During the transition between years, we tend to look back at what happened, what didn’t, who was close to us, and who we miss. Whether it’s the excitement of December or the slower, heavier feeling of January, everything is experienced with a different intensity, including the brands that stay with us throughout it all. That intensity, and the intention behind it, changes everything.
It’s about understanding where people are making their decisions from. For years, I’ve watched brands “dress up” for different celebrations, whether it’s Christmas, Carnival, Valentine’s Day, or any other occasion. But they do it only on the surface. They change the decoration and the tone, yet continue to make decisions from the same place they always have: commercial pressure. That’s the trap. Using emotion as decoration is not the same as designing from emotion.
That’s why I’ve always found what John Lewis does at the end of each year so compelling. Not because they tell beautiful stories, but because they make a deliberate strategic choice: they step away from talking about the product. They understand that during year-end transitions, dialing back the commercial message paradoxically strengthens the brand. They’re not chasing immediate conversion; they’re building emotional presence. They aim for identity, representation, memorability, and a sense of belonging. And that takes a level of conviction not every organization is willing to embrace.
That’s where the question emerges that truly separates mature brands from those that merely execute campaigns:
Are we willing to sacrifice commercial pressure today to build trust that will return value tomorrow?
That’s the point many brands tend to avoid: emotion isn’t a creative tactic, it’s a strategic decision. It means accepting that not everything can be measured in the short term and that, at certain moments of the year, the relationship matters more than immediate impact.
They don’t stand out for their originality, but for their coherence. They don’t feel like campaigns; they feel like gestures. And when a brand achieves that, it stops being observed and starts being felt.
After more than 30 years working with brands, I’m certain that rituals, customs, or festivities are not meant to push decisions, but to demonstrate sensitivity. Because brands that earn an emotional place in December don’t start competing from zero in January. They compete with the first half of the game already won.
