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10 of the best Christmas marketing taglines of all time

Read Time 15 mins | Written by: Wendy Woodhead

Coca-Cola truck in the snow - The best Christmas marketing taglines - Copify blog

Christmas is an opportunity for any copywriter or marketer to get a crash course in selling the season.

Holiday marketing doesn’t get much bigger than Christmas. Christmas is a time when our senses and emotions are heightened, as we’re constantly looking for ways to recapture the magic of childhood and pass it on to others.

Whether you’re a copywriter looking to learn some tricks of Christmas marketing, or you simply want to reminisce over some classic Christmas advertising, we’ve selected 10 of the best Christmas marketing taglines to bring some holiday cheer. Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

Table of contents

  1. What is a tagline?
  2. What’s so special about Christmas taglines?
  3. 10 of the best Christmas marketing slogans of all time
    1. Coca-Cola, “Holidays are coming”
    2. Macy’s, “Believe in the magic of Christmas”
    3. Disneyland, “Holidays are here!”
    4. Qantas, “Feels like home”
    5. John Lewis, “For gifts that brighten their world”
    6. McDonald’s, “Are you #ReindeerReady?”
    7. Tesco, “This Christmas nothing’s stopping us”
    8. Starbucks, “Carry the merry”
    9. KFC, “Kentucky for Christmas”
    10. M&S, “Magic & Sparkle”
  4. How to come up with Christmas slogans for marketing

What is a tagline?

A tagline is a short, memorable phrase that identifies a product or company. Taglines are usually less than ten words and typically accompany imagery to cement the core message.

While brands might have a main slogan that helps differentiate them in the market, they also come up with specific taglines for certain advertising campaigns. These are very popular during holiday campaigns such as Christmas and offer a chance for brands to get creative while maximising their revenue.

What’s so special about Christmas taglines?

Christmas is an iconic time for marketing, with many companies experiencing a surge in profits during the holidays. That’s why it pays to invest in a Christmas marketing strategy – and the tagline is a crucial part.

Brands have been creating special Christmas taglines for advertising campaigns for decades, which function to underpin their core message and generate a sense of anticipation.

The core message isn’t always about product positioning and sales. Christmas is a time for giving, so often brands will aim to communicate their wider brand values, such as connecting with others, sharing, expressing love and helping those less fortunate.

A good Christmas ad and tagline should raise a smile (or a tear), connect the customers’ emotions to the brand and remind us what Christmas is really all about.

10 of the best Christmas marketing slogans of all time

Now you know why Christmas marketing slogans are so important, here are some of the best examples from brands around the world which communicate just what the holidays are all about:

1. Coca-Cola, “Holidays are coming”

 

Where else to start but with Coca Cola? This global soft drinks brand has nailed the holiday season for years with its catchy slogan and jingle “Holidays are coming”. The tagline features across all its marketing and goes hand in hand with its big red truck ad which first launched in 1995 and still runs throughout December.

It’s simple, it’s memorable, and you can’t help but feel good when you hear it. Coke knows how to evoke those positive emotions that we all associate with Christmas, which is why this is perhaps still considered the definitive Christmas ad for many.

2. Macy’s, “Believe in the magic of Christmas”

At Christmas, films and marketers exhort us to cast off our narrow-minded shackles and simply believe. And the iconic US department store does a great job of tugging at its customers’ heartstrings with its slogan “Believe in the Magic of Christmas.”

Who doesn’t want to believe in magic during the holiday season? After all, it’s a time for good cheer and happiness, when we truly want to believe that anything could happen.

3. Disneyland, “Holidays are here!”

Anyone who’s been to one of the Disneyland resorts at Christmas knows they go all out, and the tagline “Holidays are here” is the perfect way to tap into the magic they create for their visitors.

Disney knows that every year more and more people seek out ways to immerse themselves in the festivities to capture that elusive drop of Christmas cheer, and with this tagline they’re signposting to where you can find it and creating a taster of what you’ll experience once you’re there.

Who doesn’t want holidays to be more exciting?

4. Qantas, “Feels like home”

Airline Qantas’ “Feels like home” tagline has been used for several years now to tap into the greatest gift of all: being reunited with loved ones and the comfort of familiarity.

The tagline evokes positive memories and emotions of being home, but also communicates a sense of high service levels that means all their customers are treated like family.

A touching way to sell airplane journeys at one of the busiest travel times of the year.

5. John Lewis, “For gifts that brighten their world”

 

The UK department store John Lewis is famed for its emotional Christmas ads. In 2017, their slogan did not disappoint. “For gifts that brighten their world”, accompanying the Moz the Monster ad, tapped into the desire that everyone harbours when they’re searching for the perfect gift.

It really put the focus on giving an experience rather than a material item; the gift of joy and magic that a simple book can conjure up.

Rather than going for a high-value item, John Lewis positioned iteself at the heart of the traditional Christmas, as a brand for all budgets.

6. McDonald’s, “Are you #ReindeerReady?”

McDonald’s 2018 Christmas marketing slogan used the alliterative hashtag “Are you #ReindeerReady?” to appeal directly to families.

The fast food chain combined two elements of brand messaging: healthy kids’ meals featuring carrot sticks while putting their product front and centre at Christmas as a treat for Rudolph.

Not only that, but by incorporating a hashtag, they encouraged offline customers to interact with them online with user-generated content.

Read More: How user generated content is changing SEO

7. Tesco, “This Christmas nothing’s stopping us”

Tesco’s 2021 Christmas slogan is a message of support and determination in the wake of a pandemic-blighted festive season for many in 2020.

The supermarket giant builds anticipation and solidarity by announcing “This Christmas nothing’s stopping us”, which focuses on selling the idea of coming together more than its products.

8. Starbucks, “Carry the merry”

Starbucks’ 2020 Christmas marketing campaign slogan, “Carry the merry”, was a subtle but evocative message of positivity.

Not only does it implore its customers to carry the spirit of Christmas within them throughout the season, but it harks back to the utility of its takeout coffees and their bright red cups which have become a symbol of the holidays.

9. KFC, “Kentucky for Christmas”

Way back in 1974, KFC in Japan launched a Christmas marketing campaign slogan “Kentucky for Christmas” (or Kurisumasu ni wa Kentakkii). It was so successful that almost four decades on it’s still the cuisine of choice at Christmas, with bookings taken in advance.

Riffing on the KFC logo, the brand has managed to position its product (which is ideal for sharing) front and centre during the holidays.

10. M&S, “Magic & Sparkle”

 

Similar to KFC, M&S kept loyal to their branding with a signature-inspired “Believe in Magic & Sparkle” tagline that captured the essence of the holidays and made it synonymous with their product line.

The slogan has been in use since the early 2000s and suggests that popping in store will create a sense of magic for all ages. You’re never too old to believe in the magic of Christmas!

How to come up with Christmas slogans for marketing

Now that you’ve seen our pick of some of the best Christmas copywriting examples, here are some tips on how to come up with your own Christmas slogans for advertising:

1. Keep it simple

The best Christmas marketing taglines are short and sweet. They capture the essence of the holiday season in just a few words. Even better if they play on the familiar.

2. Think about what Christmas means to your customers

What is special about Christmas for your customers? What memories does it evoke? Try to capture those feelings in your tagline.

3. Use festive language

Christmas is all about good cheer and happiness. Words like “magic,” “sparkle”, “joy” and “cheer” do the hard work of creating an emotional connection with your audience instantly.

4. Tie in your core USP or product

If you sell products that are perfect for the holiday season, try to tie them or associated words and verbs into your Christmas marketing tagline. For example, if you offer a food delivery service “Delivering the magic” might be appropriate.

5. Consider a riff on your existing slogan or brand name

Take M&S’s Magic & Sparkle example above. A simple word change might be all that’s needed to maintain brand identity while festivising your marketing.

Image Credits

Header image: Jasmin Schuler 

Media credits: YouTube and Coca-Cola, The Guardian/John Lewis, Marks & Spencer.

Wendy Woodhead

Wendy is the Account Director at Copify and a qualified copywriter and proofreader. She has spent six years copy editing and copywriting for B2B and B2C clients and has experience in freelance and in-house arts marketing and digital content creation. Wendy likes to write about language and literature, digital marketing, history, current affairs, and arts and culture. In her spare time she enjoys yoga, reading and writing fiction.