Top three interactive Christmas campaigns

Christmas is a favourite time of year for so many of us – including marketers. It’s a great opportunity to get creative, whether that’s with handmade decorations, baking gifts for your loved ones, or even grabbing onto the festive season with both hands and incorporating a bit of Christmas cheer into your brand’s latest marketing campaign!

Everyone loves to get involved when it comes to Christmas, so employing an interactive campaign is always a great idea. From pop-up events, to virtual maps and click-throughs, there’s so many ways to get in on the festive action. Read on to find out more about our favourite campaigns, from the past to the present.

• Coca Cola’s Sleigh Ride

In 2015, as part of their much-anticipated yearly slew of Christmas campaigns, Coca Cola introduced Santa’s Virtual Reality Sleigh Ride. Partnering with the then-new Oculus Rift headset, this was actually a physical event for the people of Poland to enjoy. The high-tech equipment was set up inside a plush trailer, with a makeshift sleigh and fairy lights lining the rooftops. Members of the public were then invited in to test out the Oculus Rift, and see what it’s like to deliver presents to those of us that fall on the nice list.

Of course, the set up was branded and the Coca Cola trucks are already an iconic part of the festive season. However, the main part of the campaign was to get people involved and attract them with the opportunity to try out a new form of gaming technology – whilst the subtle branding still gets the Coca Cola message out there.

• Paddy’s Bingo Blowout

Say hello to the latest festive figure to come out of Paddy Power’s creative marketing team – Chippy the branded elf, who takes the form of a middle-aged man in pointy shoes. This interactive click-through Bingo Christmas campaign is hosted on the Bingo homepage of their site, and readily available once a user has logged in. Almost like a virtual advent calendar, there’s a new deal to unveil each and every day, encouraging players to keep coming back for more.

Chippy the elf takes on the role of Santa Claus this year, sitting on a rocket-fuelled sleigh, ready to travel across the world, dishing out bonuses and cash matches to all of Paddy’s loyal players. Each day, a new iconic monument is brought to life and animated on a clickable map. Once selected, the new prize will be announced and ready for players to use either immediately or the next day.

For example, day one comes in the form of the leaning tower of Pisa, and a £40 Bingo Bonus offer for all players who deposit and play £10. The promise of a new, and increasingly generous, offer each day that a user interacts with the campaign, it’s no wonder that so many will be flocking back to see what Chippy has up his sleeve, and in his sleigh.

• Google’s Santa Tracker

One of the biggest interactive Christmas campaigns, that we look forward to following each and every year, is undoubtedly Google’s Santa Tracker. This allows users to explore the North Pole, and shadow the elves as they get everything ready for the big day. Whilst the actual tracking aspect doesn’t go live until Christmas Eve, there’s still plenty of side games for you to enjoy during the lead up to December 24^th.

With bright and engaging visuals, mini-games and the promise of following old Saint Nick, it’s no surprise that this campaign is consistently successful, and has users clicking along each year.

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Christmas is a time for coming together – so why not keep that energy flowing with your interactive campaigns this year!