Even though its roots are religious, the advent calendar is commonly known as a simple product found in grocery stores, typically filled with chocolates hidden behind 24 perforated cardboard doors.
The tradition of the sugary Christmas countdown dates back to the 1950s, with the first chocolate versions appearing then. Cadbury began promoting them widely in 1971, aiming to involve children in the Christian practice of Advent, as explained by Canadian marketing specialist Robert Warren, an expert on Christmas trends.
Warren, currently teaching marketing at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, noted the shift towards excessive commercialization of the advent calendar. Nowadays, these calendars can feature a wide range of products, from Lego sets to whisky, ice cream to jewelry, as well as unconventional items like sex toys and fishing gear. The trend is further fueled by influencers showcasing luxury advent calendars in videos, such as the $11,000 Dior calendar.
WATCH: A content creator unboxes an $11,000 advent calendar
Discussing with Cost of Living, Warren labeled this phenomenon as “Christmas creep,” where businesses start marketing holiday-themed products earlier each year to encourage higher consumer spending.
Warren explained, “Different brands are finding ways to engage customers earlier in the Christmas season, with the advent calendar serving as a convenient tool for this purpose.” He added that younger consumers particularly enjoy the daily surprise element of opening these calendars.
One such enthusiast is Maya Warwick Brunelle, a 26-year-old from Montreal, who annually receives a Bonne Maman jam advent calendar from her mother, who resides in Vancouver. This tradition not only maintains their bond despite physical distance but also reflects their shared love for jam, with both appreciating the reusable glass jars that come with the calendar.
Priced around $60, the Bonne Maman calendar stands in stark contrast to extravagant alternatives like the reported $112,000 Tiffany’s jewelry advent calendar or the Dior counterpart.
Warwick Brunelle described the daily surprise as a delightful treat.
Enhancing Appeal with Limited Editions
Some advent calendars offer exclusive, limited-edition items available only once a year, a common marketing tactic according to Lily Lin, an associate professor of marketing at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C.
Lin highlighted the psychological aspect behind this strategy, emphasizing the sense of anticipation leading up to an event. She referred to research indicating that the anticipation and planning phase can sometimes be more thrilling than the event itself, a concept the advent calendar countdown effectively taps into.
Lin pointed out that Gen Z and younger consumers are significant drivers of this trend, particularly in categories like makeup and self