Perspectives
Exploring AI holiday marketing trends 2025 and why emotional storytelling still matters.
AI now touches nearly every part of life. It’s on our screens, it influences our shopping, our conversations. In a sea of algorithms and automation, many brands are asking the same question: how are we going to stay authentic in an AI-driven holiday marketing landscape?
AI can analyze data faster, generate content instantly, and deliver hyper-personalized experiences at scale. But those efficiency gains can come at the cost of something deeply human: the emotional connection that makes consumers care. AI can help us move faster, but emotion is what makes people stop, feel, and remember.
This tension is especially visible during the holidays. A time defined by warmth, nostalgia, and togetherness can easily lose its magic if campaigns start feeling over-engineered or impersonal.
AI can help us move faster, but emotion is what makes people stop, feel, and remember.
Strategy Director, Hall & Partners
Emotional connection still defines holiday marketing trends 2025
Ultimately, holiday marketing success still stems from emotional connection. According to Deloitte’s Holiday Retail Survey, 77% of U.S. shoppers expect higher prices on holiday goods this year. Political division, tariffs, and inflation have created an atmosphere of caution and consumers may be entering this season with economic uncertainty on their minds.
But despite all of these pressures, shoppers are still drawn to the comforting stability of festive rituals (even if they are scaling down and tightening their belts). That’s why classic emotional campaigns continue to outperform purely transactional ones. Coca-Cola’s “Holidays Are Coming” campaign is a perfect example. The glowing red trucks and nostalgic soundtrack have become synonymous with the season, reminding audiences that Christmas is around the corner.
The campaign was successful, precisely because it wasn't focused on promoting the product. It was about feeling. In 2021, Coca-Cola saw a 36% sales increase during the Christmas period. The emotional storytelling, rooted in tradition, helped drive engagement and brand love across generations, especially after a few tough years in lockdown. When the world feels uncertain, emotion is the anchor people hold onto.
How AI in holiday marketing can deepen emotion…if used with caution
When Coca-Cola relaunched its festive campaign last year, it leveraged AI to reimagine its iconic trucks and snowy landscapes. Audiences could chat with a virtual Santa, create personalized digital snow globes, and experience interactive content tailored to local cultures.
This use of AI helped the brand modernize a timeless tradition and make it relevant to new audiences. However, reactions were mixed. While many appreciated the innovation, others found the AI-generated imagery overly polished, lacking the authentic warmth that made the original campaign beloved.
The lesson is simple: AI should support emotion, not simulate it. When technology becomes the focus, the soul of the message gets lost. AI doesn’t have to strip campaigns of feeling; when used thoughtfully, it can enhance empathy and connection.
When the world feels uncertain, emotion is the anchor people hold onto.
Strategy Director, Hall & Partners
Authenticity in AI holiday campaigns is still the strongest signal
Authenticity has never mattered more. Consumers want to see real people, real emotions, and real stories, especially during the holidays.
If AI is misused, it can create content that feels hollow or insincere. And when messaging feels fake, it undermines the very trust brands are trying to build. Authenticity isn’t about perfection; it’s about human truth.
Amazon’s 2023 “Joy Ride” campaign captured this beautifully. Three elderly friends rediscovering childlike excitement on sleds reminded viewers that joy knows no age. No overproduction. No flashy effects. Just a simple, emotional story that felt human and true.
Authentic storytelling prioritizes shared experiences over hard selling. It doesn’t tell audiences what to feel, it invites them to remember what they already do. Authenticity isn’t anti-technology. It’s what makes technology believable.
Six smart ways to use AI in holiday marketing 2025 (without losing the heart)
AI can play an incredibly powerful role in festive campaigns when it’s used as an enhancer, not a replacement. Here’s how to harness it intelligently:
1. Listen to Consumer Feedback
Before planning a campaign, listen. AI-driven tools can analyze conversations across social media, forums, and reviews to identify what consumers are feeling; their hopes, worries, and frustrations.
For example, AI can surface stress points around gift-giving, family travel, or time pressure. Brands can then address these directly through supportive messaging, simplified shopping tools, or humor that acknowledges the shared chaos of the season.
Empathy begins with understanding, and AI can help marketers listen at scale.
2. Create Collaboratively, Not Automatically
AI should be treated as a creative partner, not the creative director. It can help teams brainstorm, develop concepts, and test ideas quickly, but it’s the human insight that determines what resonates.
Use AI to generate multiple ad-copy variations or early storyboard drafts. Then, let creative teams evaluate which versions evoke emotion and refine them further.
AI can accelerate production, but it’s human intuition that ensures the message feels right.
3. Edit for Emotion
AI-generated messages can sound perfect, but not feel perfect. That’s why human editing remains essential.
A phrase like “Season’s greetings from our brand family” might check all the boxes for tone and structure, yet lack warmth. A quick rewrite (“From our family to yours, wishing you peace, joy, and moments that matter”) instantly adds empathy.
Before you publish, ask: Does this sound like a person who cares, or a machine that knows?
4. Tailor to Individuals, Not Data Points
Personalization works best when it feels thoughtful, not mechanical.
AI can analyze purchase histories, preferences, and behaviors to craft more relevant suggestions, but context is key. Instead of sending generic “Recommended for you” messages, use AI to curate gift guides that reflect personality or sentiment.
Saying, “Something to make their day brighter” is more human than “Based on your last purchase.” Small language choices make big emotional differences.
5. Show How AI Simplifies Holiday Life
The best festive campaigns help make life easier, not more cluttered. Use AI to show how technology can support joy, not replace it.
Imagine an ad where a busy parent uses an AI assistant to organize a shopping trip, plan efficient routes, and find the perfect gifts, leaving more time for family. The brand becomes a helpful companion rather than another distraction.
This approach demonstrates empathy through usefulness: technology in service of human connection.
6. Measure Reactions and Learn in Real Time
AI’s analytical power truly shines after launch. Use real-time sentiment analysis, click-through data, and engagement tracking to understand which messages resonate emotionally — and adjust mid-campaign.
This allows marketers to stay agile, shifting creative direction as consumer moods evolve. Remember: the most human thing a brand can do is listen, even after the ad goes live.
Final thought: Let AI be the helper, not the grinch
AI is transforming how we work, think, and communicate, but it doesn’t have to transform what makes marketing meaningful.
The holidays remind us that connection, not convenience, is what consumers truly crave. The brands that will thrive in the holiday marketing in 2025, will be those that balance AI innovation with emotion, and automation with emotional authenticity.
Don’t let AI be the Grinch that steals holiday magic. Let it be the quiet helper, the elf that makes the magic travel further.
Because while technology can illuminate the path, it’s humanity that lights the way.
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