Which brands saw the biggest gains in Ad Awareness over Christmas 2025? (US Edition)

• The Salvation Army saw the highest Ad Awareness gain, rising 14.0 points during the 2025 holiday season.
• Target achieved a 12.2-point lift, driven by its festive “Hot Santa” campaign across TV and digital.
• Energizer rose 11.5 points, supported by holiday-themed product marketing and seasonal influencer content.
• St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital increased Ad Awareness by 11.0 points through its annual Thanks and Giving® campaign.
• USAA, PowerBall, Candy Crush Saga, and Tums also made notable gains, each seeing increases of 9.0 points or more.

As holiday campaigns lit up screens and storefronts across the country, new data from YouGov BrandIndex reveals which brands captured the most consumer attention through advertising. From charitable appeals to high-impact retail campaigns, several brands stood out with double-digit gains in Ad Awareness—a measure of whether consumers have seen or heard an advertisement for a brand in the past two weeks.

Looking at changes between November 1 and December 31, 2025, here are the eight brands that saw the most significant increases in exposure.

Salvation Army leads with standout holiday presence

The Salvation Army recorded the largest rise in Ad Awareness, climbing 14.0 points—from 7.3% at the start of November to 21.4% by the end of December. The organization’s seasonal efforts included its familiar Red Kettle campaign and a national TV spot encouraging donations during the holidays, titled 2025 Christmas Assistance Registration. Its visible presence in communities and across media channels likely contributed to its strong seasonal performance.

Target delivers festive momentum with “Hot Santa” campaign

Target followed closely with a 12.2-point increase in Ad Awareness, moving from 34.3% to 46.5%. The brand brought back its well-received “Hot Santa” character (Kris K.) for its 2025 holiday campaign, combining humor and trendiness across TV, social, and in-store touchpoints.

Energizer powers through with seasonal storytelling

Energizer gained 11.5 points in Ad Awareness (18.6% to 30.1%), likely boosted by festive placements featuring the Energizer Bunny in holiday settings. 

St. Jude’s Thanks and Giving campaign breaks through

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital posted an 11.0-point lift in Ad Awareness, growing from 39.8% to 50.8%. The 22nd annual Thanks and Giving campaign returned with high-profile celebrity endorsements and retailer partnerships, encouraging Americans to support pediatric cancer research during the holidays.

USAA connects with military families during the holidays

USAA, the financial services brand serving military members and their families, rose 10.1 points in Ad Awareness (18.9% to 29.0%). Its seasonal media presence and alignment with veteran and family themes may have driven visibility during a time of connection and reflection.

PowerBall gains attention with jackpot buzz

PowerBall saw a 9.9-point increase in Ad Awareness, from 33.1% to 43.0%. The lottery brand often sees spikes in visibility around the holidays, when large jackpots coincide with increased ticket sales and gift-giving opportunities.

Candy Crush Saga levels up during the festive break

The mobile game Candy Crush Saga posted a 9.7-point Ad Awareness increase, rising from 20.1% to 29.7%. Though no major campaign was widely publicized, the brand frequently promotes festive-themed in-game events and special offers, which may have driven ad visibility during the high-play holiday period.

Tums benefits from seasonal indulgence

Rounding out the top eight, Tums saw a 9.0-point rise in Ad Awareness—from 8.9% to 17.9%. As a go-to remedy for overindulgence during holiday meals, the brand likely benefited from timely media buys and contextual relevance.

Methodology

YouGov BrandIndex tracks daily perceptions of thousands of brands. Ad Awareness is based on the question: “Which of the following brands have you seen an advertisement for in the past two weeks?” Scores are reported as percentages, derived from daily surveys of US adults. Data is weighted using a propensity scoring methodology with benchmarks from the American Community Survey (ACS) to ensure representation by age, gender, race, education, and region. Figures are shown as a four-week moving average between November 1 and December 31, 2025. The change in scores is calculated as the difference between the highest and lowest daily scores within the period.