Christmas Trends For 2022

This year you can expect Christmas trends to potentially look a little different – not quite lockdown, two households only, no Christmas party different – but maybe more evolved.

As the crazy times we live in continue to throw up even more interesting moments, our response to the biggest household spending event of the year will naturally adapt, as will the marketing response from the brands we engage with at Christmas.

So what kind of Christmas trends can we expect for 2022? And what could your marketing look like? Let’s dive in.

Digital experiences

With Boxing Day shopping predicted to be more successful online than in the ‘real world’, and the rush for online gifts to start even earlier (what do you mean you haven’t started yet?), the tricks and techniques to make us part with our cash will need to be more engaging than ever.

Expect Augmented Reality and Extended Reality to be huge this year, with gifts brought to our living rooms in interactive 3D, or even chatbots that have been trained to wish us Merry Christmas after we’ve finished our complaint!

Collaborations

Mad collabs are hot this year, from Francis Bourgeois x Gucci to Disney x Givenchy, so brands may need to think outside the box to work with another brand that may seem like it’s at the other end of the spectrum. Bernard Matthews x Prada anyone?

Cool colour palettes

Gone are the gaudy greens and ravishing reds of your typical Christmas look and feel, and in are the muted beiges, greys and greiges (yes it’s a word). This Christmas is bringing Nordic charm back into the fold – just look at the number of boring baubles popping up on the John Lewis website, or the trend for all-natural trees with maybe just a string of lights, rather than decorations by the bucketload.

This could provide you with some inspiration – or the kick to think about something other than bland and muted colour palettes on your Christmas collateral.

Sustainable Christmas Trends

Sustainability is still riding high on the agenda, so following on from last year’s desire to burn less carbon at Christmas, you can expect to see a host of products and presents that have sustainability at their core.

From carbon-neutral Christmas trees to simply not cutting down your tree at all, all the way to locally-sourced gifts rather than cheaper options from China, consumers are eyeing up ways to reduce the overall impact of Christmas – including Turkeys from fully sustainable sources, rather than a supermarket fridge!

A Money Saving Christmas

As the cost of living crisis continues to rumble on, this year will inevitably see us spend less than usual in most cases. Therefore, brands may decide to jump on the cut-back trend with even bigger special offers and discounts, cheaper alternative products/ services, or ideas like upcycling gifts or considering a charitable donation over a gift.

Expect to see brands like Aldi and Lidl going very hard this Christmas with their advertising, as many shoppers turn to cheaper alternatives for their Christmas dinner.

And a few ideas? Secret Santas for families, with a fixed amount, are a great solution to tight budgets, so think about marketing towards this ‘limited spend’ mindset. 

Gift alternatives

In line with our desire to be more sustainable and give something back, you can expect to see more ‘gift alternatives’ this year too. Whether that’s a charitable donation, giving time to a good cause, planting a tree, or making something rather than buying something. All of these may be dressed up as good causes, but could equally be a cost-saving measure too.

Think your marketing plans will need to change to keep up with these Christmas trends? Get in touch with one of the team at HDY, we’d be happy to have a chat.

While you are here why not look at our Christmas Case Studies?