It’s that magical time of year when unless your brand is tangential related to Christmas, your ads don’t even have to sell anything.

Take, for example, the above spot for StubHub by Duncan/Channon, which finds the online ticket retailer’s “Ticket Oak” mascot screaming about a Christmas tree. You see, it doesn’t have to sell anything, and those kinds of spots are always a ton of fun to work on for agencies.

Is it a reference to 90s grunge stars, Screaming Trees? Is there compelling evidence that use of the “Ticket Oak” at any opportunity increases StubHub’s revenue? Is there market research that tells us people find talking tress weird, but in a funny way? We don’t know, and we don’t need to know. It’s Christmas, and this is about branding, not moving the needle. Credits after the jump.
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While it’s been two decades since Sonic the Hedgehog, Sega’s spokeshog and mascot, whizzed by the world at large to save his animal friends, he shows no sign of slowing down. The chili-dog eating, attitude having, Saturday morning cartoon starring speedster is returning for another platform-based game on the consoles of Sega’s former main competitor, Nintendo. And, as the spot from agency Duncan/Channon and production company digital kitchen shows, Sonic hasn’t lost a step in his age, out eating and out racing a speeding bullet.

Whether or not Sonic picks up any new young fans is somewhat irrelevant, as the anthropomorphic hedgehog already has a good amount of video gamers nationwide who grew up on Sega Genesis and Game Gear and remember how much fun is was controlling him as he broke the sound barrier in his mission to explode Dr. Robotnik. It’s this nostalgia that Sega and Nintendo are hoping to cater to with Sonic Colors, which seems to follow the same format as Sonic’s earlier games for Sega consoles. The success of Wii’s New Super Mario Bros., which too was a return early franchise form.

Sure, Nintendo and Mario may have defeated Sega and Sonic in the great 90s video game console roles. But, has history would prove, you can’t keep a good hedgehog down.

Credits after the jump. Read more