It shouldn’t come as any surprise that we are on the cusp of a huge wave of holiday marketing. Companies typically plan months in advance for this time of year when customers are willing to spend a little more in the “spirit of the season.” However, with social media becoming an increasingly more prominent part of that mix some business are turning to more innovative ways of grabbing your attention than a simple commercial or magazine ad.

Retail businesses especially are methodically introducing new QR code campaigns, social media widgets and augmented reality apps by the buckets this year. We thought we’d share a few examples of those doing it well that might serve to offer some inspiration for your own season marketing campaign.

That’s not to say businesses can’t still use traditional media to be creative – most of the samples here are done in coordination with print and TV campaigns. In fact, the 2011 Toy ‘R’ Us Christmas campaign is focused primarily on the “vintage appeal” of their 1980s commercials as well as Sunday newspaper inserts. The important thing to remember is that, regardless of the tools used, marketing your business is about creating unique, branded experiences for your customers.