Christmas – the lowest common denominator?  

“In this world there is nothing that is certain except death and taxes” said Benjamin Franklin.

At this time of year, it feels like there is a distinct third to add to this duo – Christmas tat.

The whole Christmas experience is so ritualised now that millions of people now seem to go through the entire period without once engaging their imaginations. Sparkly decorations? Check. Socks for Uncle Ted? Check. Turkey? Check. Repetitive cheesy music? Check.

The same also seems to be true for marketers. Luckily for us, after taxing the grey matter to the utmost all year to find original new angles and executions, in December, we can undo the imaginative belt and let it all bulge out over the top.

TV ads at this time of year seem to get lazier and lazier ... One might have thought that once was enough for the Boots ‘Here Comes the Girls’ ad, but that hasn’t troubled the marketing department.  M & S mines the land of Christmas cliché for its 2009 ad. I haven’t seen Sainsbury’s and Jamie Oliver’s festive offering yet, but I’m not holding my breath for any originality. The more low budget ads get with the festive program by avoiding the expense of a whole new ad and just adding in a piece of holly, a robin or a sprinkling of snow.

There are of course exceptions to this. And I’m quite grateful for Christmas really - otherwise it would feel like a long and miserable haul through the dark, cold winter months until March. But there are some appalling acts of gormless marketing committed in its name.