Every 1 November, Mariah Carey’s iconic whistle-tone “It’s time!” rings through our minds, signalling the beginning of the holiday season. I’m sure we can all envision Mariah Carey breaking out of her frozen stasis in full Christmas attire, ready to top the charts again with ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’. How, though, has Carey’s legendary marketing strategy worked every single year?
The meme began in October 2017 when a few viral tweets joked about Carey’s annual return to the top of the charts, marking the time to cosy up and start baking Christmas cookies. The trend only grew more popular- so much so that Carey has managed to use it to her advantage.
Even though the meme initially poked fun at Carey’s incredible talent for creating a Christmas frenzy, she embraced the joke on 1 November 2021. She posted an Instagram video of her behind three pumpkins carved with the words “It’s”, “not” and “time.” Symbolically, she smashed the “not” pumpkin with a comically sized candy cane.
Carey’s playful awareness has allowed her to bridge the gap between her and fans, turning her from just a musical megastar into a cultural icon. Younger generations are much more likely to grasp onto something if it is via social media, and Carey’s creative takes on the meme keep her relevant.
It has almost become tradition to await Carey’s green light on November 1st to begin the excitement over the festive season. The admirable thing about this is that Carey has turned November 1st into a date that focuses on her entirely. It consistently drives millions of people to her social media accounts, inclines people to listen to her songs and earns her a ton of money! This year especially, Mariah Carey has bagged a mega brand deal with Kay Jewellers, who are providing the ‘ice’ to adorn her in her annual breaking-out-of-the-ice video, which has almost 60 million views on Instagram.
For many adults, the shift to the Christmas season brings mixed feelings. Of course, the buzz of festive fun is powerful, but with that comes the stress of overspending on gifts for loved ones, never mind the colder weather and high energy bills. For those that grew up with Carey’s Christmas tune on repeat from November through the end of December, ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ is nostalgic. She has managed to keep the light-heartedness of Christmas alive in times of struggle for many.
Other musical Christmas icons are often mentioned on November 1st, such as Michael Bublé and Wham! The usual remakes and remasters and cover versions of original Christmas tunes sometimes try their hand at topping the charts, but no one does it quite like Carey!
Mariah Carey’s, or perhaps her marketing team’s success is a masterclass in becoming the Queen of Christmas. Every year the discourse around her increases as she plays into the imaginations of millions.
When 1 January rolls around and Mariah Carey becomes frozen again, we’ll know it is not a ‘goodbye’ but an ‘until we meet again’ on 1 November, 2025.