Hallmark’s new irreverent ad campaign is available online only and includes a SnapChat complement.
To promote its annual line of Keepsake holiday ornaments, Hallmark is getting a little less sweet and a little more real.
Through six new videos, Hallmark is marketing the ornaments through “imperfect moments” in “a tone much like TV’s Modern Family,” according to Advertising Age.
“They do have a little bit of a bite to them, and I think people will be excited to see this sort of humor come from Hallmark,” said Chandelier creative director Michael Scanlon.
Humor isn’t the only modern addition to the campaigns. The 30-second videos are available only online, and will not be broadcast through television. The company also launched a microsite to highlight the artists behind the 400 ornament designs available this year.
To complement the campaign, the company is also partnering with Snapchat this year and sponsoring geofilters (special overlays for Snaps that can only be accessed in certain locations) in the country’s top 20 markets. Anyone within a distance of two football fields will be able to use a custom filter.
Through the geofilters, “when make their pilgrimage downtown and take the obligatory photography in front of the Christmas tree, we can be a part of that,” said Ann Herrick, marketing director for omnichannel marketing at Hallmark.
Inspired by the shakeup at Hallmark? A few ideas to try:
Highlight your team. The microsite idea is in line with consumers’ ongoing desire for all things local and artisan-made. The furniture store West Elm also has capitalized on this idea through collaborations with local artists. Try this: In the run-up to the holiday season, why not introduce your team on social media with a brief bio and nice photo?
Make it snappy. If you haven’t played around with Snapchat yet, make a New Year’s resolution to do so. The millennial-friendly social media app is making waves in the advertising world — Advertising Age recently called it the industry’s “hottest tool.” Try this: “If you want to speak to a millennial audience, hire millennials to create the content for you,” Jason Peterson, chief creative officer at Havas North America, told Advertising Age. “Snapchat is the immediate future for reaching our consumers, whether or not our clients are ready for it, we want to be ready for it.”
