Thanksgiving- The all-American holiday that hardly ever gets the marketing love reserved for its younger sibling, Black Friday. However, as overshadowed and under-commercialized as Thanksgiving might be, it overflows with marketing opportunities that often go untapped. But not if you’re one of the brands mentioned below.
So, this Thanksgiving Day, we are here with some of the best Thanksgiving commercials from the past. Here we go!
1. Samsung: Unwrap The Feels (2016)
2016 marked the year of some of the greatest holiday campaigns. This was the year when Samsung introduced us to its VR Gear as the perfect holiday gift.
In Samsung’s Unwrap The Feels commercial, we see people going through various emotions as they experience VR through Samsung’s latest gear. Laughter, astonishment, giggles, fear, and shock- the commercial turned out to be a giant melting pot of feelings. Not only is this ad extremely engaging and entertaining but also carries that feel-good factor that we need during any important occasion.
2. Edeka: Time (2016)
Another gem of an advert from 2016! Edeka is a German supermarket that has made it a habit of coming up with some of the most thought-provoking and emotional holiday commercials.
The ad showcases how during holidays people tend to be so invested in ensuring that the occasion turns out to be perfect that they overlook the things that really matter- the people around them. Since the entire ad is in German, one might face difficulty in understanding what is being said in the ad. But thanks to the advert’s universal appeal, the ability of the human species to speak a common emotional tongue, and the closed captions translations available on YouTube, the ad can be understood perfectly by the non-German speaking audience too.
3. NYC Tourism: The New York Miracle (2001)
Well, this ‘best Thanksgiving ads’ list needed a touch of humor and so here is this funny, engaging, and light-hearted advert from NYC Tourism, featuring Robert DeNiro and Billy Crystal.
Aired during Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade weeks after the tragic events of 9/11, this commercial encouraged everyone to find their New York dream and be a part of the New York miracle. The ad is funny and fosters a sense of healing and hope.
4. Jennie-O Oven Ready Turkey: Tired of Wrestling with Turkey? (2012)
Did someone say humor? Well, we’ll let you decide if this ad is a funny Thanksgiving commercial or one of the funniest Thanksgiving commercials.
If you have ever tried preparing a turkey from the scratch, this ad will surely resonate with you. A bit dramatic? Umm, maybe. Hilariously relatable? Absolutely! The ad sums up in less than 30 seconds why preparing the turkey is sheer horror for some people during Thanksgiving. Also, the tagline at the end wraps everything up quite neatly.
5. Publix: It’s Always Perfect (2014)
And here’s my favorite one. This feel-good commercial by supermarket chain Publix has a strong copy that anchors it throughout the 60-second spot.
In our pursuit of perfection, we often tend to forget that the actual reward of any occasion is the togetherness that binds together the ordinary moments of people arriving at your doorstep, power cuts, last-minute surprises, etc. while these occasions aren’t always flawless, they are always perfect, mainly because of the people that we spend them with.
Wrapping Up
It’s not easy to come up with a powerful and memorable Thanksgiving ad campaign. It entails turning to your audience and figuring out what they expect the most from you. It’s about looking within and finding out what your brand is all about and then merging your brand’s identity and your audience’s expectations to send Thanksgiving wishes down your customers’ way. Wouldn’t that make for a truly marvelous Thanksgiving advert?
We’ll be back with more amazing commercials for you. Till then, stay tuned. Wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving. Cheerio!