SOCIAL VIDEO INSIGHT REPORT

Christmas Video Trends // October ’13

INTRO

Welcome to VAN’s insight report. This month we’re looking at festive trends in the sphere of Christmas ad campaigns and UGC videos.

This document is comprised of:• Brand insights• Viral ad campaign case studies• UGC insights

Our social video insights are collated with the help of our TubeRank app.

Image: Flickr Ken Wilcox

BRAND TRENDS: CHRISTMAS AD CAMPAIGNS

Key brand observations

Marketers seem to be promoting Christmas earlier and earlier every year. Recent research from Experian Marketing has predicted that nearly 50% of retailers are expected to launch their Christmas campaigns before Halloween, with the majority of others releasing theirs in the first two weeks of November.

As the festive season slowly creeps up on us, the question that agencies should be concerning themselves with is, “what makes for a memorable ad?”

Let’s face it, Christmas campaigns can often be a clichéd pile of stereotypes; packed full of frantic shopping sprees, perfect dinner parties, fake snow and sparkles. Finding a fresh angle amongst this well trodden path can be difficult. There’s no secret formula for yuletide marketing success but there are a few key ingredients that can help a campaign on its way to capturing that coveted seasonal magic.

We used TubeRank, VAN’s viral planning tool, to analyse some of the most popular ads from Christmases past and break down the main viral triggers and conversation points that made them so successful.

Humour, originality and keeping it real...

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Source Flickr: Msenese

CASE STUDIES: THE POWER OF STORYTELLINGJohn Lewis - The JourneyIn recent years, John Lewis’ Christmas ads have come to set a new standard for seasonal campaigns. Last year’s TV spot was widely acclaimed to be the most popular ad of 2012, turning the nation all misty eyed over a magical winter love story.

The 6 million pound commercial follows the epic journey of a love struck snowman as he goes in search of the perfect Christmas gift. Transporting the audience into a fantasy world where he scales mountains and crosses rivers to reach the city, before finally returning home with a new hat and gloves for his snow lady girlfriend, (aawww!)

Set to the soundtrack of a heart warming remix of Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s ‘The Power Of Love’, and packed full of stunning cinematography, it cleverly uses music to build the emotion of the scene, making for a video that’s genuinely beautiful to watch. However, what sets the ad aside from many of its contemporaries is that fact that it actually tells a story. Moving away from the realities of Christmas shopping by leading viewers on an escapist adventure, with not a product placement in sight (except for the snow couple’s little hats and scarfs).

The feel good ending subtly conveys the feeling of Christmas without shoving it down your throat, making for a moving piece that tugs on the heartstrings and motivates people to share.

CONVERSATION TRIGGERS:

COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST:

Music Film Pop culture

Fashion

Shares: 131,158 | Views: 3,424,707

SHARE-TO-VIEW RATIO = 1:26

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CASE STUDIES: NOSTALGIA AND A WELL WORN PAIR OF SLIPPERSCoca-Cola - Holidays Are ComingThere’s a lot to be said about the impact of fresh new ideas and original content in advertising. But when it comes to Christmas, much of the magic lies in a nostalgia that harks back to holidays past. There’s a form of comfort and familiarity resulting from years of re-use that leads us to associate certain brands with the holiday season and Coca-Cola has it nailed. I think we probably all know what I’m referring to – those infamous red Christmas trucks.

Not only is the soft drinks giant widely credited for being responsible for Santa’s red outfit, (not technically true, but kudos to Coke for generating some pretty effective brand association), but the sight of those fairy light strewn behemoths shuttling through the snowy mountains has come to be a sure fire sign that the holidays are most definitely coming!

The formula is pretty simple, a few classic festive cues and a catchy theme tune, (never underestimate the power of a good song), but timing and repetition is everything. The Coca-Cola trucks have been gracing our screens like clockwork every year since 1995, becoming so firmly fixed in our minds that for many of us they seem to be advertising Christmas itself.

However, a word of warning for marketers going for this approach: if you’re trying to evoke the essence of Christmas with an annual old classic, releasing your ad too early can turn it from a nostalgic nugget of festive anticipation to an annoying cliché!

CONVERSATION TRIGGERS:

COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST:

Music Film Pop culture

Internet culture

Shares: 7,458 | Views: 166,617

SHARE-TO-VIEW RATIO = 1:22

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CASE STUDIES: A NEW TWIST ON AN OLD TALEExcentricPT - The Digital Story of the NativityAfter banging on about the impact of repetition when it comes to driving a branded message home, there’s still no denying that originality can be a powerful conversation trigger.

Marketers hoping to evoke the magic of Christmas still need to include a few classic festive cues, but adding a new twist to an old story can be a great way to give tradition a new lease of life. That’s exactly what ExcentricPT did with its charming Digital Story of the Nativity.

Using the tagline ‘Times change, the feeling remains the same’, the three-minute video illustrates the contemporary birth of Jesus through social media, including the likes of Twitter, YouTube, Wikipedia and Foursquare. With Mary using Google maps to find the best route to Bethlehem and Joseph buying a virtual cow and a donkey on Farmville.

It was a fresh idea that caused the ad to stand out from many of its contemporaries and the novel approach made for a perfect viral talking point, allowing the video to clock up over 12 million views online.

On the topic of new takes on old classics, I couldn’t end this section without giving a mention to Irn Bru’s awesome Snowman ad. We’re going way back to 2006 but it’s still one of the best festive pastiches we’ve ever seen!

CONVERSATION TRIGGERS:

COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST:

Internet culture

Geek Parenting Pop culture

Shares: 422,220 | Views: 12,250,397

SHARE-TO-VIEW RATIO = 1:29

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CASE STUDIES: CHRISTMAS DINNER CLICHÉSMorrisons - For Your ChristmasChristmas dinner is probably one of the most important parts of the festive season in many households and every year sees a flood of Supermarket ads packed full of turkeys, sprouts and family feasts. Unfortunately, getting the right balance between the stresses and joys of the festive season, without becoming overly sentimental or ticking every ad cliché in the book can be tricky.

Morrisons produced one of the stand out campaigns last year with its delicate portrayal of a family negotiating the emotional upheaval of the holidays and battling through the festive dinner preparations. We watch as dad struggles with a dying Christmas tree and mum wrestles a giant turkey, sprouting new arms to peel through a mountain of vegetables as family and friends pile into the house.

Yes, mum ends up exhausted. But is it all worth it? ‘I wouldn’t have it any other way,’ she says, with a faint smile. It treads a pretty fine line, but the generous dollop of gentle humour and feel good ending paints a picture of a family Christmas that we can all identify with.

The ad managed to dodge the criticism leveled at Asda’s 2012 Christmas campaign, which came under attack on social media, for going one step too far with the sexist clichés.

CONVERSATION TRIGGERS:

COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST:

Parenting General

Shares: 2,614 | Views: 146,487

SHARE-TO-VIEW RATIO = 1:56

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UGC TRENDS: CHRISTMAS VIDEOS

Key UGC observations

YouTube has become a veritable mirror for the fascinations of the internet and advertisers can learn a LOT by paying attention to what’s going viral in the UGC sphere. Every Christmas we see a flood of home made festive videos take the web by storm - from crazy fairy-light displays; to singing animals; hilarious gift reactions; and awesome holiday jingles.

As part of our regular video insight series, we used TubeRank to break down the key conversation triggers of some of the most popular Christmas themed UGC clips of recent years, to help marketers get a better grip on festive trends when planning their seasonal ad campaign.

What can brands learn from the success of home made festive video hits?

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KEY CONVERSATION TRIGGERS - (EPIC LIGHT SHOWS)

Lights, Camera, ACTION!The days when Christmas lights were simply something you strung around your tree are long gone and elaborate festive displays have now become something of a fine art.

Videos featuring illuminated suburban houses and perfectly curated musical lighting shows date back to the very beginning of YouTube, with literally hundreds of clips being uploaded to the site every year. They don’t all go viral, but those that do can easily clock up a couple of million views in a few days.

If you’re hoping to make your video stand out from the crowd there are a few things worth bearing in mind, but being epic is an excellent starting point. When it comes to Christmas displays, bigger is definitely better! The internet wants more lights, more music, more EVERYTHING! The videos that have gone particularly viral are those with strong conversation triggers, something a little bit different that gives people a reason to talk about and share it.

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Source Flickr: Davidvega

KEY CONVERSATION TRIGGERS - (EPIC LIGHT SHOWS)

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Video Viral Stats Conversation Triggers

Christmas Lights Gangnam StyleViews - 3,684,458 | Shares - 152,184

SHARE-TO-VIEW RATIO = 1:24

Angry Birds Christmas Light GameViews - 2,251,241 | Shares - 21,939

SHARE-TO-VIEW RATIO = 1:106

There’s a Problem With Brighton’s Xmas LightsViews - 2,376,022 | Shares - 82,116

SHARE-TO-VIEW RATIO = 1:29

The Amazing Grace Christmas HouseViews - 31,228,480 | Shares - 116,996

SHARE-TO-VIEW RATIO = 1:267

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KEY CONVERSATION TRIGGERS - (THE POWER OF CUTE)

Fluffy Festivities!The internet hardly needs an excuse to revel in the joys of fluffy animal cuteness. But throwing a couple of kittens or puppies into your festive campaign can be exactly what it takes to give it an extra viral kick. The Kawaii factor is a pretty powerful conversation trigger all by itself, but combined with the added topicality of yuletide gladness at a time when people are particularly keen to share Christmas themed videos, it can be a winning combination.

If you can set your video to a good tune and convince your furry friend to give the world a little sing song, you’ll be guaranteed extra bonus points. But it doesn’t have to be complicated, last year we saw Puppy’s First Christmas garner nearly 6 million views in a few days. Why? Well, the puppy was really, REALLY cute, but add in a little festive music and a sweet Christmassy backdrop and hey presto – the feel-good factor is well and truly in the bag!

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Source Flickr: Joshunter

KEY CONVERSATION TRIGGERS - (THE POWER OF CUTE)

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Video Viral Stats Conversation Triggers

Animals of YouTube sing "Deck the Halls"Views - 10,335,218 | Shares - 258,135

SHARE-TO-VIEW RATIO = 1:40

Puppy's First ChristmasViews - 6,099,104 | Shares - 403,578

SHARE-TO-VIEW RATIO = 1:151

How To Wrap A Cat For ChristmasViews - 7,466,518 | Shares - 341,104

SHARE-TO-VIEW RATIO = 1:22

Puppy ChristmasViews - 4,249,643 | Shares - 168,937

SHARE-TO-VIEW RATIO = 1:25

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KEY CONVERSATION TRIGGERS - (CHRISTMAS PRESENTS)

Xmas Gift #Wins and #Fails!I’d like to say that the spirit of Christmas is all about celebrating the birth of Jesus and the joys of family, but the giving and receiving of gifts is also a massive part of the holiday season.

The emotional responses generated by Christmas present wins and fails can be a pretty awesome source of viral gold. Every year sees a flood of YouTubers uploading the reactions of family and friends as they tear off that gaudy paper to revel what exciting / disappointing surprise lies underneath.

SOCIAL VIDEO INSIGHT REPORT - Christmas Video Trends // October ’13 PAGE 10

Source Flickr: Allerleirau

KEY CONVERSATION TRIGGERS - (CHRISTMAS PRESENTS)

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Video Viral Stats Conversation Triggers

Dad's Reaction To Getting A Ticket To The GameViews - 9,877,228 | Shares - 33,507

SHARE-TO-VIEW RATIO = 1:294

BOOKS FOR CHRISTMAS!?!?!?!Views - 3,510,453 | Shares - 56,733

SHARE-TO-VIEW RATIO = 1:162

WTF?! I Wanted An iPhone!!!Views - 547,454 | Shares - 11,442

SHARE-TO-VIEW RATIO = 1:48

I DONT LIKE THE CUBS!!!Views - 1,358,561 | Shares - 3,649

SHARE-TO-VIEW RATIO = 1:372

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KEY CONVERSATION TRIGGERS - (FESTIVE TUNES)

A Very Merry Sing Song!Finally, if there is one ultimate magical ingredient to Christmas video success, it has to be music.

The power of a good song is universal no matter what the season, but with Christmas being a period so closely tied to a tradition of festive caroling and holiday songs, a good tune is an incredibly powerful conversation trigger.

We’ve seen pop songs mashed up with a festive twist, dancing pensioners, comedy musical sketches and Christmas raps. But the all time king of festive music videos has to be the Christmas flash mob!

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Source Flickr: Richard Bloomfield

KEY CONVERSATION TRIGGERS - (FESTIVE TUNES)

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Video Viral Stats Conversation Triggers

Christmas Food Court Flash Mob, Hallelujah ChorusViews - 42,323,050 | Shares - 885,169

SHARE-TO-VIEW RATIO = 1:48

My 90-year-old Grandma Dances to LMFAOViews - 2,379,493 | Shares - 76,620

SHARE-TO-VIEW RATIO = 1:31

The Key of Awesome! : Santa and I Know It!Views - 15,204,521 | Shares - 277,830

SHARE-TO-VIEW RATIO = 1:55

Christmas SweatzViews - 2,970,678 | Shares - 40,009

SHARE-TO-VIEW RATIO = 1:74

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We offer a range of tools to help individuals and teams learn the art of social video. Our regular #KittenCamp events, agency training workshops & online tutorials can help you build your knowledge (and have a LOL too).

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A BIT MORE ABOUT VAN

SOCIAL VIDEO INSIGHT REPORT - Food & Confectionary // October ’13 PAGE 3

VAN is a social video platform, providing technology and services to agencies and brands to create awesome shareable video. Our platform is used by leading agencies and brands across the world, and was created by the founders of award-winning viral agency Rubber Republic.

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