It's pretty normal to expect holiday trees, chocolate ad Christmas commercials to start appearing right after Halloween, but this year, Kmart is really getting a jump on the holiday season. Just days into September, Kmart released its 'Not a Christmas Commercial' ad, which suggests thinking about starting your holiday shopping right now.
The video stresses that it's not one for Christmas, and instead wants you to think of preparing for a big Merry Birthday event, where everybody has their birthday on the same day and requires gifts. The commercial suggests Kmart Layaway for such an event and even though this is touted as not being a Christmas commercial, all of the elves, Christmas trees and cakes decorated with poinsettias make it pretty clear that the holiday season is right around the corner.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Early Holiday Season Marketing
- Innovative marketing strategies promoting holiday season beyond the usual timeline
- Alternative Holiday Celebration
- Encouraging consumers to consider celebrating holidays in an alternative non-traditional manner
- Birthday-based Celebration
- Promoting celebrations and gift-giving based on consumers' birthdates
Where This Applies
- Retail
- Retail companies promoting an early start to holiday shopping season in creative ways
- Hospitality
- Hotels/resorts offering packages for alternative holiday celebrations and events
- Social Media
- Social media marketing agencies launching birthday-based campaigns and promotions
