Written by ICG member Iona Carter, as part of a series of posts she’s writing on LinkedIn.
Phil Barden (of DECODE marketing) and I teamed up this year to look at 12 Christmas traditions through the lens of behavioural science.
I’ve selected a couple here to share, but if you’re interested in having a look at all 12 – you can see them in my profile on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/iona-carter-cmrs-96b6214/
I’ve chosen to share Days 1 to 3 for you here. Hope you find them interesting and put you in the mood for the festivities to come 😊
THE FIRST SEASONAL TRADITION is… Gifting
Christmas isn’t Christmas for many of us without the giving and receiving of gifts: a tradition rooted in a rich blend of Christian theology, ancient pagan festivals and modern customs.
THE BESCI PRINCIPLE:
There are many, many behavioural science principles that are reflected in the giving and receiving of gifts, but we’ve chosen to talk about The Warm Glow / Impure Altruism Effect which describes the positive emotional reward people feel when they act generously or do something good.
In other words, it isn’t just about the joy of opening our own gifts, it’s also about the reward we feel knowing that others will enjoy the gifts we give them (a 5-pack of underpants, or a badly knitted jumper notwithstanding!).
Neuroscience studies have shown that the act of giving to meaningful others activates reward-related brain regions.
WHERE DO WE SEE THIS IN MARKETING?
We frequently see brands and retailers using phrases like “give joy”, or “share the magic” in their advertising which trigger the concept of the joy of giving in our minds. This year, we’ve seen Stacy Solomon starring in the AbbotLyon Christmas ad., which perfectly encapsulates the warm glow effect.
https://www.facebook.com/AbbottLyon/videos/1367582338292559/
THE SECOND SEASONAL TRADITION is The Advent Calendar.
Its origins are typically traced back to the early 1800s, when German Luthereans prepared for, and anticipated the marking of the birth of Christ by deploying countdown practices such as lighting a candle or marking chalk marks on doors or walls. The, now ubiquitous, chocolate calendars didn’t become popular until the early-mid 20th century.
What began as a spiritual timer has become one of retail’s most powerful rituals of daily reward and rising excitement. Advent Calendars work because they turn the waiting into the main event (obviously helped by a series of mini-rewards along the way).
THE BESCI PRINCIPLE
So, for the Advent Calendar, we’ve chosen to talk about The Anticipation Effect which describes how the brain often gets more pleasure from the expectation of a reward than from the reward itself.
In neuroscientific terms, dopamine rises in advance of the outcome, which is why waiting, wondering, and counting down can feel as emotionally powerful as the moment of reward itself.
WHERE DO WE SEE THIS IN MARKETING?
We think @Aldi have got the anticipation effect all sewn up with their 2025 Christmas advertising campaign which celebrated Kevin’s 10th anniversary with a three-part romantic saga from proposal, through a chaotic stag do (and dare I say, a more refined hen do), culminating with Kevin and Kate’s marriage. And all this supported by a combination of integrated messaging across platforms, the obligatory merchandise (have you got your Caulidog yet?) and clever references to classic Christmas movies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaF1fzzfM74
THE THIRD SEASONAL TRADITION is The Christmas stocking
A tradition with many suggested origins and cultural variation, it’s widely believed to be rooted in the story of St Nicholas secretly dropping bags of gold coins down a chimney for three poor sisters, with the gold landing in their stockings (or shoes) that were hung by the fire to dry.
So, the Christmas stocking symbolised quiet generosity long before it became the temporary home of chocolate coins and novelty gifts. By now, it has, become an annual source of excitement and anticipation for young children and adults alike.
THE BESCI PRINCIPLE
For the Christmas stocking tradition, we’ve chosen to talk about Emotional Memory Encoding…
… which is the process by which experiences paired with strong emotion e.g. excitement, joy, anticipation are stored more deeply and durably, and recalled more easily, in the brain than neutral ones.
When a ritual like the Christmas stocking is repeated every year in childhood, it becomes a lasting emotional shortcut to how Christmas feels, not just what it is.
WHERE DO WE SEE THIS IN MARKETING?
There are so many examples of brands and retailers reactivating those first emotional rituals of Christmas, it’s hard to pick just one!
The most obvious and literal, of course, being the proliferation of Christmas Stockings (with variable contents) aimed at adults, and which tap into those early memories of excitement and joy in order to make the ‘gifts’ inside feel irresistible.
But we couldn’t leave out this year’s @JohnLewis Christmas ad. which, amongst other things, capitalises on emotional memory encoding by reconnecting viewers with the feelings of youth, caring for others, and identity. It doesn’t sell a gift — it reactivates a memory of who you were and who you still are at Christmas.