ADWEEK Advantage is part of a new series where every month, our top editors interpret what happened in each vertical, and what it means for the future.
The holidays represent one of advertising’s biggest stages in terms of visibility and spend, rivaled only by the Super Bowl. But although brands have the most to gain by standing out, many retreated this year to familiar territory.
The result was a season of ads that blurred together.
Consider how Dr. Seuss’s the Grinch showed up in holiday campaigns for multiple brands, including McDonald’s, Walmart, and U.K. retailer Asda.
The irony of advertisers using an anti-consumerist character aside, the Grinch’s ubiquity made it harder for any of those campaigns to stand out, even when Walmart cast White Lotus star Walton Goggins in the role.
