Case Study: HoHoHollis – Festive Socks with Purpose

Daisy
Jan 28
3 min read

The HoHoHollis campaign is one I genuinely look forward to every year, and 2025 marked its fourth successful run. It’s a brilliant example of how festive gifting can be fun, engaging and still make a real difference.

HoHoHollis is a Christmas campaign where for every photo of Hollis’ festive socks shared on social media, £10 is donated to charity. Simple, effective, and hugely engaging for teams.

I was proud to deliver the merchandise and fulfilment for the campaign once again this year.

The Brief

The aim was to create a festive sock gift that felt premium and retail-quality, while also reflecting Hollis’ increasing focus on sustainability. The packs needed to work across multiple offices, countries and team sizes, and be ready to land on desks in good time for the Christmas campaign launch. In short: it needed to look great, feel considered, and be logistically watertight.

The Product

We produced 2,500 pairs of bespoke festive socks, designed exclusively for Hollis:

OEKO-TEX® certified cotton
Manufactured in Turkey
3 designs across 3 sizes
Finished with bespoke header card packaging, so they look and feel like a retail product

Why OEKO-TEX® Matters

OEKO-TEX® certification is important because it focuses on what people actually come into contact with. Every component of the sock, from the fabric and thread through to dyes and finishes, is independently tested for harmful substances.

This means:

No harmful chemicals against the skin
Safer production processes for workers
Greater reassurance for the end user
Compliance with strict international safety standards

For wearable items like socks, this is especially important. They’re worn all day, directly on the skin, often by a wide range of people. OEKO-TEX® certification gives confidence that the product is not only comfortable and durable, but responsibly produced and safe to wear. It’s a practical, credible certification that goes beyond marketing claims and into real, measurable standards.

Sustainable Packaging: Agricultural Waste Gift Bags

A new addition to HoHoHollis this year was the introduction of agricultural waste gift bags, and I absolutely loved seeing this element come together. We supplied eco-friendly gift bags made from plant waste streams, primarily leaves and stems left over after agricultural harvests. These by-products would normally be discarded or ploughed back into the ground, but instead are repurposed into paper.

This approach:

Reduces reliance on virgin tree fibres
Makes use of existing agricultural waste
Requires less water and energy during production
Lowers overall environmental impact

From an environmental footprint perspective, these bags are impressive. Compared to traditional alternatives, they have:

47% lower environmental impact than paper made from trees
29% lower impact than recycled paper

Crucially, they don’t feel “eco” in a worthy or compromised way. The bags are strong, smart and visually appealing, proving that sustainable packaging doesn’t have to mean sacrificing quality or presentation. For a festive campaign, that balance is key.

Fulfilment & Distribution

All elements of the campaign were:

Collated and packed by Daisy Chain Merchandise
Quality checked to ensure consistency across designs and sizes
Distributed to 20 offices across the UK and EU

Managing multiple SKUs, sustainable materials and international distribution in the run-up to Christmas requires experience, clear communication and a reliable supply chain. Everything was delivered on time and ready for teams to get involved.

The Result

A festive campaign that:

Feels premium and thoughtful
Encourages social engagement
Raises money for an important charity
Takes meaningful steps towards more responsible sourcing and packaging

I absolutely love being involved in HoHoHollis each year. It’s a perfect example of how branded merchandise can be used creatively and responsibly, without overcomplicating things. Huge credit to Hollis for continuing to evolve the campaign and push it forward year on year.

I’m already excited to see what we do next.