Bathrobes, Bubbles, and Brand Cinema 🛁

Happy Friday Sippers,

Last week was my birthday, and my bffs kidnapped me for 24h. It was so fun, we drank bubbles, watched stupid shows (omg hunting wives is the best worst show ever) while eating takeout in our bathrobes. 

Back at it this week, last stretch before the holidays, we can do this!!

Speaking of the holidays, we are officially in the "Emotional Olympic Games" that time of year (one of my fav)  when brands stop selling us features and start trying to make us weep into our eggnog. I've been binge-watching this year's holiday campaigns, and the "Ninja-Level Storytelling" is out of control.

What's fascinating is the strength of Long-Form Video. 

In an era of 6-second attention spans, these brands are betting that if they give you a soul, you'll give them three minutes. 

Short-form gets you noticed, but long-form gets you remembered.

Here are the 2025 "Sipping & Branding" Award winners:

🕰️ 1. The "Nostalgia as a Weapon" Award  🕰️

This is the "Don't Look Back, Oh Wait, Please Do" strategy. It's about selling us a version of ourselves we forgot existed.

• Memory Lane by Chevrolet | This year’s 2025 spot is a masterclass. It proves a car (truck) isn't just a vehicle; it's a vessel for our history. Also, best line, did you want it to be easy?

• Best Christmas Ever by Disney |  A masterclass in "Legacy Branding." They remind you that you didn't just watch these movies; you lived them.

• Joy Ride by Amazon |  Three older women sliding down a snowy hill on sleds like they’re six years old again. It’s the ultimate "youth has no expiry date" play.

Nostalgia is the only marketing tool that bypasses the "Is this too expensive?" part of the brain. If your brand can remind a customer of who they were at their most hopeful, you don't just have a lead; you have a lifelong advocate.

🛒 2. The "Chaos is Relatable" Award  🛒

Christmas isn't a Hallmark movie; it's a logistics nightmare wrapped in tinsel. These brands won by admitting that life is a happy disaster.

• Interrupted Journey by Uber | & Tesco: They leaned into the "forgotten cranberry sauce" and the "travel from hell" realities we all know too well.

• Sweet Suspicion by Waitrose |  Hiring Keira Knightley for a "Whodunnit" about a stolen dessert? Genius. It treats a grocery item with the gravity of a Sherlock Holmes novel.

• Home but Not Alone | A brilliant nod to our collective "Home Alone" fantasies (and the chaos of actually being home).

Perfection is boring (and frankly, a bit suspicious). Relatability is the fastest way to build an emotional shortcut. If your brand can say, "I know your life is messy, and I'm here to help you navigate it," you win the room.

🤫 3. The "Silent Storyteller" Award 🤫

The best brands this year aren't shouting; they are whispering. They know that what you don't say is often more powerful than a loud sales pitch.

• Where Love Lives by John Lewis | The undisputed heavyweight of the "silent cry." They've mastered the art of "If you can't find the words, find the gift."

• The Family Portrait by JD Sports | No flashy CGI or "Buy Now" buttons. Just raw, quiet moments of "found family." It feels more like a documentary than an ad.

In a world of screaming "Value Propositions," silence is a luxury. Long-form video gives your brand the space to be human. It moves you from "selling the product" to "owning the atmosphere."

⚡ 4. The "Subversive Spark" Award ⚡

Sometimes, the best way to get attention is to refuse to play by the "sentimental" holiday rules.

• Don't Get Them a Yeti by you guessed it | Using reverse psychology to tell you their product is so good it might actually be too much. It's dry, funny, and unforgettable.

• Give Your Gift by Gap |  A high-energy, musical celebration of movement. It's a visual "shot of espresso" in a sea of slow-motion tearjerkers.

When everyone else is zagging toward tears, zigging toward humour or high energy makes you the most interesting person at the party.

🎬How to go "Full-Feature" on a "Short-Film" Budget 🎬

You don't need a Disney budget to pull off "Brand Cinema." You need to shift from broadcasting to storytelling.

• High Resonance > High Resolution | People don't fall in love with your logo; they fall in love with your journey. A 2-minute "Year in Review" video of your biggest mistakes and wins will build more trust than a thousand polished headshots.

• Stop Selling the "What"| If you had 2 minutes to explain why you do what you do without mentioning your price or your service once, what would you say? That's your story.

Short-form is the handshake; long-form is the deep conversation over dinner. If you want to build a brand that lasts beyond the holiday lights, be a narrator, not a vendor. 

🍷 The Takeaway Sip 🍷

Connection is the new Conversion.

Whether you are a brand builder, an agency, or a CEO, remember that your audience is currently being flooded with "Buy Now" noise. To cut through, you don't need to shout louder; you need to tell a better story. 

Take the time to let your brand breathe.

Go watch Merry Birthday by Publix (also, grab a tissue). It's a beautiful reminder that the best thing a brand can do is simply acknowledge the human moments that happen while we're busy making plans.

Stay festive, stay hydrated (read more bubbles, please), and keep building.

See you next week