This year’s seasonal showstoppers were delivered and unwrapped in an uncertain and unforgiving economic climate, one in which kindness was the key ingredient - the caramelized biscuit on the Christmas pudding, you might say.

Being kind isn't a new phenomenon (thank goodness). The Dalai Lama said 'be kind whenever possible'. And more recently, “Be Kind” has adorned stickers, T-shirts and social posts all over the world.

But sometimes, if you spend a little too long on social media or watching the news, it might feel like it's become less important. Or disappeared completely.

However, in this festive season (which is going to feel less festive for many people), and if the past two years have taught us anything, it’s that demonstrating kindness right now will be vital - whether in your personal life, your business-life or in ads.

But also, taking the time to really look out for kindness and kind deeds in others, because - just like Covid - kindness is contagious - Cressida Holmes-Smith, Managing Director, Lucky Generals

From seeing those small examples in everyday life to mega-influencers, such as Harry Styles promoting it on a global level. His song ‘Treat people with kindness’, uses music to connect with Gen Z, spreading the message of good deeds, and treating others with all the benevolence we would want people to treat ourselves.

When it comes to advertising, kindness can be a very smart tool as well as something wonderful. According to a recent scientific study by the University of Texas, if someone is randomly kind to you, you're much more likely to then be kind to others thereafter. So, if brands are shown to be kind, they increase brand loyalty (kindness in return). It is altruistic but it’s also commercial.

And thankfully, there has been a lot of kindness on display in this year’s Christmas ads. In retail, we've seen brands come out with lower fixed prices and basic ranges, and in support of communities or charities. Whereas John Lewis, which is now working in partnership with Action for Children, takes us on a journey of what seems to be one man's midlife crisis but turns out to be a skateboarding hobby to connect with his foster child. Advertising is keen to get the consumer back on side and to show that brands are beyond commercialism.

It’s been a rough ride since 2020 and depending on how we interpret kindness, it can also be as simple as just spreading joy, which some brands have taken on board. Asda’s holiday ad makes us all feel like a big kid with a heartwarming blend of Will Ferrell’s character Elf and Asda holiday goodies. And Tesco’s ad opens with the phrase ‘Britain, there’s a joy shortage’, and proceeds to ‘stand for joy’.

Our own ad for Amazon, ‘Joy is made’, takes kindness and turns it into joy. Showing the positive effect kindness gives to everyone involved, from the kindness of a father to the kindness of the neighbors in helping him create the giant snow globe for his daughter.

Brands which have made kindness organisation wide, not just a marketing message, are the real winners. From empathetic leadership through to company values through to really understanding and providing for your consumers needs post-pandemic.

Co-op has revealed that it will not be running a “traditional, multimillion-pound Christmas ad” this year. Instead, the retailer has chosen to put money into a new partnership with a membership-based food scheme and community hub called Your Local Pantry, which plans to grow from 75 sites to 225 over the next three years.

Brands which limit their kindness to a marketing message or stunt are coming unstuck. Such as Brewdog’s recent ‘boycott’ of the World Cup in Qatar, which turned out to be surface-level given they will still be showing the games in their bars and supplying beer to hotels in Qatar. Or Deliveroo’s launch of ‘Collecteroo’, a service to collect unopened and in-date food items from customers’ homes and deliver them to food banks, which turned out to be a single van operating for one-day only across five cities.

Connecting with audiences is great, but brands which have the ability to use their platform to “Be Kind” and make real changes within communities and an impact we can all see and feel long term makes them the real champions.