Fossil's Q4 2025 holiday campaign generated 58.8 million impressions, nearly four times its initial goal of 14.7 million, by using AI to target specific traveler profiles across airports, in-flight Wi-Fi, and mobile channels. The watchmaker worked with ad-tech company Digital Culture Group, free ad-supported streaming TV network ReachTV, and media agency Assembly to reach holiday travelers during peak gifting season.
How the campaign worked
The campaign used Digital Culture Group's AI-powered Audience Resonance Index to identify three traveler profiles: tech-savvy watch enthusiasts, shoppers with a household income of $75,000 or higher looking for premium items, and fashion-forward millennials likely to engage in gift-giving. Creative ran at LaGuardia Airport in New York and in travel hubs in Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Chicago.
"During the most competitive retail window of the year, we helped Fossil break through by meeting style-conscious holiday travelers at moments of peak attention, when time, intent and mindset aligned," said Lynnwood Bibbens, founder and executive chairman of ReachTV, in press materials.
The airport audience was central to the strategy. Fossil appeared in ReachTV's "Airport Fits" franchise, which delivered 45.5 million TV impressions plus 87,000 social views and 6,200 interactions on the brand's Instagram and TikTok. In-stream airport videos during NBA games accounted for 9.1 million impressions.
Results by channel
Mobile retargeting of travelers exposed to ReachTV ads accrued 8,089 clicks and 3.77 million impressions. In-flight Wi-Fi pre-roll on JetBlue and American Airlines had a click-through rate above 50%, directing consumers to a virtual pop-up shop.
The campaign is part of a broader push into AI-driven advertising. Fossil previously generated a 57% lift in recall and a 10% increase in awareness for its "Big Tic" campaign using InMobi's full-funnel solution. For marketing teams, the results show how AI can sharpen audience targeting during high-stakes retail periods - a topic covered in depth in AI for Marketing resources.
Company context
Fossil Group, which also owns Michele, posted Q1 sales of $224.8 million, down 3.6% year over year, according to an earnings release. CEO and Director Franco Fogliato said agentic AI was of particular interest to the company, including in its marketing efforts, during an earnings call.
Why this matters for marketing professionals
The campaign's 300% overshoot on impressions suggests AI-driven audience identification can deliver measurable returns during competitive buying windows. Marketers evaluating similar tools should study how Fossil combined airport context, streaming content, and mobile retargeting into a single journey - then measure whether the click-through rates justify the media spend. The AI Learning Path for Marketing Managers offers structured guidance on applying these techniques to campaign planning.
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