Posted by It’s one of the most iconic ads in the history of television in the United States and Latin America: every year, when Christmas gets close, Corona proposes again his famous “Palm Tree” commercial, and that has happened for a long time. The younger generations weren’t even born when the commercial aired the first time, and that’s why they have so many curiosities: today, we will discover the story of the Corona Extra “Feliz Navidad” commercial, the location where it was shot, the year it was released, and the background song.
It is really a regular appointment: when the Christmas season kicks in, Corona never misses the chance to air his historical “Feliz Navidad” commercial. It’s one of the most peaceful and appreciated ads ever: no voices, no sounds, just a beautiful silence, a quiet location, the moon in the background, and a palm tree that shows its holiday decorations. In this elegant way, different from all other commercials usually airing at this time of the year, Corona Extra wishes us a merry Christmas every year.
The commercial is officially the second-longest-running holiday ad ever (after the Hershey’s Kisses “Bells” commercial). In which year did it air first? The Corona Palm Tree Christmas commercial was born in 1990, and since then, it has never changed. There is really no need: the ad aims to recreate a peaceful atmosphere that makes you relax, and that spirit is still effective today, especially compared to the many frenetic commercials we see on TV.
The commercial became so iconic over the years that Corona released a short documentary about it in 2015, for its 25th anniversary. You can watch it here on Corona’s official Youtube channel.
The location where the Corona Christmas commercial was shot is Akumal, on the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. It’s a beach resort in that area, even though the exact name of the location has never been revealed over the years. However, the commercial’s creator told a funny curiosity about the ad: the area where the camera was supposed to be was full of alligators. The production had to hire alligator wranglers to help clean the area, at least for the night of the shooting.
The song the man whistles in the background is one of the most famous Christmas songs of all time: O Tannenbaum, a German song created at the beginning of the 1800s, based on an old folk song from the 16th century. The original lyrics are in German, but the song became famous in the 20th century with the English translation singing “Oh Christmas Tree” at the beginning of every verse. The Corona palm tree Christmas commercial was called the “O’ Tannenpalm” ad as a reference to the background song.
The Corona Christmas commercial was still aired in 2023, making it a 33-year-old ad still active on American TV. People don’t stop loving its unique atmosphere, which makes us believe the spot will be there for us even in the future.
Discover other curiosities about popular commercials on Auralcrave
