Our favourite Christmas signage campaigns of 2025

As Christmas approaches for 2025, SignLink has collected some notable festive projects and campaigns in the UK out-of-home (OOH) and retail activation worlds, demonstrating creative ways that agencies and installers have brought the festive spirit to a street, shop, or museum near you.

Subway’s sniffable billboard

Sandwich chain Subway recently unveiled a ‘scratch and sniff’ billboard in Blackfriars, London, which replicates the scent of the brand’s sage and onion stuffing-topped bread which was released in time for Christmas.

The OOH installation was designed by social creative agency, Fabric Social, in collaboration with Subway’s Culinary and Innovation department.

The ‘scratch and sniff’ element was reportedly created by combining a number of food molecules in a lab, which were then stabilised with a carrier oil and ‘microencapsulated’ in a plastic polymer. The polymer was then used on posters to form the billboard.

Kirstey Elston, senior marketing director (EMEA) at Subway, says: “At Subway we’re famous for the unmistakable aroma of our freshly baked breads, and this year our festive edition – topped with sage and onion stuffing – takes that scent to a whole new seasonal level.

“We all look forward to those familiar festive smells, so we thought why not bring one of the nation’s favourites to the streets and add some joy to Londoners’ commutes in the lead-up to Christmas. If you think it smells good, we guarantee it tastes even better.”

Sky’s ‘Magic of Movies’ campaign

Sky released a creative OOH campaign in December, which aims to highlight the magical quality of films in the holiday season.

The collaboration with Sky and RapportWW IMPACT, titled ‘Believe in the Magic of Movies’, features a gigantic overflowing box of popcorn alongside a set of movie props which includes a square bumblebee from A Minecraft Movie, a plane from the latest Mission Impossible film, and an elf, presumably from… Elf.

The installation also spotlights Sky Cinema’s offer of free Vue tickets every month to its subscribers through the My Sky app.

Starbucks' special festive builds

Coffee chain, Starbucks, introduced a set of festive-themed OOH displays in London and Manchester, as part of a wider Christmas marketing drive.

Made in collaboration with Anomaly London and delivered by Havas Media, the campaign features hand-drawn sketches by Geoff McFestridge, showcasing seasonal moments such as untangling Christmas lights and placing a star on top of a tree.

The campaign is enhanced with a number of practical elements such as real Christmas lights which add a ‘third dimension’ to the OOH display.

Clara Mulligan, chief design officer and managing partner at Anomaly London, says: “The holidays can be full-on, so we wanted to make something that breathes within the madness.

“We started with a Sharpie on a cup, the everyday handwriting of Starbucks, that humble line that writes your name also sketches our world… Geoff’s Sharpie drawings have instant humanity, and it felt unmistakably Starbucks from the first sketch.”

Festive magic at the Natural History Museum

KGK Genix, a creative production company based in Essex, completed a major festive project for the Natural History Museum in London in time for Christmas.

The work included a full dinosaur-themed festive display and a complete transformation of the museum’s gift shop.

KGK Genix designed, produced, and installed a range of printed graphics and display elements to bring the theme to life. The aim was to create an exciting and memorable experience for families visiting the museum during the holidays.

Speaking about the project, Colette Cooper, marketing director at KGK Genix, says: “We were very proud to be part of this special project. Our aim was to create something warm, fun, and magical for visitors.

“The museum team were fantastic to work with, and it was an honour for everyone at KGK Genix to help bring the festive experience to life.”

Andy Murray’s shortbread campaign

In the lead-up to Christmas, biscuit brand Walker’s Shortbread unveiled a new festive retail campaign fronted by Scottish tennis star, Andy Murray.

The marketing drive is being displayed in airports across the UK and ‘tasting bars’ have appeared in Edinburgh, Glasgow, London Heathrow, Gatwick, and Stansted airports.

The tasting bars give travellers the chance to try Walker’s all-butter shortbread alongside imagery of Murray in a Christmas jumper.

Bryony Walker, commercial director at Walker’s Shortbread, says: “Our partnership with Sir Andy Murray is a testament to our shared heritage and national pride, reflecting the journey we have both made from a small town in Scotland to the world stage.

“We’re very excited and looking forward to landing in airports this Christmas, to once again deliver the best that Scotland has to offer.”