Key Takeaways:
- Authentic storytelling turns campaigns into lasting brand assets
- Music and local representation create deeper audience connections
- Emotional resonance makes a campaign memorable beyond the season
During the past holiday season, indie rock band Vika & the Velvets brought some holiday cheer to Spokane, WA to celebrate local talent.
The festive holiday campaign featured regional artists in heartfelt performances, highlighting community, creativity, and the season’s joy.
In this campaign, video-led creative agency Colormatics and Spokane Teachers Credit Union (STCU) tapped into a collective identity, earning over 130,000 views on YouTube, hundreds of thousands of impressions on local broadcast, and generating an outpouring of gratitude from the community through comments, emails, and handwritten notes thanking STCU for bringing joy to the holidays.
As Colormatics’ director and CEO Chris Marcus put it, the campaign was designed to go beyond just delivering a seasonal message — it was about making people feel the spirit of the holidays.
In our interview, Chris shares how Colormatics and STCU crafted a campaign that didn’t just showcase holiday spirit but made the community feel it — leveraging local talent, authentic storytelling, and music to create a lasting emotional connection.
Who Is Chris Marcus?
Innovative processes and a propensity to hustle drive Chris to punch up to the next level. His scrappy attitude and streamlined approach have led him to direct national commercials for brands like PrizePicks, Squatty Potty, Fiverr, and Sleeper. Having worked with celebrities like Stephen Curry, Shaquille O'Neal, and Trevor Lawrence, Chris's leadership has allowed Colormatics to compete with some of the biggest players in advertising.
Colormatics has a great track record in creating memorable national campaigns, achieving 50% more sales, a fivefold ROAS, and over 400 million impressions for clients in 2024.
However, Chris tells me localized campaigns are a fun and unique challenge altogether. The key lies in the difference between advertising and brand-building:
“A standard holiday ad is a transaction — you see it, maybe it makes you smile, then it’s gone. But a campaign like this becomes part of the community’s fabric. It builds goodwill, which compounds over time.
People don’t just see STCU as a financial institution — they see it as a neighbor. That’s long-term brand equity.”
Whether creating nationwide campaigns or honing in on a local community like Spokane, that focus on long-term impact sets Colormatics apart.
But how does their approach shift when the audience is more localized?
Chris describes a national campaign as a “shotgun approach” where you cast a wide net and distill messaging to hit on universal themes while relying on the scale to drive impact.
“But a local campaign? That’s a scalpel. It’s about nuance, specificity, and knowing exactly what makes a community tick. With STCU, we weren’t just selling a product or service; we were tapping into a collective identity.”
It’s not just about volume, he adds — it’s about resonance.
Building Authentic Connections Through Music and Intent
Several factors played a role in making the Colormatics x STCU campaign successful.
One is music — something that transcends demographics, builds familiarity, and fosters connection. According to Chris, music is one of the most powerful emotional triggers.
“We didn’t want to just tell people about the spirit of the season, we wanted them to feel it. And if the goal was to celebrate the community, why wouldn’t we use local talent? It adds authenticity.”
That authenticity turns a campaign into something the community can own instead of just watch. That magic, Chris says, happens when you see your neighbors, your city, and your people.
To fuel the authenticity further and make the campaign feel more meaningful to the community, Colormatics employed two more factors: representation and intent.
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To start, the agency integrated real-life elements of Spokane and North Idaho into the campaign.
“Not some generic, stock-photo version of holiday cheer. This is about reflecting the actual people and traditions of the region,” he explains.
Second, Colormatics ensured the campaign had lasting value by going beyond surface-level holiday themes.
“We asked: Why does this matter? If a campaign is just holiday aesthetics, it disappears on December 26. But if it taps into something deeper — shared experiences, nostalgia, joy — it lasts.”
Lastly, if a campaign fosters connection — views, shares, and goodwill, will follow. A brand wins long-term if people see themselves in the campaign, engage, and remember.
How Authenticity Makes Stories Stick and Resonate
Above all, Chris says the key to telling a story that connects with people is authenticity. While it is a buzzword, he notes, it’s a buzzword for a reason.
“People sniff out anything that feels forced or corporate.”
For this campaign, Colormatics kept the storytelling simple, emotional, and true to the holiday vibe: moments of warmth, nostalgia, and togetherness.
“Plus, music is a cheat code — it immediately taps into emotion,” he adds.
This aligns with Colormatics’ ethos, as the agency creates through the lens of storytelling instead of selling.
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That’s why the agency incorporates cinematic production values into all of its projects, regardless of whether it’s for a national brand or a local institution like STCU.
“Every campaign has to feel human — real people, real emotions, real impact. That’s the filter we apply to everything,” Chris says.
And if brands want to connect to their audiences more, Chris recommends they start talking with them rather than at them.
“Use the voices and faces of the community, understand their values, and don’t just parachute in with marketing speak. If you do it right, they’ll feel like they’re part of the campaign — not just a target for it.”
Because that’s when you stop being the noise and start being meaningful.
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