As we enter the festive season, it’s time to reflect on what makes holiday campaigns truly shine. This time of year can evoke powerful emotions related to traditions, community, and the brands we hold dear. According to Bull & Wolf, the best holiday campaigns resonate with the feelings people associate with family, gratitude, and reflection. When a brand’s message aligns with these sentiments, something magical happens.

As the landscape evolves, the challenge lies in striking the right balance between creativity and authenticity. This year, there’s a noticeable collision between two dominant forces: Efficiency, driven by Artificial Intelligence, and Emotion, tied deeply to nostalgia and human connection.

A stark example of this tension can be seen in Coca-Cola’s recent holiday campaign. The brand chose to remake its beloved “Holidays Are Coming” ad using Generative AI, sparking considerable backlash. Audiences have labelled the reimagined version as “soulless” and “dystopian”. The criticism highlights a vital insight: the dip in positive feelings toward such artificial representations is very real in holiday marketing. When a brand’s core message is about human connection, relying on a non-human tool for content creation can result in a disconnect that fails to engage viewers emotionally.

The numbers tell a compelling story. While 80% of marketers are integrating AI into their content creation processes, a staggering 68% of consumers express decreased trust in brands that utilise AI-generated content. This state of affairs underscores the stakes in holiday marketing; it’s akin to the Super Bowl of emotional marketing. The brands that thrive in this competitive environment will be those that prioritise genuine human effort over automated processes.

For many brands racing to incorporate AI, the quest for efficiency can overshadow the emotional resonance critical to the holiday season. In 2025, the “premium” signal in marketing will be the ability to connect authentically with consumers. Bull & Wolf succinctly puts it: the best campaigns shape how people feel. You can’t simply prompt warmth; it must be created through real, heartfelt engagement.

As we navigate this complex landscape, the lesson is clear: use AI to handle the grunt work; speed, scale, data, and operational lift; but reserve the heart work for humans. AI can support ideation, surface insights, and remove friction, yet it should never replace genuine emotion, empathy, or creative ownership. Especially during the holiday season, when trust and meaning matter most, automation without intention risks feeling hollow or intrusive. For brands willing to invest real time, human judgment, and creativity into their campaigns, there’s a profound opportunity to move beyond efficiency and create moments that truly matter during this magical season.

Let’s remember this holiday: it’s the human touch that fosters genuine connection. By prioritising authenticity, we can create holiday campaigns that not only resonate today but also create lasting memories for years to come. 

As we look forward to the holidays, consider how your brand can authentically evoke these emotions: by using AI to remove friction behind the scenes while empowering humans to lead with empathy, creativity, and intention. Invest in thoughtful storytelling, deliberate moments of personalisation, and experiences that feel earned—not automated. In a world increasingly dominated by technology, the brands that stand out will be those that use innovation to create space for warmth, humanity, and genuine connection at the heart of the season.

Happy Holidays.