Australia is embracing the ‘reverse advent calendar’, an idea that starts with an empty box that gets added to daily with little trinkets, toiletries, or non-perishable food items, and – once full – is donated to those in need for Christmas. Heather Lutrell saw the concept online and started doing it with her family, and later asked around if friends wanted to join before she started distributing decorated boxes which she also collects and donates. And participation numbers are growing with 4,000 boxes in 2021 assembled across 35 groups. Not only did Lutrell want to encourage her kids and people, in general, to be empathetic, but also to “take the focus of receiving and put it onto giving” for the Christmas season.

The notion of shifting priorities towards higher social awareness echoes many brands' trajectory in 2021. As the world experiences both a global health and economic crisis, people don’t want comms that just urge them to buy more products. The general move for brands to improve social awareness aligns with demand, as 71% of shoppers will shop with a purpose-driven brand instead of an alternative, when given the choice between two brands or products of similar cost and quality. And it can pay dividends since people across eight countries are 4.5 times more likely to recommend a brand with a strong purpose to friends and family. As a response, companies are investing in giving back. Hush, for example, donated 20% of sales on Black Friday 2021 to charity instead of offering discounts and luxury fashion label Olivela donates 20% of all proceeds to charity.