Christmas is just around the corner. This means new products are popping up, sales are in every store, and festive advertisements are being pushed during every commercial break.

Smart marketing is a strategy every company uses, especially around the holidays. Commercials are effective when they’re memorable, and that’s why businesses spend millions creating the perfect commercial.

Mrs. Angela Prescott, home accents department head at Hobby Lobby, has been with the company for five years.

She has seen how the Flint location has anticipated holiday consumers and how the business as a whole uses advertisements to drive sales.

“They (Hobby Lobby) put ads in local newspapers, and this is the first year they’ve released any kind of commercial,” Prescott said. “We start getting our Christmas trees in stock by July and by the end of August we have entire Christmas aisles ready to go. We’re prepared for the holidays pretty early.”

Human psychology is a popular tool in the marketing world. The strategy of using psychology to find the best ways to promote a product has been used and studied for decades.

Vance Packard’s 1957 novel “The Hidden Persuaders” is one of the most popular books on the idea. The novel explores how consumer thoughts are manipulated by corporations through cunning and deceitful tactics.

Packard was an American journalist, most known for his criticism of consumerism.

He often found fault with corporations and their influence on buyers, saying “new pressures are causing ever more people to find their main satisfaction in their consumptive role rather than in their productive role.”

There is intricate psychology behind how commercials are filmed. Details like color, background music, and camera placement are specifically chosen in order to convey the perfect message.

Campaigns are popular tools as well for creating the perfect aesthetics for a company’s product.

Dove’s “Real Beauty” campaign, launched in 2004, aims to show the power of female diversity and confidence.

Other popular brand campaigns include Nike’s “Just Do it” project, and slogans such as “Got Milk?” and “Taste the rainbow.”

The recognizable campaigns and catchy slogans of the world’s biggest companies ensure that consumers will remember the products that bombard their daily media feed.

The science behind advertising almost guarantees national spending will increase during certain points of the year. Almost all of these times are centered around holidays, with the most important being Christmas.

According to CNBC, American retail sales will hit $1 trillion leading up to Christmas, with companies like Amazon driving the sales.

Consumers pay more and more each year for Christmas gifts.

Buyers will spend 4.1 percent more for presents than in 2017, with discounts and sales drawing people in, according to the National Retail Federation.

Prescott sees the mistakes people make when shopping for the best deals.

She recommends starting holiday shopping as soon as possible and spending time looking for deals and coupons.

“People definitely spend more money this time of year because they’re not buying just decorations, but crafts and things that can be used as gifts,” Prescott said. “I would advise shoppers to look early because things run out fast and use the Hobby Lobby online coupon if you’re shopping at our store.”