With Christmas behind us, it’s now safe to say Santa isn’t going to be bringing any more surprises. We can dish out on what was good this Christmas and comment on the not so great things that should have landed some companies on the naughty list to receive coal for Christmas of 2013. Some companies started pushing Christmas too soon, others were completely unoriginal and left us unimpressed with their final products.

Here is the breakdown if the three worst Christmas commercials to hit the screens in 2013.

Target’s “My Kind of Holiday”



Target is usually a big hitter in the industry when it comes to inspiring and touching holiday commercials. They have an uncanny ability to shine a light on those family moments we can all cherish. This year, we can see how Target aimed for the stars but came up significantly short. Their modern spin and tag line of “My Kind of Holiday” left us wondering – Who has that kind of holiday? Because we sure don’t. The karaoke scene reflected more upon a family dinner party versus a treasured holiday and the piñata scene brought back memories of early birthday parties. Sorry, Target. Christmas of 2013 just wasn’t your year.

Macy’s Cat Person



Sorry, Macy’s. Any chance of us being a cat person has just gone out the window. In this commercial a man is shopping at Macy’s jewelry counter for what looks like an engagement ring. Both a male and a female sales associate are helping him shop. Macy’s tries to take a clever turn towards...we’re not exactly sure what. In our book it took a shot at a special holiday moment that many hope for. Instead of leaving us feeling warm and cozy about Macy’s and shopping there for jewelery, we were left with a sour taste in our mouth about the experience. One that may continue to say, upcoming Valentine’s Day.

Walmart’s Don’t Tell Mom



Don’t tell Mom? Chances are the scenario is don’t tell my friends that my parents are so lame. Walmart was on to something by tapping into a father and son bond over a gaming system and had the right idea by going with an older child to really show that you can still have that connection when they hit their teenage years. Things went south when it came to the cover up story as Mom was walking through the door. Walmart set the stage for humor but played the safe card with a cheesy cover up. All within 30 seconds we were excited and then extremely let down.

Between Target, Walmart and Macy’s, we’re not sure who exactly takes the cake for the worst commercial this Christmas season. Target was a previous big contender in past seasons and Walmart has really begun to stand out in the world of TV, while Macy’s has always stole our hearts. Something just went wrong this Christmas season for our top brands. We wish them a speedy recovery should any of them try to make a run for the Super Bowl or Valentine’s Day.

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Ronn Torossian is CEO of 5WPR.