5 Things Entrepreneurs Shouldn't Forget About Social Media

Social media isn't a podium for your advertising. Think of it instead as an open table in a coffee shop.

32 Inspiring Inbound Marketing Examples to Spark Your Own Campaign Ideas [Free Ebook]

The arrival of a new year is a time for fresh beginnings. Although we may not all admit to resolutions of healthier lifestyles or less Netflix binges, it is hard to ignore the cultural push to re-evaluate your goals for a more successful year.

Likewise, with the close of Q4, now is the time to identify the focus of your marketing team for 2016 and brainstorm fresh ideas for your campaigns. But with the infinite number of approaches and ever-increasing creative standards, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the possibilities.

To help get your inspiration flowing, we've curated the top marketing campaigns from the last year in our latest ebook: 32 Enviable Examples of Inbound Marketing.

Whether you want to rethink your approach to social media or experiment with a new publishing medium, considering these diverse examples will help to improve the quality and originality of your own content.

Download it today to discover industry-leading brands outside your typical scope and spark new and exciting ideas. You might be surprised how an international supermarket could inspire your insurance firm's marketing, or how a backpack retailer could make you rethink content for your SaaS startup.

Have we left out your favorite marketing campaign from 2015? Share your inspirational examples in the comments below.

From Kit Kat to Coca-Cola: The 10 Best Holiday Ads of 2015

This post originally appeared on Agency Post. To read more content like this, subscribe to Agency Post.

With the stress of shopping off our backs until next year, we're taking time to reflect on the success of some of this holiday season's top advertisements.

This year, these brands mastered the art of crafting ads that evoked good cheer, the holiday spirit, and even some seasonal disgust.

While many of the best ads came from the U.K., where the holiday advertising season is their own version of the Super Bowl, others were more focused on making us laugh at the silliness of the season.

Check out some of our favorite festive ads of the year below.

The 10 Best Holiday Ads of 2015

1) Harvey Nichols | Avoid #GiftFace

Do you have to mentally prepare yourself when opening that present from a certain relative each year? Harvey Nichols wants you to avoid "gift face," and shows off just how painful the unwrapping of presents can be.

2) John Lewis | Man on the Moon

John Lewis doesn't disappoint this year in an ad about loneliness and how important simple acts of kindness are around the holidays.

3) Aldi | Now This Is Christmas

The realities of the holiday season are typically ignored in advertising, but this commercial makes it a point to remind us that Christmas can be an extreme sport.

4) Kit Kat | Christmas Break

This blank ad gives viewers back their sanity during the holidays.

5) Temptations | Sorry for the Holidays

Our enthusiasm for the holidays can be overwhelming, especially for our fluffier friends.

6) The Spanish Lottery | The Greatest Prize Is Sharing

The main character, a security guard, brings joy to his co-workers by using the factory's mannequins for playful displays and game, and they repay him by sharing their lottery winnings.

7) Sainsbury's | Mog's Christmas Calamity

Mog, a popular children's book character in the U.K., gets into mischief and almost ruins Christmas.

8) Norton | Bah-Humbug

This series of three videos, which are running online alongside native content, follow Santa and his son Kris Jr. dealing with a computer virus -- a “bah-humbug" -- that destroyed the naughty or nice list.

9) Coca-Cola | A Bridge for Santa

A father works to make his son's Christmas wish come true.

10) BBC One | Sprout Boy

This charming piece follows a sprout, looking for a group of friends to share the holidays with.

What were your favorite ads of the holiday season? Let us know in the comments below.

A Guide to Active Listening: How to Earn People's Trust Using Your Ears

This post originally appeared on HubSpot's Sales Blog. To read more content like this, subscribe to Sales.

Salespeople don’t hold all of the cards anymore. With a quick Google search and some browsing, people can gather as much information about a product as a salesperson has.

As a result, it’s harder for salespeople to demonstrate their expertise. And if they can’t demonstrate expertise, it becomes all the more difficult to establish credibility and eventually build trust. And without credibility and trust, a salesperson will likely lose the interest of their potential buyer ... or worse, never really gain their interest.

So what should salespeople do? Simple: Invest in listening. Trouble is, listening can be very difficult. Too often, salespeople are waiting for their turn to talk or thinking about what to say next, instead of truly listening to the person on the other end.

To eliminate this habit, I’ve taught the reps who have reported to me over the years a very specific skill: active listening .

What is Active Listening?

Active listening isn’t only applicable to sales, nor is it a new thing. Dr. Carl Rogers, one of the founding fathers of psychotherapy research, originated the concept of “reflective listening” in the 1940s. In the following years, Richard Farson, a student of his, renamed it “active listening.”

Another student of Rogers, Dr. Thomas Gordon, a three-time Nobel Peace Prize Nominee, is largely responsible for popularizing the strategy. Gordon’s company, Gordon Training International, has taught thousands of people to build more effective relationships through active listening, among other skills.

While I haven’t received instruction directly from Gordon Training, I’ve stuck pretty close to their definition of the concept. To make it simple, I teach active listening as a four-step process:

1. Truly listen to the prospect.
2. Feed back the content and feeling of the prospect’s words.
3. Confirm you heard the prospect correctly.
4. Ask a relevant follow up question to further clarify your understanding of their situation.

1) Truly listen to the prospect.

Sales reps are often too busy talking to listen. Even if they are tuned in, they’re often just listening for a specific word or challenge that tips them off as to whether the prospect needs their product.

Salespeople who do this are not much different than a dog waiting for a command. (Yes, I might have just called you a dog.) When salespeople do this, prospects can sense it, and they come to the conclusion that the rep simply wants to sell them something regardless of whether they need it or not. It’s a downward spiral that usually leads to nowhere.

But the best salespeople listen differently. They forget about the script (and maybe even their own agenda), and really listen to the words and feelings that a prospect is conveying in their language, tone of voice, facial expressions, and body language. By observing auditory, visual, and physical clues as well as the prospect’s words, a salesperson can truly begin to understand the plight of their prospect and put themselves in the buyer’s shoes.

And this type of listening can make a huge difference by encouraging prospects to open up more, and fostering trust and commitment. So when you’re on the phone or in a meeting with a prospect, ignore the distractions around you, throw out the script, stop worrying about what you’re going to say next, and really pay attention.

2) Feed back what you just heard back to the prospect.

After a prospect makes a statement that reveals something important about their challenges or what they’re looking for, feed it back to them so they can hear it from you. Your goal with this step is to feed back your understanding; that is to say, your best guess at what’s going on with the other person.

Sometimes, this can be done non-verbally, as in an episode of The Office. But without the benefit of face-to-face presence, inside sales reps must do this verbally.

I usually show salespeople how to use one of the three approaches described below:

• Repeat what you heard verbatim. This is the easiest route, because the prospect will hear exactly what they just said and can either confirm their meaning or clarify their statement. But be careful not to overuse this approach with a prospect as they might start to doubt your understanding. (Parrots don’t actually understand, right?)
• Paraphrase what you heard. This is a better approach than simple repetition of what they said. By paraphrasing, you can condense what they said into something more concise. When you do this, your prospect knows you listened because you internalized their speech enough to summarize what they said. However, avoid oversimplifying and leaving out important details -- this might shake the buyer’s confidence in you.
• Put what you just heard into your own words. This is the best tactic of all. By putting what you just heard into your words, you’re showing your prospect that you have a framework for understanding situations like theirs and can empathize with their struggle. Just be careful not to drift too far from their language. Use unfamiliar vocabulary or terms sparingly, and make sure to explain them when you do.

By feeding back what you just heard, you’ll make an immediate impression on your prospect. Since most people are not great listeners by nature, your prospect will be appreciative of your ability to listen effectively and summarize.

Convincing your prospect that they’ve been heard and understood is the most important outcome of this step in the process. But, don’t leave that to chance ...

3) Confirm that you’ve heard them correctly.

This critical step is often overlooked. After you’ve paraphrased what your prospect has said, simply ask “Did I communicate that effectively?” or “Do you believe I understand what you have shared with me?” If the prospect says “no” you now have an opportunity to clarify your understanding by asking “Could you clarify for me what I might have missed or got wrong?”

Notice how those questions create an opening for them to give you honest feedback. In contrast, I don’t recommend saying “Does that make sense?” or “Could you explain that better?” or any other question that puts the blame on the prospect for not communicating effectively.

Michelle Adams, VP of Gordon Training says, “When you nail it, you know it and the other person tells you that you did by saying things like: ‘Yes! That's it!’ or ‘Exactly, you've nailed it.’ Or they will begin nodding their head emphatically. If you miss on your active listening , they will tell you that too with: ‘Well, no, it's not that. It's more like this … ’ or they will look at you like you're nuts.”

The following video from Gordon Training shows this step in action.

Once you get good at this part of the process, you’ll be able to create a confirmation bias in your prospect’s mind. Studies have found that we like to surround ourselves with people who think like we do. By repeating what this person has said and then confirming that you’re on the same page, the confirmation bias starts to form, and trust begins to develop.

4) Ask a relevant follow up question.

After you feed back what you’ve heard and confirm that you understand the prospect, your next step is to ask a relevant follow up question.

Resist the temptation to ask closed-ended questions that might make the prospect think that you’re only interested in making the sale. Instead, I recommend asking an open-ended question that encourages your prospect to share more about their goals, challenges, and current plans.

As Saul McLeod points out, open-ended questions allow the person to express what they think in their own words. If you ask the right question, prospects might come to the right conclusions themselves, solving their own problem, or at least starting to believe that a solution exists to help solve their problems. They might even conclude that your solution is the right one. In addition, by getting your prospect to continue thinking critically about their situation (out loud), you stand a better chance of to uncovering the compelling reasons your prospect will (or won’t) buy from you.

Given that HubSpot sells a complex product and methodology that most companies might not know they need (especially in the early days), I added this fourth step to my active listening process. As we tried to convince marketers that they needed to adopt a new way of marketing, I found it valuable to dig deeper into a prospect’s needs with relevant follow up questions, using our qualification framework as a guide.

Examples of active listening

While not sales-related, a great example of active listening comes from one of my favorite shows: Everybody Loves Raymond. Curious to see and hear what active listening looks like in action? Check out these two clips:

5 Uses For Active Listening

Here are a few scenarios in which active listening is particularly useful, and how to apply it in these circumstances.

1) Addressing resistance in the beginning of a call.

I advise salespeople to use active listening early in the sales process to communicate to prospects that they’re there to really listen and help them -- not just sell them something.

Here’s what a very early conversation might sound like.

Prospect: I don’t really need help with X.

Salesperson: So, you’re feeling okay with X and aren’t looking for any help with it. Can you say more about that?

Prospect: Well ... I don’t have a lot of time.

Salesperson: Seems like I caught you in the middle of something and your time is short.

Prospect: Yeah, but I guess I have a few minutes.

Salesperson: Okay. I often hear one of a few things in situations like yours: A, B, and sometimes C. If any of those are relevant, I have some ideas I could share with you that you might find valuable. Maybe we could talk for a few minutes now and schedule another meeting when you have more time?

Too often, salespeople rush to spit out another question or pitch their value. By repeating back what a prospect expressed (both words and feelings) and asking for clarification, you show that you’re actively listening to them. This clears the way to begin asking questions or positioning value.

2) Identifying compelling reasons for change.

Perhaps the best time to use active listening is when a prospect shares emotion about a challenge they’re having.

Here’s an example:

Prospect: I’m very frustrated that we didn’t achieve our goal of A this year. I thought about it all last month. This really set us back. Worse, I’m just stuck on what to do next year.

[Step 1: Listening]

Salesperson: Hmmm. I see. I can see how that would be frustrating. [Step 2: Feed back]

Prospect. Yeah.

Salesperson: So, it sounds like it’s really important to you that you achieve goal A this year. It really set you back when you didn’t achieve it this year and you’re at a loss on what to do differently next year. [Step 2: Feed back] Did I get that right? [Step 3: Confirm understanding]

Prospect: Yes. Exactly right.

Salesperson: Well, what are you considering doing next year? [Step 4: Ask relevant follow up question]

Prospect: Well, we’ve consider implementing plan B. But, I’m just not sure it’ll work given we don’t know how to execute plan B yet. We just don’t have the right skills within our team.

Salesperson: Have you considered getting some advice from someone who has implemented plan B at other companies like yours?

Prospect: That seems like it’d be a good idea.

3) Recapping an exploratory call.

While it’s never too early to restate the goals and challenges that a prospect has shared with you, empathize, confirm your understanding, and probe further, I find that the end of an exploratory conversation is a great time to showcase that you’ve heard them throughout the call.

Using HubSpot’s qualification framework, I often summarize what I’ve learned from the conversation like so:

Salesperson: We’re coming up on time. We can schedule more time if it makes sense. But, at this point, I suggest we review what we’ve discussed today.

Prospect: That’d be great.

Salesperson: As I understand it, your current goal is A. In order to achieve your goal, you implemented plan B -- a plan that didn’t work this year despite your best efforts. You anticipate that challenge C may, once again, get in the way of implementing plan B and achieving goal A within timeline D and budget E.

Prospect: That’s exactly right. Impressive recap, actually.

Salesperson: We also discussed how plan F -- a component of our solution -- might be able to help you overcome challenge C.

Prospect: Well ... I’m not sure I completely understand plan F.

Salesperson: Okay. We went through some of the aspects of plan F, but I agree that we haven’t fully covered it. In our next call, would you like to go into more depth on plan F, really sketch it out, and make sure that we’re in full agreement that it’ll help you achieve goal A?

Prospect: That sounds great. Thank you for your help so far.

Salesperson: You’re welcome. When would you like to schedule our next call?

4) Addressing objections.

The best way to avoid an objection is to anticipate and address it proactively. Effective application of active listening can help you do just that.

Nonetheless, it’s rare that you can anticipate and address every objection before closing time. Not to worry -- active listening shines here too. Here’s an example.

Prospect: I’m really concerned about plan F. I worry it won’t work well for our team.

Salesperson: Got it. We certainly don’t want to get you started if you’re not clear on how you’re going to be successful with the plan. [Step 2: Feed back] Are there specific things about plan F that you don’t think will work? [Step 4: Relevant follow up question]

Prospect: Yes. Mostly, I’m just not sure we have the right people to implement G.

Salesperson: Okay. We talked about Mary potentially doing G, but you’re concerned that won’t work? [Step 2: Feed back]

Prospect: Right.

Salesperson: Is there anyone else on your current team that you think can do G? Or do you think that we could carve out time for Mary so that she can learn how to do G? [Step 4: Ask relevant follow up question]

Prospect: I think it’s possible to teach Mary, but is there a way that you could just do G for us in the meantime?

Salesperson: That’s outside of the scope we defined for our work, but let’s revisit. We’ve certainly done that for other clients and can jump in until you’ve identified an internal person to handle it for you.

5) Closing business.

Dave Kurlan invented my favorite closing technique: “The Inoffensive Close.” If you’ve done everything correctly during your sales process, closing should be something that just happens. if you need a little nudge, the Inoffensive Close is the simplest way to ask for the business.

As Dave describes in his book Baseline Selling, there are three questions involved in the Inoffensive Close:

1. Do you believe I understand your issues, your problems, and your concerns?
2. Do you believe I/we have the expertise to solve your problem effectively?
3. Would you like my/our help?

As you can see, listening during the sales process as well as confirming understanding are necessary steps if you want to use this closing approach.

But even when you’ve run a great sales process, prospects don’t always answer with an emphatic “yes” after each of these questions. That’s when active listening can be very handy, once again.

Prospect: I’m not quite positive that you have the right expertise. I’m concerned that you’re not the best provider for a company like ours.

Salesperson: Okay. Let me make sure I understand. You’re concerned we wouldn’t be the best provider. [Step 2: Feed back] Is there a competitor of ours that you think might have more experience in your industry? [Step 4: Relevant follow up question]

Prospect: Well, not so much in the industry, but they’ve had more experience with cultures like ours. At least, that’s my opinion.

Salesperson: So it’s more about the culture of your organization as opposed to your industry? [Step 3: Confirm understanding]

Prospect: Yes. Exactly.

Salesperson: But it sounds like the rest of the team might disagree with you a bit? [Step 4: Relevant follow up question]

Prospect: A bit would be an understatement. Some of my colleagues speak very highly of the work you’ve already done for us.

Salesperson: I see. So, it sounds like my company has some mega fans amongst your team. And we certainly have done a lot to help them over the years. But you think that our competitor is better suited to help you, given the culture of your organization. Would it help if I could demonstrate to you what we’ve done for other companies with similar cultures to yours?

Prospect: Yes. I think that would make the decision a lot easier.

Salesperson: If I can do that effectively, would you hire us to help you instead of the other firm?

Prospect: Yes.

As you can see from these examples, active listening is a skill that can be used in almost any stage of the sales process, from the first interaction all the way to closing the deal.

Practicing Active Listening

While active listening is a relatively simple skill to understand, it is difficult to master. The good news is that as with any skill, excellence comes with practice.

The nice thing about active listening is that you’ll know it when you’ve learned to do it effectively. Your prospects will tell you if you’re on the right track. But I find that new salespeople need a safe environment where they can practice active listening . With this in mind, I asked a few HubSpot sales managers to share some tips for coaching active listening .

Here are a few from Greg Brown, a top sales performer turned sales manager:

If you feel yourself tuning out in the middle of a conversation or thinking about your next question or statement, do something to get out of your own head. Tap the desk or snap a rubber band on your wrist. Turn off all distractions including cell phones, extra tabs in your browser, your email and chat clients.

If you find yourself wanting to ask a question or make a statement, write it down so you can ask it later. This will free you up so you can listen to what the prospect is saying.

Jen Cooley, a HubSpot sales manager, plays a fun game with her new salespeople in order to teach them how to use this four-step active listening process. It’s had an impressive impact on her team:

Of the four steps to active listening , I find that #2 and #3 are fairly easy but #1 and #4 are more difficult to teach.

One of my favorite exercises to run is a “hot potato” game. I describe a real sales scenario and we do a role play. I start the role play by making a statement and then tossing the potato (or any object that I have handy) to someone in the room. When you get the potato, you have to keep the conversation going by feeding back and asking a relevant follow up question. After completing these steps, the rep then tosses the potato to another salesperson. We repeat this until we have the prospect’s complete story.

Usually, different people in the room hear different details because they’re listening more effectively. As the story unfolds and those details become critical to understand, the rest see the importance of step #1. They also learn different ways to ask relevant follow up questions, helping them improve at step #4.

As a result of these group exercises, I’ve seen some significant changes in individual performance. It dramatically improves reps’ ability to qualify effectively and tailor our services to the individual prospect’s needs.

Sales call film review provides another great opportunity to teach active listening . Dan Macadam, another HubSpot sales manager, does this frequently with his team. Here’s how he describes its impact:

When we review calls, I often hear my reps completely misunderstanding a prospect’s questions or statements. They end up taking the conversation in a direction that loses the prospect’s interest.

When I hear this, I rewind back to the part where they misheard something important. Then, I’ll ask the rep to repeat back to me what the prospect said. We’ll talk about why this phrase was important and how the conversation might have went differently had they practiced active listening .

As a result of this process, we've uncovered missed opportunities a number of times, enabling the rep to to get the opportunity back on track on the next call. I’ve even had salespeople call prospects right away, apologize, explain that they think they missed something important, and then have the dialog they should have had. We’ve won quite a few deals this way. And just as importantly, I’m teaching my salespeople how to use active listening in their future sales calls.

In a world where buyers don’t rely on salespeople for information, salespeople need to establish expertise and build trust quickly and with every interaction. The mutual understanding that active listening enables is one of the best ways to earn and keep that trust throughout the sales process.

If you begin employing active listening in your interactions and your sales increase as a result, share your story in the comments. In the meanwhile, if you need more encouragement before you start employing active listening in your sales calls, maybe Abbott and Costello can provide it to you. They gifted us with not only one of the most memorable comedy skits of all time, but probably the worst attempt at active listening ever:

With active listening, reps can start more conversations, uncover challenges and goals, handle objections, and close more effectively. When in doubt, close your mouth and open your ears.

Thank you to Michelle Adams, Mike Renahan, and Emma Snider for their contributions to this post.

Remember Your Inner Child

“Christmas is as close as we ever come to seeing the world through the eyes of a child.”–Linda Poindexter

I will never forget the anticipation of Christmas morning when I was a kid.

We counted the days for weeks ahead of time, dreaming of what we might receive. Equally as exciting was choosing the gifts that we would give away.

This holiday was a day when our parents slowed down and breathed in the smiles on our faces.

A day when we all left our pajamas on and played endlessly into evening, when no one fought or got angry, when epic memories were made.

There were presents under the tree for all of us and we were surprised by each one. We anxiously shaked the wrapped packages and tried to guess what was in them.

On this day everyone set aside their hard work. And for a time we were happy.

On this morning, there were no worries. There was only the present moment and the anticipation of a gift.

“Seek the wisdom of the ages but look at the world through the eyes of a child”–Ron Wild

Christmas is a celebration of the child still alive in each of us.

Just for today, allow yourself to remember who you really are.

Do you remember when everything was always brand new?

When little things meant everything to you, and your parents were your greatest heroes?

Remember climbing trees, rolling down hills, playing hide and seek?

You made a snowman and crafted ornaments for the tree.

Do you remember what it was like to play all day long, only coming in for dinner?

Building imaginary worlds and pretending, when everything was possible and you could be anything you dreamed of?

Through the eyes of a child, the world is a magical place.

We can learn a lot from the child we used to be.

“Be happy for no reason, like a child. If you are happy for a reason you’re in trouble, because that reason can be taken from you.”–Deepak Chopra

As we grow, we tend to lose our childlike nature, and we forget the authentic joy of living.

We once lived in the present moment, limited only by the adults around us.

We didn’t care what people thought of us.

We created with abandon. We showed off.

We danced, we sang, we laughed, we made art.

We smiled and cried and we had feelings that took over our whole body.

We asked questions that never ended, we were curious beyond comprehension, we asked why, we loved freely. We knew it was our duty to share.

We spun in circles and swung on the monkey bars.

What will you do to celebrate today?

I challenge you to look back to the child you once were and ask him what he thinks of you today.

Does she like who you have become? Do you still get down on the floor and play with him? Do you remember to stay out late listening to the wind? Do you still get excited when you see a rainbow or when it snows? What do you still do that you used to love?

What are you anticipating that will make you jump with joy and tear off the covers in the morning?

What will make you put aside your worries and be in the present moment?

What will you do today to celebrate with childlike wonder and see again with the eyes of a child?

“A child can teach an adult 3 things: To be happy for no reason, to always be curious, to fight tirelessly for something.”–Paulo Coehlo

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The School of Greatness Podcast

“Look back to the child you once were and ask him what he thinks of you today.”

Continue Seeking Greatness:

Have you signed up for The School of Greatness Academy yet? This is my 8-week online course and mastermind that will change your life and business. If you have what it takes, apply today! I want to see you make something great.

• HAVE YOU HEARD ME READ THE SCHOOL OF GREATNESS BOOK YET? ORDER A COPY AT HTTP://LEWISHOWES.COM/AUDIBLE

• Music Credit: Melange by Anvion

Did you enjoy the podcast?

Post your childlike celebration pics on Facebook with hashtag #eyesofachild – I would love to see them!

The post Remember Your Inner Child appeared first on Lewis Howes.

5 Tips for Getting on TV

Even small, personal brands and startups can unlock the PR power of television.

24 Iconic Santa Claus Advertisements From the Past 100 Years

When you think of Santa Claus, we're willing to bet that words like "jolly," "bearded," and "rosy-cheeked" come to mind. After all, that's the image of Santa many of us -- regardless of age -- have grown to know and love, right?

The mall Santa that our parents forced us to take an annual photo with (despite the trauma it caused). The Santa we watched Tim Allen transform into in the first installment of The Santa Clause trilogy. And the Santa we've seen used in countless holiday advertisements -- from Coca-Cola to Kodak.

Below, we've put together a festive timeline of Santa-inspired print and video ads, dating back to the early 1900s. Check 'em out to see how different companies over the past century have used Santa Claus to sell more products.

24 Jolly Advertisements Starring Santa Claus Throughout History

1900 - 1950 Advertisements

1) 1915: White Rock

Image Credit: White Rocking

This joyful depiction of Santa Claus carrying a sleigh full of White Rock water and various toys appeared in the 1915 issue of the San Francisco Examiner.

2) 1919: Murad Turkish Cigarettes

Image Credit: Vintage Product Ads

This sinister-looking Santa Claus is shown smoking a cigarette in this vintage advertisement ... but it's not just any cigarette. According to the ad copy, Murad's Turkish Cigarettes are what all the "grown-ups" are choosing for Christmas.

3) 1935: Whitman's Chocolates

Image Credit: Bamboo Trading

Another classic depiction. This chocolate advertisement shows a simple, familiar Santa -- with a festive piece of holly attached to his otherwise uniform hat.

4) 1938: Essolube

Image Credit: Etsy

This French motor oil advertisement from Essolube shows Santa Claus delivering a sack of oil to eager automobile owners. The ad copy translates to "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year for Your Car."

5) 1940: Bell Telephone System

Image Credit: Bamboo Trading

In this holiday advertisement from Bell Telephone Systems, a phone-shaped Santa Claus is shown "ringing in the holidays." It's not directly selling a product, though -- the ad aims to send Bell Telephone System's warm wishes to its customers.

6) 1948: Time Magazine Subscription

Image Credit: Bamboo Trading

In this late 1940s advertisement, Santa is shown piloting an airplane to deliver magazine subscriptions to all. The plane is embellished with various headlines, and the ad copy highlights their "special Christmas rates."

7) 1949: Prince Albert Smoking Tobacco

Image Credit: Bamboo Trading

Santa is smoking again. This vintage ad includes a twinkle-eyed, rosy-cheeked image of Old Saint Nick promoting the gift that "says 'Merry Christmas' with every puff": Camel Cigarettes.

1951 - 2000 Advertisements

8) 1954: Coca-Cola

Image Credit: Bamboo Trading

I don't know about you, but I've always loved Coca-Cola's warm, jolly portrayal of Santa Claus. This classic Coca-Cola ad features Santa Claus enjoying a "gift for his thirst" while he takes a break and puts down his sack of toys.

9) 1956: Jell-O

Image Credit: Etsy

This fun advertisement for Jell-O shows Santa enjoying a few bites of the good stuff left out for him by the soundly sleeping child underneath the table.

10) 1969: Hoover

Image Credit: Vintage Ads

You can almost hear the laughter in this classic, black-and-white display of Santa Claus showing off his Hoover appliances.

11) 1972: Kodak Pocket Instamatic Cameras

Image Credit: Etsy

"Say cheese, Santa!"

This cheerful advertisement shows Santa Claus gearing up to take a photo using the new Kodak Pocket camera -- the perfect gift for "anyone that has a pocket," according to the ad copy.

12) 1977: Smith Corona

Image Credit: Bamboo Trading

In this late 1970s advertisement, Santa is seen showing off the Smith-Corona typewriter. (The perfect piece of technology for him to make his list -- and check it twice.)

13) 1977: Quaker Sugar Cookies

Image Credit: Vintage Ad Browser

In this 1977 ad for old-fashioned holiday cookies, Santa Claus is shown spending some quality, fireside time with the Quaker Oats man himself. If you look closely, you'll also notice a curious child trying to sneak a peek from behind the chair.

14) 1983: Seagram’s Crown Royal

Image Credit: Vintage Ad Browser

This advertisement challenges viewers to look Santa in the eye and tell him they really deserve Crown Royal this year. It's hard not to smile at the dubious look on Mr. Claus' face.

15) 1993: Got Milk?

Santa proves that you can't have cookies without milk in this classic 1993 commercial.

16) 1993: BluBlocker Sunglasses

Image Credit: Bamboo Trading

Now here's one we haven't seen before: Santa in sunglasses. This clever advertisement positions Santa's job in a different light -- Old Saint Nick and his reindeers are "famous aviators."

17) 1996: M&M's

This 90s commercial from M&M is a timeless classic. We love the mutual look of surprise and shock on both Santa and the M&M's faces when they bump into one another late at night.

18) 1997: Hewlett Packard

Image Credit: Bamboo Trading

This HP advertisement shows Santa Paws ... I mean Claus posing with a fury friend. Snowball, the featured dog, seems to be eager to join Santa as one of his reindeer.

2001 - 2015 Advertisements

19) 2001: Decathlon

Image Credit: Coloribus

It's hard not to laugh at this crew of Santa Claus staff members getting all suited up in their locker room. The chimney entrance game plan on the board is especially amusing.

20) 2007: Niko Motion Detectors

Image Credit: This Is Not Advertising

Santa? A criminal? This advertisement pokes fun at Santa's "breaking and entering" skills while highlighting the security of the company's burglar-proof movement detectors.

21) 2011: Pepsi

This Pepsi commercial pokes fun at Santa Claus' well-known Coca-Cola advertisements by showing him sneaking a Pepsi on vacation in his red and white Hawaiian shirt.

22) 2011: iPhone

Santa shows off his tech-savvy side as he communicates with Siri in this amusing commercial for the iPhone 4S.

23) 2013: Chevrolet

Even when cleverly disguised as a car salesman, it's easy to pick Santa out in a crowd. This ad pokes fun at the interaction this potential car buyer has when he realizes that he just might be buying a car from Santa himself.

24) 2015: Reddi-Wip

This quick-witted Reddi-Wip commercial shows a dad spraying on a whipped cream beard to disguise himself after being caught in the act by his son. Turns out his son is not buying it, as the real Santa Claus is standing right behind him.

What's your favorite advertisement? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.