The gift season does not stop on 25 December: it runs to 6 January. That doubles the window and changes the whole production calendar.
Two moments, two logics
They do not address the same buyer.
The first moment, around the end of December, is family and social: meals, gatherings, exchanges, decoration, clothing. It is also the period with the widest budget.
The second, in early January, is centred on children and on more precise purchases. Demand is real, advertising competition much weaker, and space cheaper.
A campaign stopping at the end of December therefore leaves a week and a half of demand with no content, at exactly the moment attention becomes available again.
The season starts well before
It begins with the run of gatherings that precedes the year's end.
That period produces specific demand: hosting, cooking in quantity, decorating, dressing, transporting, giving small things. Whole categories are badly served because everybody is filming presents.
Production consequence: the content must be ready in October. A brand ordering at the end of November arrives when half the purchase decisions are already made.
The year-end payment funds the season
That is the economic particularity commanding the calendar.
Part of households receive a mandatory payment before the year's end, and that sum is spent quickly, on items planned in advance.
Two consequences. The campaign must be live before that money arrives, not after. And the arguments that work then are not the same: you talk about what you get for a given amount, not about novelty.
What to film
Five formats, from the most useful to the most visible.
The selection by amount, described in the box.
The opening of the parcel before the date, which answers the real logistical question: will it arrive in time.
The table and the gathering, which sell food, drink, tableware and decoration.
The wrapping, filmed as the recipient will see it, because a gift is judged on opening.
And the out-of-stock or delay video, prepared in advance, to replace an advert within an hour instead of switching it off.
Do not stop on the 26th
That is the most profitable advice on this page.
Between the end of December and early January, most brands have stopped their campaigns, while buying continues: the second gift moment, postponed exchanges, the early-year sales.
The practical consequence is simple: plan from the start a second wave of content, shot at the same time as the first, and rights covering January.
Two peaks, two different needs
| Period | What the buyer is looking for | The format that answers |
|---|---|---|
| December | A gift idea to give | A commented selection |
| Early January | A present for the children | A demonstration of the toy |
| After the holidays | The real use of the gift received | A feedback video |
What is filmed while everyone else is waiting
January's videos are shot in November. A shoot done during the period itself always arrives too late for the advertising.
What is checked on every seasonal video
The order cut-off, the announced delivery time and the stock. A video still running on 10 January on a sold-out product irritates more than it sells.
What to check before publishing
Three points, all verifiable in an hour.
The delivery times displayed, which must match the reality of the busiest period of the year.
Prices and discounts: an announced reduction presupposes a reference price and approved wording, supplied by the brand.
And the advertising disclosures, whose obligations depend on your situation and are checked with a lawyer before publication.
Add a shooting rule that gains a year: always deliver two versions, one dated for this season, the other neutral, with no date and no price, which will serve again for the next.
Sources
Checked on 4 September 2026. Thresholds and rates change: where this guide and the official source disagree, the official source is right.
