This digital object was designed to answer the question:
How do advertisements during Christmastime interact with the cultural characteristics of a certain society?
Our research - primary evidence from the survey, analysis of advertisements and examination of secondary literature - all confirms that values ascribed to Christmas in English speaking Western culture centre around the positive experience of human togetherness. This has remained an integral value of Christmas since the 19th Century, even given the changing landscape of social media, a more secular society, political disunity (in the wake of Brexit) and an increasingly consumerist culture.
The widespread popularity and consumeristic culture surrounding Christmas gift giving makes it a relevant and appealing topic of study, especially as advertising targets themes and practices that draw widespread popularity and consumerism. The weight of norms and underlying meanings involved in gift giving also provide psychological and social insight into Christmas as a culturally significant ritual. Some of these norms, particularly involving gift appropriateness, appeared in our survey results. Furthermore, the exchange of Christmas gifts serves a vital function as a communicative tool in the maintenance of significant relationships. Ultimately, the emphasis on gift giving during Christmas reflects values of personal connection and benevolence that match our Christmas archive.
Christmas advertising is thus influenced by the above values of gift-giving, those being personal connection and benevolence. These values prevailed in our surveys and informed our Christmas archive. Since 2011, the Christmas advert phenomenon has sparked national interest and retailers strive each year to replicate ideas of togetherness, family and sentiment in a creative way to construct an authentic advert. This is achieved through recognisable music to give a nostalgic feel, and a relationship between content and form to build the overall aesthetic. Ultimately, gift-giving and consumerist behaviour is both influenced by and also influences advertising at Christmas, and as such Christmas advertising differs from regular advertising in that it centres on traditional values and personal connections rather than monetary value and possessions.
