut for TV—one of the highest scorers in real-world ad effectiveness.

B. Amazon – “Treadmill” (48:32–51:19)

• Presenter: Mark Gross
• Strategy: Returning home for the holidays—adult child discovers their bedroom converted into dad’s gym.
• “Charming and just so ridiculous...” – Mark (49:31)
• “Empathy is at play...that out-of-placeness is a really core human truth.” – Petter (50:30)
• Tight integration of Amazon’s unique selling points (speed, convenience) with a relatable family insight.

C. Facebook/Meta – “Home for the Holidays” (51:19–56:12)

• Presenter: Fergus O’Carroll

• Strategy: Returns to Facebook's original promise—to connect people—by showcasing real-life reunions and holiday stories.

• “Trying to reconnect you with that original purpose for Facebook to try and ignore the chaos of social media...” – Fergus (51:22)

• Ipsos notes that “vignette” ads (lots of fast-cut mini-stories) are often less memorable than single-story narratives, though emotional response is high.

• Quote: “Vignette ads consistently are not well remembered...You’re trying to remember six, seven, eight stories and they just don’t hold attention the same way that one single story does.” – Petter (55:34)

6. Effectiveness Insights from Ipsos (Throughout)

• Brand Linkage: Emotional storytelling often beats hard branding but can risk low recall if not integrated.
• Category Wear-Out: Warm, empathetic pet or family stories are popular but can blur between brands (Chewy vs. Farmer’s Dog, etc.).
• UK vs. US: UK audiences respond even more positively to the Christmas ad tradition.
• Branded Content vs. Ads: Longer, emotional pieces (Disney, Waitrose) excel as search/YouTube content but aren’t always suitable as interruptive ads unless cut down.

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “If you’re going to do a holiday ad as Liquid Death, how else than a spoof of Coca-Cola featuring AI gone wrong?” – Samantha (10:03)
• “They knew it was home something. They didn’t know who the brand was at all.” – Petter, on Home Instead (18:53)
• “It’s a great insight in search of a problem to solve.” – Namisha, on Tesco (27:18)
• “Storytelling is really powerful and that makes this one of the top performers.” – Petter, on Disney (35:23)
• “No one got this kid—except his teacher.” – Namisha, on Etsy (39:41)
• “Charming and just so ridiculous...” – Mark, on Waitrose & Amazon (49:31)
• “Empathy is at play…but in a different way.” – Petter, on Amazon and Chewy (50:30)
• “Vignette ads consistently are not well remembered… just kind of flies past really quick.” – Petter (55:34)

Results and Winner

• Mark Gross “won” the panel—two of his picks (Disney and Amazon) were highly effective, according to consumer research, while only one (Home Instead) underperformed.
• The evening highlighted the strategic tension between emotional storytelling and brand recall, and the shifting definition of “success” for holiday ads (emotion, story, entertainment, effectiveness).

Additional Noteworthy Moments

• “Kevin the Carrot” – a fixture in UK advertising, showing the power of episodic character-based holiday storytelling. (08:15)
• Live Audience Voting – Interactive paddle voting adds energy and immediacy.
• End-of-Episode Reflection: “No tears shed this year!”—a shift toward humorous and light spots vs. previous years’ tearjerkers. (59:28)

Takeaways for Marketers & Strategists

• Emotional resonance and storytelling drive effectiveness but must be paired smartly with brand integration.
• Nostalgia, humor, and genuine insights about the season (awkward families, holiday “winning,” pet love) consistently engage.
• Great creative is audience-dependent—what delights a room of ad pros may baffle the broader public.
• Shorter ad formats and clear product/role integration remain vital for “interruptive” success.