If you're a food or lifestyle brand hoping to be featured in Christmas gift guides, festive food spreads, or seasonal lifestyle roundups, the time to act is now. While it may still be summer, in the world of media and PR, ‘Christmas in July’ is a crucial deadline - and missing this window could mean missing out on the biggest press opportunities of the year.
At Aubergine, we’re a boutique PR agency specialising in food and lifestyle PR, content and communications. We’ve helped brands secure standout coverage in national magazines, weekend supplements, and top digital titles - and we know exactly what it takes to get festive features right.
What is ‘Christmas in July’?
‘Christmas in July’ refers to the time when long-lead publications - monthly magazines and seasonal specials - begin planning their Christmas content. Media titles such as Good Housekeeping, BBC Good Food, Stylist, and Red typically work three to six months in advance. That means by the time autumn arrives, most festive content is already finalised.
So, while your customers might be browsing BBQs and summer salads, journalists are curating their Christmas food roundups, gift guides, and lifestyle features.
Why you need to appoint a PR agency now
If your brand wants to appear in those glossy pages and online gift lists, the time to get your Christmas PR strategy in motion is right now. Here’s what working with Aubergine looks like:
Strategic planning: We’ll identify your most PR-worthy products and shape a seasonal strategy that aligns with what media are looking for
Press materials: We’ll craft high-impact, media-ready press releases filled with strong festive hooks - and make sure you have high-res imagery such as cut-out press shots and lifestyle images ready to go
Pitching to media in July: We pitch your products to our extensive network of journalists and editors, targeting features that drive traffic, brand awareness, and sales. We are former journalists ourselves and product placement experts, so our “black book” of contacts is unparalleled
Samples coordination: Many editors request samples to review or shoot - we handle logistics to make sure your products get in front of the right eyes. We can even work with you on ideas for creative sampling and so-called “desk drops” to make sure you stand out from the crowd
What kind of products work?
We specialise in PR for brands across food, drink, health and wellness and lifestyle. Whether it’s festive hampers, home fragrance, indulgent sweet treats or stocking fillers, if it belongs on a Christmas list, we can pitch it - and often, land it.
Take a look at some of the brands we’ve helped shine during the festive season over on our Work page.
Don’t miss the Christmas window
Missing the Christmas in July pitching window means missing the opportunity to appear in the most influential issues of the year. PR coverage in seasonal media boosts trust, awareness, visibility, and eventually, sales - but only if you’re prepared.
Appointing a PR agency by the first week of July means there’s time to turnaround a press release quickly and start pitching it out.
Want your brand featured in this year’s Christmas media? Get in touch with the team at Aubergine and let’s start planning your festive PR campaign as soon as possible.
