Image source: Chevrolet
As General Motors undergoes a marketing reset, driven by new leadership and a refreshed agency lineup, the company has been leaning heavily on efficiencies, particularly through AI-powered production of high volumes of personalized vehicle content. Yet even amid this shift, the automaker is still choosing key moments to deliver broad, emotionally resonant messages.
One such moment arrives with this year’s release of Chevrolet’s holiday ad, a continuation of the now-established tradition the brand began in 2021. That inaugural spot became widely noted for its heartfelt story of a daughter restoring her late mother’s 1966 Chevy Impala as a gift for her grieving father. The new film builds on that legacy, once again aiming to tap into shared nostalgia and seasonal sentiment.
The new Chevrolet holiday film, produced in collaboration with Anomaly and Park Pictures, centers on a couple’s annual winter drive to their family cottage. As the pair travels in their well-worn 1987 Chevrolet Suburban, the empty seats behind them gradually fill with memories of years past, children growing up, the family dog, major milestones, and all the small, chaotic moments that defined their holidays together.
Set to Patrick Watson’s “To Build a Home,” the spot mixes nostalgia with a touch of melancholy, revisiting everything from sibling squabbles to emergency bathroom stops. The story ultimately lands on an uplifting note: the couple arrives at the cottage to be greeted by their now-grown kids, and a grandchild, bringing the tradition full circle.
“As a father of three adult boys, the holidays give us the opportunity to reconnect, and cherish the traditions that bring us together. This year, our focus was to invite people to remember life’s most special moments with family, with its ups and downs, and to find joy in the journey.” said Steve Majoros, Chief Marketing Officer at Chevrolet. “We can’t wait to share this story with families across America, in a way only Chevy can. We are a brand that represents the faces of our country and we’re certain many will see themselves reflected in this story.”
The new film strikes a softer emotional note compared with some of Chevrolet’s past holiday installments, which have tackled subjects such as a grieving widower, Alzheimer’s, and, most recently, a teen’s anxiety over choosing not to go to college.
Even so, the brand stays close to its established holiday playbook: sentimental music, nostalgia-driven storytelling, and a spotlight on classic Chevy models, with newer vehicles appearing more subtly. In this year’s spot, the 2026 Suburban makes only a brief appearance in the background near the conclusion.
