Every year, adults everywhere dive into debates about the best Christmas ads. And this year is no different. Whether it's Mr. Christmas stealing the show, Michael Bublé partnering with Asda, or Amazon spreading joy—this year, most major retailers and brands are embracing comedy and characters to win over families' hearts, minds, and Christmas budgets.

From building their online wish lists to heading to the high street with their cash in hand, kids and teens have gone beyond influencing household spending to directing it. But the question is: Are these ads really engaging kids and teens?

In short – no. When we asked UK kids aged 7 to 14 about this year's Christmas commercials, one in five said they had not seen a single one. So, how can brands better reach this younger demographic during the holiday season?

Consistency is the angel on top of the tree 

Even after prompting, kids REALLY struggled to name any Christmas ads they had seen. ‘Kevin the Carrot’ and Coca Cola’s ‘Holidays Are Coming’ campaigns, on the other hand, were exceptions that remained in the minds of a few. Both brands stood out in our omnibus poll, with 4 in 10 UK kids and teens reporting seeing Aldi's Christmas advert (42%), and 37% seeing Coca Cola.

These companies have made clever use of Christmas consistency. And rather than inventing new concepts, they use the ‘Kevin the Carrot’ or Coca Cola’s ‘Holidays Are Coming’ van to build brand saliency. By staying consistent with their campaign elements, they have built up enough frequency that Gen Alpha and Gen Z recalled having seen it, even when they hadn't.

This year, the most mentioned "Christmas ad" by this cohort was a timely viral social media video starring Mariah Carey, who has now become Mrs. Christmas personified.

By remaining consistent, these brands not only have enough message frequency to be memorable for children and teenagers, but they also tap into their desire for nostalgia. 

An ad campaign isn’t just for Christmas 

According to YouGov's brand health tracker BrandIndex, McDonald's festive ad achieved the highest level of ad awareness among the UK's biggest Christmas ads last year. Surprisingly, none of the kids we polled mentioned it.

According to our Coolest Brands 2023 analysis, McDonald's establishes a strong connection with this audience through its physical locations. Because of their accessibility, kids and teens feel welcome there - it is a brand for them. As a result, their claim to have seen the Christmas ad is more likely to be motivated by their affinity for the brand and overall fondness for it than by an actual view.

This means that brands looking to engage this audience could redirect those significant media spends to retail spaces instead. Because, despite living in a digital world, kids and teens enjoy the physical experience of exchanging physical money for a purchase. They also love spending time with their family and friends. Therefore, by investing in physical and accessible retail spaces that welcome them, retailers could win the hearts and wallets of kids and teens, even beyond Christmas.

Ultimately, even with enormous budgets, kids and teens are not interested in Christmas advertisements. Could this mark the end of an era? It’s too soon to call. However, it serves as a reminder to brands that connecting with kids and teens requires more than just flashy Christmas ads; it also requires understanding and aligning with their real-world experiences.