In the lead-up to Thanksgiving and Black Friday, many major brands launched their first holiday ads of the season last week. Check out their strategies for this year’s holiday shopping season in our Weekly Must Reads.

Disney and Verizon Grant Wishes on StARs

To promote the upcoming launch of the animated film “Wish,” Disney partnered with Verizon to create an augmented reality experience. The campaign, called “Wish on a StAR,” encourages people to use their phone to scan the night sky, revealing constellations that represent wishes of children in need. Users can then click one of the AR stars to donate to Toys for Tots to benefit children in their local community.

The AR experience serves a dual purpose – it ties into both Disney’s anticipated new movie as well as the start of the holiday giving season. “Wish on a StAR” is accessible via QR code or digital link, avoiding the need for a mobile app that can dissuade some consumers from participating. Find out more about Disney and Verizon’s campaign here: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/disney-verizon-augmented-reality-marketing-wish/700026/

Coca-Cola Creates Real Magic with Generative AI

To mark the start of the holiday season, Coca-Cola is rolling out yet another generative AI campaign – their third of 2023.  The brand is helping fans create their own holiday cards with “Create Real Magic,” which uses GPT-4 and Dall-E 2 technologies to generate personalized designs and messages. The platform includes several of Coca-Cola’s iconic holiday moments, including images of Santa Claus from 1931 and the family of polar bears that ruled the company’s holiday ads in the 90s.

Throughout the year, Coca-Cola has partnered with several different AI tools to test campaigns and find the most suitable options. Their previous campaigns helped the brand make important decisions about “Create Real Magic,” such as prioritizing a simple user experience and adding plenty of design options to appeal to a wide range of consumers. Discover more about Coca-Cola’s journey with generative AI here: https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/coca-cola-holiday-campaign-create-real-magic-cards/

Amazon Wants to Share the Joy for the Holidays

Amazon kicked off their own holiday campaign earlier this month, titled “Joy is Shared” and focused on promoting friendship. The first spot for the campaign, “Joy Ride,” centers on a trio of older women reflecting on and recreating a joyful memory from their younger years – with the help of an Amazon delivery, of course. Set to The Beatles’ “In My Life,” the ad will run throughout the holiday season on cable, streaming, and digital platforms.

Many of Amazon’s holiday campaigns in recent years have taken a heartwarming approach, focusing primarily on evoking positive emotions and only injecting their brand’s products to help the story along. You can watch “Joy Ride” and learn more about Amazon’s holiday strategy here: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/amazon-global-holiday-marketing-campaign-the-beatles/698950/

Heineken Takes the Las Vegas Sphere for the F1 Championship

Last weekend, Heineken sponsored the Formula One World Championship in Las Vegas. As part of their sponsorship, Heineken became the first beer brand to land an advertisement on the brand-new Las Vegas Sphere. The Sphere is a new spherical arena that has gone viral across the globe thanks to its programmable LED interior and exterior screens. The brand’s ad turned the Sphere into a giant, spinning disco ball, with silver panels that appeared to turn into ice before shattering and revealing a can of Heineken Silver beer.

According to Heineken representatives, the brand’s advertising team spent months working on their ad for the Sphere. The World Championship track itself traveled around the Sphere for a portion of the race, and Heineken also created additional out-of-home ads to line other sections of the course. Check out their Sphere ad and learn more about this popular new ad format here: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sphere-and-formula-1-heineken-silver-las-vegas-grand-prix-announce-custom-race-content-for-exosphere-301989566.html