10 minute read
Feature - Pre-Christmas Marketing
The Christmas countdown has begun
The time of year for pre-Christmas marketing campaigns has rolled around once again, as companies prepare to target their key audiences and decide where is best to invest to gain the biggest reach. Toy World’s Caroline Tonks spoke to experts from Generation Media, SuperAwesome and Frame Advertising to get to the bottom of what is crucial for maximising 2025’s Q4 campaigns.
The Golden Quarter, Q4, the festive season – whatever you choose to call it, ‘tis the season for the final marketing push of 2025, the time when consumer spending peaks and sales are set to make or break the year for many toy companies. To make the most of this crucial period, it is vital for toy companies to maximise on their pre-Christmas marketing campaigns.
This year, Sangita Sivanesan, Business director, Generation Media, is seeing a blended strategy across the industry, with some brands starting their efforts earlier, while others are holding off until later in Q4. Sangita says: “Retailers are encouraging early shopping to help families manage costs over time; a proactive move that aligns with consumers' desire to plan ahead and avoid last-minute stress, especially amid ongoing economic pressures.”
At the same time, a notable portion of the industry expects shoppers to make major toy purchases post Halloween and into November, potentially waiting for deals. As a result, some toy companies are timing their campaigns later to align with the core Q4 sales window. Sangita continues: “It’s a careful balancing act, capturing early shoppers while also maximising impact during the peak buying season. Overall, while there's momentum toward starting early, the majority of toy spending is still expected to take place during the peak shopping season in Q4.”
SuperAwesome has traditionally seen peak activity focused around the September to November months, which can create challenges, with most advertisers vying for attention and cut through at the same time. Charlie Brownless, head of Industry, Toys and Entertainment, SuperAwesome, elaborates: “50% of UK parents say they’re planning to shop before November this year, so early visibility matters. But with tighter budgets, uncertainty and later retail commitments, many brands are holding back serious spend until they’re confident in sell-through. The smart strategy is to show up early to earn a wish list spot, but to continue to invest tactically when purchase intent is highest.”
In the UK, SuperAwesome is seeing that Christmas isn’t a single moment anymore, but rather a season with multiple peaks. The company’s new Christmas Trends Report shows that while nearly half of parents plan to shop before November, 28% of kids and teens still won’t have locked in their wish list brands at that stage. So, there’s a big undecided group that will remain in play well into Q4. In January, around 10% of kids and teens will use gift money or vouchers to buy for themselves after Christmas, creating a second wave that brands can capitalise on.
Charlie says: “The common thread this year is identity. A third of wish list choices are tied to fandoms – the shows, games and creators young people love. Almost every child we speak to notices advertising. If you want to stay in the game, show up early, maintain your presence through the festive season and connect with the passion points that really matter to them.”
Generation Media admits that, despite the global toy market maintaining a strong valuation, media budgets are under more pressure than ever this year. Reports from H1 2025 point to a notable year-on-year decline in ad spend, driven by a combination of factors, including ongoing economic headwinds, heightened demand for measurable ROI, supply chain inflation and a fragmented media landscape.
Despite these challenges, brand building remains essential for long-term success. “This is increasingly evident in the market, where there’s a heightened focus on high-performing, hero products that drive volume and reinforce brand presence,” explains Sangita. “Leveraging economies of scale across markets can also help stretch budgets further, an approach well worth considering in today’s climate.”
From Charlie’s perspective, the brands that are winning right now are moving beyond age and gender targeting. They’re using real audience intelligence – fandoms, values and passions – to drive smarter media choices. He says: “We’re seeing a continued trend toward cross-platform campaigns that speak to kids across YouTube, gaming, apps and CTV. At SuperAwesome, we’re helping brands build omnichannel strategies that are more relevant and efficient, compliant by design and allow for consistent reporting and measurement across all platforms.”
Elizabeth Anyaegbuna, managing director of Frame Advertising, has seen brands choosing between TV’s credibility and digital’s presence. “They shouldn’t have to,” she states. Frame blends broadcast’s heavyweight reach with digital’s surgical targeting. “We’re all about quality storytelling delivered with data-led accuracy. We’ve spun out of Narrative Entertainment in the UK and have launched with the Pop network as our flagship offering to brands and IP owners. It’s all about trusted, brand-safe scale and real audience engagement, especially with co-viewing families.”
Frame’s proposition is simple: broadcast heritage + digital targeting + programmatic capability = one integrated strategy, not separate silos. “We’re closer to the content and the audience, so we build campaigns that move people emotionally and perform measurably, with emotional impact and measurable results. It’s a fresh alternative to the “either/or” thinking that’s dragged effectiveness down across the market.”
This year, there’s a strong focus on digital media, with short-form video emerging as a key area to maximise impact and stretch limited budgets. Digital continues to dominate overall media spend due to its reach, precise targeting and measurable performance. Within digital, short-form video, particularly on platforms like YouTube Shorts, is seeing rapid growth. “Among children aged two to nine, YouTube Shorts now ranks ahead of TikTok in usage, making it a critical channel for reaching young audiences,” says Sangita.
Rather than simply repurposing TV content, brands are increasingly investing in platform-specific, mobile-first creative built to capture attention and drive engagement. Campaigns optimised for TikTok or Shorts often deliver higher watch times and completion rates, highlighting the importance of tailoring content to each platform. Generative AI is also playing a role in helping marketers adapt existing creative or build new content more efficiently for various digital platforms.
However, there are still routes to consumers that are being underutilised by toy companies. “Toy brands are arguably still too focused on traditional ‘safe bets’ like video, while Gen Alpha is also in Roblox, YouTube Shorts, mobile games and semi-social spaces like Discord,” states Charlie. There’s a big opportunity to reach consumers with responsible, high-impact media in these environments, but it requires a shift in mindset and measurement. SuperAwesome suggests that toy brands think beyond TV and pre-roll and show up where fandom and attention are thriving.
On the other side, Frame is helping toy brands win in Q4 by pairing proven family reach with precision overlays: high-attention, brand-safe TV environments on Pop, its loved and trusted family channel, packaged with the targeting of CTV/programmatic to add frequency with parents and prompt action. Elizabeth explains: “Co-viewing multiplies recall and sparks household conversation. We’re all about creative that lands with both kids and gatekeepers. We’ll optimise go-live around key retail weeks, shape creative to context and report on what actually shifts the needle, rather than vanity metrics. Plus, we can reach the crucial gift-buying grandparent demographic through our Great! network; that's a £4.6b annual market that many campaigns miss entirely.”
Pop is the No.1 family channel for co-viewing in the UK. This means brands can reach enthusiastic kids and their parents - who choose the platforms, set the rules and often make the final purchase. It’s high-reach, brand-safe and designed for quality engagement rather than passive scroll-by views. In Elizabeth’s opinion, it’s what toy brands need to drive a real want for the product, and a chance of getting it approved by the parent.
Despite the growth of online discovery, a large portion of toy inspiration still happens in the real world, particularly during shopping trips. However, toy companies often overlook the power of Out of Home advertising in and around retail environments. “From transit shelters near toy stores to digital screens inside malls or supermarkets, there’s a big opportunity to influence families at the moment they’re primed to make purchase decisions,” Sangita explains. “These placements not only reinforce brand recall but can also drive footfall to nearby retailers, especially during the crucial Q4 window. In an increasingly noisy digital space, real-world visibility can break through in ways that feel tangible and trustworthy.”
For Charlie, a standout advertising campaign from 2025 was Moose Toys’ collaboration with MrBeast on The Descent, which stood out for its innovation and ROI. “It was a content-first launch that drove a real retail lift,” explains Charlie. “When campaigns feel like entertainment, not just ads, they definitely work harder and travel a lot further.”
“In a crowded and competitive market, brand building holds its own,” says Sangita. “In the hustle and bustle of pushing product, it's important not to lose sight of storytelling that evokes emotion, whether it's the joy of play, the magic of Christmas or the developmental benefits of a toy. Brands need to connect with parents on an emotional level and demonstrate how their toys contribute to positive childhood experiences.”
Charlie recommends that companies do not just chase reach, but rather make every interaction count by focusing on relevance. “Build a plan around what truly drives engagement, not just age and gender boxes. Stretch the budget by targeting fandoms, behaviours and platforms where the target audience is most active. And with so many brands focusing only on H2 this year, lean into creative innovation to break through the noise and own your space this gifting season,” he advises.
Sangita adds that it’s important to remember the market is fluid. “Be prepared to pivot strategies based on real-time performance data. Monitor engagement, conversion rates and consumer sentiment constantly. Don't be afraid to reallocate budgets from underperforming channels to those excelling. We want to make decisions that impact results now, not just in the next season. At Generation Media, we've made significant investments in technology solutions for real-time data capture and reporting, ensuring we're well-positioned to pivot quickly and drive performance.
“In challenging times, it’s natural to lean heavily on tried-and-tested channels and push them to deliver more. But I’d caution against turning a blind eye to innovation. Now more than ever, it's important to test, learn and explore emerging platforms, formats and ideas, many of which are highly scalable when approached strategically.”
Over the coming pages, readers will be able to flip through a number of major players within the industry to see what pre-Christmas marketing campaigns they are utilising to highlight their lines this festive season.
