The aim of this study is to answer the question 'how do advertisements during Christmas time interact with the cultural characteristics of societies celebrating Christmas?'
In order to do so, we first looked to understand and clearly define how values are attributed to Christmas in Western, English speaking societies. With that in mind, we analysed the conventions and patterns surrounding gift giving, and subsequently advertising, examining themes that may motivate public reactions and behaviour, including emotion and authenticity.
Why Christmas advertising?
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In Western society, Winter is celebrated as the season for Christmas spirit and its associated values of joy, family, sharing, gift giving and festivity. For marketing and retail industries, Christmas consumption behaviour marks a time of profit making, and this is encouraged through advertising. In order for advertisements to be effective, a deep understanding of the characteristics of Christmas spirit is essential to increase knowledge related to consumer behaviour and motivation (Clarke, 2007, p 8). By considering the critical relationship between advertising and the public’s perception of Christmas, this digital object will explore how advertisements interact with the socio-political and cultural norms of Christmas in Western English speaking societies.
