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A fast-food giant has just learnt a bitter lesson in how not to do Christmas marketing. Last week, they released an AI-generated Christmas video ad for the Dutch market. Don’t be surprised if you didn’t see it. It was so universally disliked that it was pulled from YouTube within 48 hours. This came as no surprise to the Techtio digital marketing team.

The ad featured a mocking take on a beloved Christmas song, unrealistic scenarios, and a cynical view of holiday stress. The backlash was swift and unanimous: when you strip the humanity from your Christmas marketing, audiences will take you to task.

The irony? The production studio doubled down, insisting that they worked tirelessly for seven weeks, claiming the magic wasn’t in the technology but in the human team behind it. Yet viewers saw through the veneer. No amount of technical prowess could compensate for what was missing: a genuine human connection.

Would You Invite AI Guests to Your Christmas Dinner?

Imagine this scenario: you’re hosting Christmas dinner and suddenly realise that all your guests are AI-generated holograms. They look perfect, say the right things on cue, and never spill wine on your tablecloth. But you’d feel creeped out, wouldn’t you? That uncanny valley sensation – something that looks right but feels profoundly wrong – is exactly what consumers experience when brands deploy artificial Christmas marketing.

Your loyal customers aren’t transactions. They’re people who’ve chosen to invite your brand into their lives, homes, and holiday traditions. When you respond with perfectly polished but soulless AI content, you’re essentially sending synthetic guests to their Christmas table. It feels impersonal, calculated, and frankly insulting.

The benefits of personalised marketing campaigns become meaningless if the “personalisation” feels manufactured rather than meaningful.

Why Imperfect Humanity Wins Every Time

Christmas marketing that resonates doesn’t need flawless production values. It needs authenticity. Consider these Christmas marketing ideas that prioritise genuine connection over artificial perfection:

• Customer-generated content campaigns: Real customers sharing real moments with your products beat any AI-generated scenario. These authentic snapshots, even if they’re poorly framed and have bad lighting, carry emotional weight that polished AI imagery never will.
• Behind-the-scenes authenticity: Show your actual team preparing for the holidays, decorating the office or sharing what Christmas means to them. The stumbles and imperfections make it relatable.
• Personalised marketing with real human input: Use analytical data to build your campaigns, but ensure actual humans craft the messages. Hit the key touchpoints, but in a voice that sounds like it comes from a person, not an algorithm.
• Community-focused initiatives: Partner with local charities, feature customer stories, or spotlight the real people who make your business possible. These Christmas marketing ideas forge emotional connections because they are based on genuine human experiences.

The Real Benefits of Personalised Marketing

When done with a human touch, personalised marketing campaigns deliver extraordinary results during the Christmas season. Customers feel seen and valued when you remember their preferences, acknowledge their history with your brand, or anticipate their needs. But only if it feels like a human being actually cares.

The benefits of personalised marketing campaigns multiply when customers trust the intention behind them:

• Higher engagement rates because messages feel relevant rather than targeted
• Increased customer loyalty when people feel genuinely appreciated
• Better conversion rates from recommendations that show understanding
• Stronger emotional connections that extend beyond the holiday season
• Word-of-mouth referrals from customers who feel truly valued

The key differentiator? Customers can sense when personalisation serves them versus when it serves your bottom line. AI might help you segment audiences or suggest product matches, but humans must drive the strategy and craft the message.

Let Techtio Put the Human Touch in Your Christmas Marketing!

This holiday season, resist the temptation to let AI do your creative heavy lifting. Your Christmas marketing should reflect the messy, imperfect, beautiful reality of human connection, because that’s what the season is actually about.

Save the AI-generated content for internal processes where efficiency matters. But when you’re reaching out to the customers who’ve supported you all year? Make sure there’s a real human behind that message.

At Techtio, we help brands create authentic digital marketing campaigns that connect with real people. Reach out to us today, and let’s bring the magic of human touch to your holiday marketing campaigns! After all, would you want an AI at your Christmas dinner? Then don’t send one to your customers.