It’s a load of ol’ puns, right?
As soon as bonfire night is over, the Christmas marketing onslaught begins. There’s the John Lewis Christmas ad countdown. The ALDI, Kevin the Carrot ad countdown. The M&S Christmas ad countdown. And, for fans, normal Channel 4 Countdown is on too (the only countdown that matters, to be honest).
Then there are the puns.
You know the ones.
Christmas puns all crapped up
There are a lot of puns that need putting to bed, and one of the main culprits is:
“Christmas all wrapped up.”
It’s misused every year. Now, I’m not here to bad-mouth businesses or writers who end up having to use this slogan, we’ve all used puns that make no sense, but to show you how to misuse the above pun, I give you:
So, what’s wrong with this piece of Christmas marketing?
Well, to start, it’s a radio station giving away daily prizes. Admirable, but it’s not got anything to do with wrapping. There’s no mention they’ll be pre-wrapped on the competition page. You could run a similar giveaway in April and it would be the same, so the pun doesn’t work. It’s a way to tie it into Christmas without it actually meaning anything.
If it was tied to rap music or a rapper, you could get away with something like this, but it isn’t.
It’s crap.
Can you use “Christmas all wrapped up” correctly?
Absolutely. If you sell:
- Wrapping paper
- Pre-wrapped gifts
- Warm winter jumpers, coats and scarves
- Edible wraps with festive fillings
Okay, maybe the play on wrapping up in clothing is more tenuous, but you can *just* about get away with it.
However, if you’re selling a new range of tyres in December, then plonking “Christmas all wrapped up” on the end adds nothing and looks tired and lazy.
Christmas marketing messages done right
We all have our own thoughts on a good pun or play on words. And there are loads of great examples out there, but one Christmas advert I’ve always liked is this one by Pringles:
Okay, I know, Pringles don’t sell bells (but if there’s a business called Pringles that sells bells, they’re onto a winner), I like it because it’s a play on ‘Jingle Bells’ and it’s not an obscure Christmas reference. You know what they’ve done, and you remember it.
Now, replace “Pringle Bells, Pringle Bells” with “Christmas all wrapped up“.
It becomes instantly forgettable – as they’ve got nothing to do with wraps, wrapping or wrapping up warm, nor is it remotely a Christmassy play on their name or product.
Make your pun fun
If you sell:
- Wine – “It’s the most wine-derful time of the year.”
- Snow boots/Dog clothing – “Best in snow.”
- Razors – “Christmas, with all the trimmings.”
- Leaf blowers – “Let it blow, let it blow, let it blow.”
Your Christmas marketing is about having a bit of fun, so if you’re keen to get in on the pun game this year, don’t worry what people think, puns make you memorable – just make sure the one you pick works.
Some copywriters will tell you not to use ones like those I’ve suggested above, but honestly, the only people who really have an issue with stuff like this are writers.
Yes, do try and come up with something no one has ever done before, but there’s nothing wrong with a tenuous pun that makes people groan. Your customers and the general public as a whole won’t give a shit, as long as your Christmas marketing is memorable, that’s all that matters.
Whatever you choose, make sure it’s a cracker.
Oh, deer dear.
Also, before you go, make sure you check out my article, 27 amazing Christmas marketing ideas, to make sure your festive sales make you shout “Ho-ho-ho” instead of “Oh, no-no-no“.
Or, if you want to learn how to use puns not just in your Christmas marketing, but your marketing as a whole, check out my article, Puns in marketing: 5 great examples of how to use ’em.
Until next time,
Matthew
PS. If you’ve got other things to do other than thinking up puns, but want to change your Christmas marketing message, let’s chat.
