In the world of holiday ads, the competition is fierce to stand out.
For some companies, that means using over-the-top stunts in order to drum up attention. While the idea of using a publicity stunt may seem cheap, these holidays-themed stunts often have the best intentions, like giving back and inspiring nostalgia.
Here are our favorite holiday-themed publicity stunts.
West Jet
When you think about holiday publicity stunts, a low-cost Canadian airliner is probably not the first thing you think of. If you didn't know about West Jet before, they will probably be on your radar after these last two Holiday marketing stunts. Last year, the airline set up a live "Santa-cam" in an airport terminal that encouraged travelers to tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas. Unbeknownst to these consumers, the things they "asked Santa for" would be waiting for them at baggage claim when they landed.
West Jet must have seen enough fanfare with that plot that they decided to make a splash again this year, this time in the Dominican Republic. A sled was placed in the Puerto Plata community of Nuevo Renacer, where residents were able to tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas. Spoiler alert: Everyone gets what they asked for! The gift ceremony even leads to a party on the beach! While the two stunts are clearly working hard to muster up good publicity, we have to admit the videos are pretty touching.
Air Canada
Canadian airlines sure know how to make a splash around the holidays. Our next stunt comes from Air Canada, which surprised a bar of unsuspecting Canadians in London with a round-trip flight home this year. Perhaps the airline wanted to compete with West Jet. Regardless, seeing Canadian expats in London treated to a trip home that they otherwise wouldn't have been able to afford is heartwarming.
Uber
This year, we saw a slew of intriguing offers from Uber: you could order a car full of kittens to snuggle with, you could have car bring you ice cream, or a full-fledged meal. But this wasn't the first time Uber dipped its toe into delivery services. Last Christmas season, Uber teamed up with Home Depot to deliver Christmas trees. Who needs the tradition of going with your family to pick the perfect tree, anyway?
The stunt was a one-day only offer and was only available in 10 cities: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York City, Philly, San Diego, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. The service cost $135, which the app allowed to split among friends and family. But with just about a week until Christmas and no sign that they will doing the stunt again this year, Uber may have filed this stunt in the "lessons learned" category.
CitiBike used as Christmas tree delivery vehicle. http://t.co/e4g3RXZHAt
— Alex Goldmark (@alexgoldmark) December 2, 2013
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Can you imagine Thanksgiving without Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade playing in the background? What many may not know was that the holiday mainstay actually started out as a publicity stunt. Back when most Macy's employees were first-generation immigrants, they wanted a way to celebrate like their family back home. On Thanksgiving Day 1924, Macy's employees dressed up in vibrant costumes and borrowed animals from the Central Park Zoo to march up 34th Street toward the flagship store. The uproarious event was a hit, to say the least, and has continued with much fanfare every year since—with the exception of 1942-1944, when it was suspended for World War II.
NORAD's Santa Tracker
It's not your typical marketing ploy: NORAD's Santa Tracker deserves its rightful place in the "stunt" category. After all, who would have heard of the North American Aerospace Defense Command if it wasn't for its Santa Tracker? For almost 60 years now, NORAD tracks Santa on Christmas Eve as he delivers toys to children throughout the world. The tracker has morphed with media— a hotline, phonograph, T.V, and now an interactive website are all ways NORAD has been able to 'track Santa' (and raise its profile) throughout the years.