What people are calling Gap’s new “holiday commercial” doesn’t feature a single holiday. No tree, no lights, no gifts — just a woman singing a Miley Cyrus song while people sway around in hats and scarves.
Here’s the thing: if you don’t actually want to show or celebrate the holidays, then don’t call it a holiday ad. Just make a winter campaign, a style drop, a feel-good music video. But don’t hijack the season while stripping away everything that makes it special.
Advertisers have leant on emotions for Christmas adverts before, but they have also included clearly recognisable symbols of Christmas. A decorated house. Gifts. People coming together. And there will be people arguing that maybe the GAP commercial shows a type of carol singing. But carollers sing… guess what… CAROLS. And yes—I am one of those people who was annoyed when a Christmas Number One wasn’t a Christmas song!
A trend
But honestly, it’s not just this advert. It’s the trend.
Somewhere along the line, advertisers became terrified of alienating anyone. They wanted to be “inclusive,” which somehow translated to removing all traces of what’s being celebrated. But inclusivity doesn’t mean erasure. You can honour a tradition without excluding people who don’t share it. The Coca-Cola polar bears did it for decades — it wasn’t about religion or exclusion, it was about warmth, wonder, and togetherness.
I’m not religious. I don’t celebrate December 25th because of the baby Jesus. Let’s face it, the bible heavily hints that Jesus wasn’t even born in December in the first place (but that is a whole different topic). And Christmas transcended religion a long time ago. We have all heard the ‘commercialisation of Christmas’ rants before. We all know the story of how Santa’s clothes became red because of Coca Cola. But now these companies, that have been accused of causing the Christmas’ we know, have taken it all away.
The Neutral Christmas
Now, we’re left with neutral tones, anonymous songs, and the word holiday used as a vague placeholder for… something. Anything. Everything. It’s emotional beige.
And it’s not just ads. Even shopping has caught the same bland bug. Finding wrapping paper or decorations that actually say Christmas on them is becoming harder. Christmas jumpers are all generic slogans and winter themed emojis. It’s all “Holly Jolly,” “Joy,” or just glittery snowflakes. Everything’s been filtered into a sort of universal winter language that means nothing and everything all at once. The word Christmas has quietly slipped off the shelves, like it’s something to whisper rather than celebrate.
And honestly, not everything needs to be for everyone. If something doesn’t apply to you, you can just ignore it. If I don’t choose to become an astronaut, I don’t expect NASA to put out a press release wishing me a happy launch day. If you have intentionally chosen not to be a mum, you don’t need a “Not-a-Mother’s Day” social media campaign to feel seen. That moment simply isn’t yours — and that’s okay.
Inclusivity or Erasure?
When brands blur every distinction in the name of being universally appealing, they forget that celebration is about distinction. It’s about marking something — the season, the moment, the mood — and feeling it fully. If you take all that away, what’s left? Just a scarf, a song, and a brand hoping you’ll still feel something.
But we don’t. Because “holiday” without the holiday isn’t festive — it’s just another Autumn/Winter fashion ad. I can’t wait for next Easter when we are buying “Spring Eggs”.
