If there was ever a year in which consumers need distraction and light relief: 2024 is it. From a brutal US election cycle to continued economic uncertainty, the past 12 months have been stacked with sharp edges.

In this ecosystem, consumers would perhaps be forgiven for wanting to hide in a dark room, let alone seek out more light relief in their media consumption habits.

The conversation surrounding humour in advertising is cyclical. While commentators point to the creation of a dedicated humour category in Cannes Lions as evidence of the creative craft of humour rising up the agenda, the truth is laughter has always been a lynchpin of creativity.

With this in mind, we asked industry experts if Christmas 2024 will be the ultimate silly season? Because let's be honest, we could all do with a distraction right now.

It is no secret that Christmas really is the ultimate silly season. Brands are fighting for attention, given consumers are in the market to spend as we get closer to the 25th of December. To compete, brands must strive to understand their audiences, whether they plan to target sports enthusiasts, pet lovers or fashion fanatics.

But there is another layer of complexity to this. In the battle for attention, brands cannot get lost in a sea of ambivalence in the lead-up to Christmas Day. Audiences will go into overdrive to plan their big spending for 2025, so marketers need to prepare for the fact that consumer spending will continue beyond the day itself.

So while we can expect that brands will really go for it this silly season, we will see campaigns not only through endemic channels but also with other non-traditional platforms to reach audiences. Those that will stand out will plan beyond the big day, for example, targeting consumers booking their holidays for 2025 after the Christmas rush.

Christmas is always an exciting time of year for advertising, knowing that consumers are more willing to spend means brands will put on a showcase of powerful storytelling and feel-good ads. In particular, the luxury category really shines to maximise the spending season. While other brands will start winding down big campaign launches, we find that our luxury and travel clients really dial up their investment for things like gift guides and destination marketing. We've developed a suite of products that are designed specifically to help these clients create quick-turn, fast-to-market strategies that amplify their presence.

But, for any brand to stand out during the festive season they must use data to underpin their approach. Data is key to the best creative campaigns. By understanding anything from macro trends that are shaping the industry, to micro insights that uncover emerging audiences, brands will be in a better position to create adverts that effectively cut through the noise.

It is likely that the uncertainty we have seen this year will inevitably lie heavily on households. However, while purse strings may not be completely undone this Christmas, consumers will still be looking for those magic moments. Spontaneity this time of year will be critical for brands across verticals.

For example, last year Uber saw a 627% increase in snack food ordering from customers topping up for Christmas parties and gatherings. Trips to the airport also peaked for the year in mid-December, suggesting that the Xmas get away starts well before the mainstream media thinks it does.

We will of course see the festive-themed creative that speaks to the general spirit of this season, but we can expect to see these campaigns supported by highly targeted executions to consumers with the greatest propensity to purchase.

This is driven by the rise of retail and commerce media environments, which provide rich insight into audience buying intent, interest and context and can capture people in those key moments.

So, while the creative may be more light-hearted, there will be nothing silly about what’s occurring in the background to make these campaigns personalised and relevant to consumers in those moments.

Stating the obvious: Christmas is chaos. It’s never the picture-perfect, polished version we see on screen, and this year, with the UK feeling the crunch, brands have a rare chance to lean into that reality. The best move for Christmas 2024? Embrace the mess. Poke fun at the inevitable holiday chaos - the quirks, the family feuds, the relentless to-do lists. There’s humour in the cracks, and that’s where people connect.

Forget the glossy, idealised scenes; the smartest campaigns this year will be the ones that laugh with us, not at us. People aren’t looking for escapist fantasy or worthy parables; they want to feel seen in all their imperfect holiday madness. Humour that embraces the season’s quirks will land harder and feel more authentic than any polished production.

Brands that can drop the veneer and bring a sense of real, relatable humour will cut through. Because, let’s face it, Christmas is inherently ridiculous, and audiences are ready for brands that don’t pretend otherwise. In times like these, the best thing a brand can do is give people a reason to laugh at the madness (and maybe even enjoy it).

Christmas 2024 will likely see brands balancing cautious optimism with strategic silliness. With economic concerns on many minds, humour and nostalgia present opportunities for connection. Savvy marketers must mix humour with relatability, creating campaigns that acknowledge today’s realities, while offering moments to escape from everyday worries.

We can most likely expect themes of budget-friendly celebrations, where families find clever ways to keep holiday magic alive with a lighthearted twist. Nostalgia will play a big role here, with brands tapping into memories of past holidays by reviving beloved characters and jingles, evoking warm feelings and a sense of stability and continuity.

Interactive, shareable content will also be key, as brands aim to create viral moments that spread joy organically. Playful social media challenges and user-generated content will encourage audiences to share joy in their own way. But tone is critical—humour should be tempered with empathy to resonate universally, ensuring it’s lighthearted and inclusive without targeting or alienating any group. Brands need to get humour right to connect meaningfully and avoid unintentionally excluding or offending in the process. The most impactful campaigns will blend silliness with sincerity, offering both entertainment and a sense of understanding during this complex holiday season.

It’s the first week of November, I’ve just blown out the candles of my Jack Skellington pumpkin and we’re already seeing the first flurry of Christmas campaign activity. I’d say there’s just a bit of a nip in the air… and no sense of silly so far…

There’s probably a fine line to be walked between silly and being sensitive to the mood of the nation. We’re clearly not out of the cost-of-living woods. So, it’s right we don’t get all frivolous and our customers know we know that.

BUT there’s a difference between over blown festive frivolity and a much welcomed (needed) dollop of Christmas joy.

John Lewis has gone all knowingly understated on us. It has a beautiful tone and mood voiced by Samantha Morton, but it left me without the smile and warmth of feeling that John Lewis has delivered without fail in Christmas past. It’s different for JL, but maybe it’s a bit serious and a teeny bit posh?

If you're selling everything from beer to cashmere, turkey to toys, Christmas should be fun. Step forward the pure celebratory tone of Hun Culture, Kitschmas in all its glorious retro forms and yes, thanks Sainsbury’s, the well-loved childhood memory that is the BFG.

I’m now waiting to see if Martine McCutcheon can do a Christmas Lidl Bit More without it being too silly, not sure if that’s possible, but even this dyed in the wool goth would welcome it at Christmas.

As brands rush to create cultural moments this holiday season, storytelling is shifting from light-hearted to heart-warming, emphasising group experiences over individual narratives. Despite uncertainty, consumers are expected to spend more, presenting brands with an opportunity to offer respite through engaging experiences.

Focusing on reconnecting with consumers can foster positive sentiment that extends into the new year. By embracing the lighter aspects of humanity, like the joy of holiday rituals and the anticipation of family gatherings, brands can build relatability. Understanding and addressing what audiences truly experience is crucial, as exemplified by campaigns like Very’s Let It Sparkle.

In a crowded marketplace, brands can no longer rely on one-off experiences to create lasting memories. Innovative pop-ups, like Glossier’s Realms of You, which prioritised self-discovery and sensory escape, have successfully broken traditional holiday moulds, offering exclusivity and a refreshing alternative to typical seasonal themes.

Designing for serendipity is key to building participation. By including moments of discovery and curiosity, brands can position consumers as storytellers in their own experiences. This creates instant personal resonance and promotes shareability, expanding brand reach long beyond the immediate experience

This holiday season, brands should aim to be the gift that keeps on giving by staying curious about their audiences, infusing humour and relatability into everyday moments, and create novel escapist worlds that alleviate the cognitive load of the season.

Every year we wonder who’ll topple John Lewis off the top Christmas ad spot, and inevitably the major supermarkets have a good go at the honour.  But this year, with rising food prices – bread rose 30% since 2021 – not to mention means testing pensioners for Winter fuel allowance, it’s certainly not right to encourage people to spend, spend, spend.

But we do have a job to do, and it’s one of entertaining, of connecting, and if it aligns to the brand, lightening the mood.  This year more than ever before we really do need to exercise caution (something no one in this industry enjoys doing), or run the risk of missing the mood entirely and being the next Tik Tok villain.  

The festive season is one of joy and gratitude, values that haven’t changed for time immemorial. But maybe we can temper our efforts with the knowledge that for many of us Christmas is just really tough – emotionally and financially. If we can walk the line with grace and some irreverence, then we should absolutely do it. We can’t solve the cost-of-living crisis but we can show some empathy at a time that is wonderful for some and awful for others.

Silliness has always been part of Christmas. There's good old Father Christmas, Rudolph, sleighs, bells and whistles. Fairytales were invented to teach valuable lessons in an entertaining way. But for brands, especially at Christmas, silliness performs other very important tasks.

This year alone we are already seeing hyperbolic and fantastical characters like talking carrots, singing oven mittens, smart-arsing fairies and a fizz-wiggling BFG. The execution often uses "genre sampling" such as Waitrose's whodunnit, Morrison's musical and of course, traditionally, lots of animated film.

Christmas time is when the supermarket brands really try their best. Brands and agencies are thinking and acting bigger and bolder. The best directors, musicians, food stylists and animators are put to work to create eye and mouth watering stories. Advertising the way it's supposed to be!

But this is not simply just to distract from the world's problems. People don't turn to supermarkets for distraction or escapism. But brands that operate in the same place with a relatively similar product - delicious food for the festive season - do have an urgent need to be distinctively unique and salient. We've learned from smart researchers and scientists that unexpected, emotional messages stick much more effectively. And that is what silly can deliver. So, will 2024 be the ultimate silly season? I definitely hope so. I just hope it doesn't die out straight after Christmas.