Mariah Carey has long been treated as the unofficial start of the Christmas season, and Gucci has now put her at the centre of its holiday push. The campaign, called Gucci Gift, was directed by Harmony Korine and landed just after her annual “It’s Time” video signalled the start of her festive season.

The film is set in a grand hotel preparing for a single guest. Staff hurry through wood-panelled rooms carrying stacks of presents, hanging decorations and lighting candles, while guests tuck gifts under a towering tree. When Carey steps out of the lift, the party is already in full swing. Her 1994 hit “All I Want for Christmas Is You” plays throughout.

Creative director Demna is using the campaign to push a looser, more knowingly theatrical Gucci. Reviewers have described the mood as glamorous, nostalgic and slightly chaotic, with champagne, lavish presents and a crowd that knows how to make an entrance. Carey wears plush coats, printed dresses, glittering accessories and oversized sunglasses. A supporting cast of models appears alongside her.

The product story centres on the Butterfly special collection, a nod to Carey’s long association with the motif. It launched online first and sits within a wider holiday edit of bags, shoes and winter accessories. The classic GG monogram appears throughout, but with new materials and shine meant to suit the campaign’s tone.

The casting is a safe, high-visibility choice. Carey is a seasonal certainty, and a hotel setting lets the brand show off both fashion and the idea of festive indulgence. Her name also carries recognition across age groups and markets, which matters for a house trying to widen its audience.

The commercial backdrop explains the ambition. Gucci’s sales fell 6% on a comparable basis in the latest quarter, with weak demand in China the main drag, and parent company Kering withdrew its guidance for a return to growth this year. Under CEO Francesca Bellettini and Demna, the label has been resetting its image and retail network, including a new flagship on Paris’s Avenue Montaigne. The holiday season is its first big chance to show that reset can translate into sales.

Gucci is not alone in treating the festive period as a marketing battleground. Rivals are also leaning on celebrity-led films and limited-edition product, and Louis Vuitton has released its own Vivienne-themed Winter Holiday range of small leather goods, perfumes and accessories. What distinguishes Gucci’s version is its commitment to spectacle and humour. Whether that works commercially will show in the numbers early next year, but for now Carey has handed the brand the most shareable start to the season.