Kingsford Christmas Coal
Client: Kingsford
Category: Digital + Experiential
Timeline: 3 week (2024)
My Role: Lead Designer
Kingsford wanted to win back winter. During Q4, grilling occasions drop, private label steals share, and lump charcoal jumps nearly +5 points as gifting season spikes. This project was a chance to flip a seasonal challenge into an opportunity — by creating a cheeky, culturally sharable LTO that only Kingsford has the right to own: Christmas Coal.
As lead designer, I developed the full visual direction behind the holiday push, designed assets for sell-in, digital, social, Amazon, and retail displays.
The Challenge
Consumers look for small, clever, under-$200 gifts, and nearly 1 in 5 grillers grill for Christmas.
The brief:
Lean into the classic “coal for Christmas” joke — but make it feel fun, modern, and unmistakably Kingsford
Build a look that stands out at retail
Inspire +1 winter grilling occasions and steal share back from private label
Designing the Creative Strategy
Kingsford is the largest player in charcoal — so if anyone can make a coal joke land, it’s us. The strategy was simple:
Own the naughty-list moment with confidence, humor, and bold holiday energy.
“Christmas Coal” as the hero equity
Kingsford Original Charcoal remains the backbone
Modern holiday cues without cliché
A playful “naughty list” world
Visual cohesion across physical & digital
Retail Executions
Digital & Paid Media
Festive display ads and seasonal awareness units to “heat up the holiday gifting season.”
Amazon Brand Page
Holiday creative, influencer wish lists, and gifting tie-ins to drive seasonal buzz.
Kingsford.com
Winter grilling spotlight + curated holiday recipes.
Social Strategy
Retail-driven posts – Influencer partnerships – Engaging content built around the coal joke
Outcome
Christmas Coal gave Kingsford a playful, high-visibility way to reenter consumers’ holiday mindset — not as a summer grilling brand, but as a cheeky, clever stocking-stuffer they’d actually talk about.
The work reframed the brand’s winter equity, helped reclaim relevance from private label & lump, and opened up a new seasonal merchandising territory only Kingsford could own.