Advent calendars to build anticipation: HELA surprises employees

About Hela Spice

Hela Spice is a family-owned company based in Ahrensburg, Germany with a long tradition. Founded in 1905 as a spice merchant in Hamburg's Schanzenviertel district, Hela now produces aromatic spices and spice blends, delicious marinades, functional blends for the food industry and its popular ketchups and sauces at its factory in Germany. In addition to these classics, three brands from the Hela product world invite you on a journey of taste discovery: CHAMKAR sources its fair trade spices directly from small farmers in Cambodia, ART OF OIL impresses with single-variety organic olive oil from a traditional Spanish finca, and THEO refines its Black Forest balsamic vinegar in genuine oak barrels to taste perfection.

🎯 The goal

Hela wanted to use an advent calendar to give its employees a sweet treat during the advent season and show the employees how much they are appreciated. In doing so, the calendar was intended to increase the anticipation of Christmas. It was important to create a high-quality product that not only featured the company logo, but also impressed with its creative design and humour. The advent calendar was to become a personal highlight that would be remembered and generate positive emotions within the team.

🎄 The challenge

Finding a suitable advent calendar and supplier was no easy task. Many promotional item companies only offer the option of placing a logo on a pre-designed calendar. However, Hela was looking for an advent calendar that they could design entirely themselves – including a fun, appealing cartoon that matched the brand. The calendar had to be of high quality to ensure it would truly bring joy.

💡 The solution

With the support of allbranded, Hela was able to design exactly the advent calendar they had in mind. Hela chose to order an advent calendar filled with Lindt chocolate hearts. The team chose a funny cartoon ketchup that humorously references their own brand and makes the calendar different and special.

What stood out:

• Complete design freedom: Hela was able to fully design all elements on their own, not just place a logo in a predetermined location.
• Fast, personal service: Whether by telephone or email, all customer queries were answered quickly, usually within a few hours.
• Advice & input: allbranded pointed out potential design flaws before production and helped to implement the calendar according to the customer's direct wishes.

👥 The reactions & the result

The advent calendars were extremely well received by Hela employees. The well-designed cartoon ketchup generated enthusiasm and increased anticipation for Christmas. The high-quality workmanship of the calendars was particularly praised, as it conveyed the company's appreciation. The creative design was perceived as eye-catching, funny, and original – all important elements needed to make the gift more memorable.

🎁 Why advent calendars are so popular as promotional items

Advent calendars are an ideal gift at the end of the year and provide daily joy with 24 little surprises. They are available with a wide variety of contents and thus offer a creative way to keep your brand visible throughout December. At the same time, the calendars combine tradition and originality, making them a gift that expresses appreciation. If you are also interested, discover the wide variety of advent calendars at allbranded and let us advise you personally on how to design your perfect gift in 24 doors!