VisualGPS Creative Trends Culture Unwrapping Visuals for the Festive Season

This year, the festive season is all about consumers looking for something intentional and genuine in brand visual storytelling. As the anticipation builds to see the festive trends across holiday campaigns, consumers in Europe are getting ready to spend and feeling more optimistic than their US counterparts.¹ So while Getty Images' VisualGPS data shows that one in four consumers worldwide have felt more anxious in recent years and over half believe that the past year has significantly shaped their views on money, European consumers aren’t shying away from spending—they are simply choosing to do so more intentionally, starting their holiday shopping early.¹ This shift offers brands an opportunity to create a festive narrative that’s authentic, thoughtful and moves beyond festive visual clichés.  

So how can brands do this? By forgetting the usual snow scenes, glittering lights and perfectly wrapped gift visuals. Instead, showcase moments of real connection, mindful celebrations and unexpected holiday stories for audiences that seek authenticity over perfection. After all, 85% of Europeans according to our VisualGPS research agree: "Sometimes I wish I could live my life the way I want" and what better time than this time of year. Remember, while financial worries are part of the picture, they aren’t the whole story. The holiday season can be stressful for consumers—from finding the perfect gift to navigating picture‑perfect moments that don’t reflect the reality of the season. Nearly half of Britons find Christmas shopping as stressful as an exam or a horror film,² and busy British moms often find Christmas planning the most challenging of all.³ In France, the biggest concern is not finding ‘the perfect gift’.⁴  This year, brands can help ease the pressure by highlighting festive moments that feel genuine and relatable—breaking away from traditional stereotypes and showing festive moments that truly connect with audiences seeking more meaningful experiences.  
 
Ready to surprise your audiences with fresh, genuine imagery? Read on to discover how you can surprise and delight this year’s festive consumers by redefining holiday visuals this year.

During the festive season, certain visual tropes offer a quick shorthand to holiday storytelling. Think Santa hats, Christmas trees and classic decorations. These remain the go‑to choice with over half of the top visuals most popular with Getty Images customers favouring burgundy, gold and the classic red and green colour palettes. While these visuals evoke comfort, nostalgia and tradition, this year represents a great opportunity to deliver these with a twist and explore fresh, unexpected elements such as surprising colour palettes or mixing new and old concepts. And don’t forget about incorporating motion and dynamism—whether through animated elements or short videos—to help bring familiar tropes to life in new, compelling ways. By blending fresh ideas with motion, brands can create festive visuals that leave a lasting impression.  

What truly makes the holidays special aren’t just the traditional picture‑perfect moments that we all know so well but also the small moments in between and the people we chose to share them with. For many, chosen family and close friends are just as meaningful as blood ties. However, these shared and intentional holiday experiences are not reflected in visuals popular with Getty Images customers. 65% of these visuals highlight parents and/or grandparents with children. Only 8% depict groups of friends and 3% couples on their own. Interestingly, solo holiday celebrations only make up 7%, even though one in 11 Britons aged 21‑34 will spend Christmas alone—a ninefold increase compared to 55 years ago.⁵
 
Today’s audience is also more intentional about where they celebrate. December travel is rising, and it’s not just about visiting Christmas markets. Last winter, southern coastal regions were Europe’s top travel hotspots.⁶ Yet, snow still dominates festive visuals—24 times more prevalent than sun or beach holidays. As you craft your holiday visuals beyond tradition, include a variety of celebrations: Festive dinner with friends, solo activities, sunny getaways and more relatable and inclusive living spaces.

To connect with audiences this festive season, celebrate holiday visuals with a twist that can help you break with predictable clichés and tell stories that feel real and relate to consumers' intention to create a festive season with less stress. Focus on what is truly important for our intentional spenders this season: Meaningful connection, authenticity and playfulness. 

Sources
[1] McKinsey
[2] The Telegraph
[3] YouGov
[4] Preply
[5] The Guardian
[6] The Joint Research Centre, European Commission