A Dad Takes a Heroic Journey to the North Pole in Coca-Cola’s Epic 2020 Holiday Ad

Ahead of what’s projected to be a massive holiday season for advertisers—and one “set to be more meaningful than ever before”—the world’s biggest brands have begun rolling out their high-dollar holiday ads. Coca-Cola’s launch is a sweeping adventure starring a father who travels from England to the North Pole, through dire challenges and rough terrain, to deliver his daughter’s letter to Santa. We got a bit misty-eyed watching the spot, which was created by Wieden + Kennedy London.

Disney’s Holiday Ad Tells a Generations-Long Story of Family Love

Disney’s wholesome familial tear-jerker, created in house and animated by Flux, spans generations in a story about a grandmother, a granddaughter and holiday traditions—as well as a beloved Mickey Mouse toy. The campaign is also connected to the brand’s partnership with Make-A-Wish. Watch the ad here.

Aldi’s Kevin the Carrot Returns in Heartwarming Christmas Ad

For a sillier ad experience—but one just as adorable and adventurous—catch the latest from supermarket chain Aldi. The brand revived its iconic character Kevin the Carrot, who has been a staple of its holiday spots since 2016. This one takes Kevin on a snowy romp with a hedgehog friend while his cute carrot family awaits his return. Guess who comes to their rescue—'80s-movie style?

Twitter played a key role in defining the tone of the election with a reversal of its previous hands-off approach to misinformation, especially from President Donald Trump. Although the brand previously allowed Trump to tweet without interference, his account is now littered with labels and warnings of inaccuracies and unproven claims, which violate Twitter policy. It even restricted the visibility of certain posts under a new policy.

Twitter’s moderation strategy set it apart from other platforms and put it at odds with Trump’s strategies.

Also in election updates:

• Political ads continue to blast across channels in Georgia as two Senate runoff races rage on. After Nov. 3, $1 million has been spent surrounding the campaigns for the two seats, which could decide the part that controls the Senate.
• "In the face of Trump’s barrage, Biden ran the ultimate purpose-driven campaign,” argues Rob Shepardson of SS+K. In this Voice piece, Shepardson explains how Biden made the campaign all about blending vision, values and substance.

Shortly after Zaxby’s announced that it was arming up to enter the chicken sandwich wars, McDonald’s is putting forth another contender with a revamped recipe for its Crispy Chicken Sandwich. Additionally, the company has announced a plant-based burger option, somewhat brow-raisingly called the McPlant, which will be tested out next year. 

Learn what’s different about the chicken sandwich, and watch the ads for the two new products.

More of Today’s Top News & Highlights:

• PRZM Co-founders Discuss How Gen Z Is Reshaping the Luxury Market
• NBCUniversal and PayPal Set Shoppable Push as Holiday Season Ramps Up
• Kochava Buys Thalamus to Create a Yelp-Like Directory for the Ad Industry
• Making it at Marvel and Creating Your Own Doorways

Remember that Mint Mobile ad Ryan Reynolds made with Rick Moranis? That video—and the two others that were released as part of the same campaign touting the budget carrier’s “unlimited plan”—contained an Easter egg. In a new ad that continues the theme, Reynolds points out that within the word “unlimited,” the brand inserted a teeny tiny ‘N’, making it “unliMINTed.”

See the hidden gem for yourself: The punny promo is the latest in Reynolds’ history of humorous stunts for the brand.

Join Adweek today for The Criticality of Communications in Health, a live virtual event featuring Dr. Susan Dorfman, President, CMI Media, and Jim Woodland, Chief Strategy and Financial Officer, CMI/Compas. Tune in live to hear their findings on consumer behavior and how to better engage them with a mix of data, strategy and heart. Register today.

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