It may only be October, but with the nights drawing in and decorations starting to creep their way onto shop shelves, we thought we’d share some festive inspiration to help with your Christmas campaign planning.

Here are our top 5 campaigns from the past few years.

1. Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day

Millions have taken part in Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day since it began in 2011. The idea is pretty simple: sport an outrageous Christmas-themed jumper and make a donation. Whilst the initiative didn’t start out as a social media campaign, the #xmasjumperday hashtag is heaving with ridiculous photos of elf, pudding and bauble jumpers from all around the world.  

In a hilarious twist last year, Harry Enfield helped promote the campaign by starring in a spoof of Southern Comfort’s ‘Whatever’s Possible’ advert. 

[youtube id=”gnqPMwuGEok” align=”center” mode=”normal”]

This year’s set to be bigger than ever with TextSanta teaming up with Macmillan Cancer Support, Make-A-Wish UK and Save the Children to make Christmas Jumper Day bigger than ever.

2.  #Bedless by Shelter from the Storm

Last year, small London-based charity ‘Shelter from the Storm’ supported the city’s most vulnerable with their Christmas social campaign #Bedless. People uploaded pictures of themselves sleeping in weird and wonderful places using the #Bedless hashtag and donated the cost of a night in a shelter to their JustGiving Page.

Here’s our #bedless picture @priyaroy @AmyLoughe Help London’s homeless this xmas @SFTSLondon https://t.co/G2I7g7s4lt pic.twitter.com/TKumRSalmm

— Phoebe James (@phoebejjames) November 4, 2014

3.     Action on Hearing Loss subtitle the John Lewis advert

You can be sure that social media will be thrown into a jingle-bell frenzy the day that John Lewis release their Christmas advert. But in 2013, members of the deaf community were left disappointed when the brand failed to subtitle their sentimental ad featuring Lily Allen’s ‘Somewhere only we know’.

Along with members of the deaf community, Action on Hearing Loss took to social to express their disappointment. John Lewis were quick to respond, and within a couple of days the department store had added subtitles to the advert, allowing them to reach the extra 10 million people who are deaf or hard of hearing in the UK.  

4. Rainbow Trusts ’12 ways of Christmas’

Rainbow Trust Children’s charity provide emotional and practical support to families with children suffering from a life threatening illness. Their ’12 ways of Christmas’ Campaign in 2014 used baubles on a Christmas tree to highlight what a difference a gift could make. Employees from this small charity took the campaign to social media to raise awareness.

Rainbow Trust support families with a seriously ill child http://t.co/dB8FV5ASAq #12ways pic.twitter.com/3HdnesT7ko

— Annabel Croft (@Annabel_Croft) December 3, 2014

5. #JerrysJourney by Thames Reach

Last year, Thames Reach decided to tell the story of former rough sleeper Jerry to reach out to London’s homeless at Christmas. Their 6 minute video, featuring support from Joanna Lumley, was shared on social media with the hashtag #JerrysJourney. The charity raised over £25,000 to support the homeless. The campaign was such a success that Thames Reach decided to turn #JerrysJourney into a yearlong campaign.

[youtube id=”EgN2wscCXFw” align=”center” mode=”normal”]

Enter your Christmas Campaign in our 12 Campaigns of Christmas competition!