Capital One’s Santa Claus dances across the TV screen

Returning to his role as Santa Claus for the new Christmas television commercial for Capital One, actor John Travolta takes us back down memory lane.

This time around, he performs a version of “Greased Lightnin’” from the romantic musical comedy “Grease,” which was released as a movie in 1978.

 

Several advertising critics have given the spot rave reviews, including Joey Nolfi, senior writer at Entertainment Weekly, who termed the new commercial as absolutely “electrifying.”

 

Writing for Parade magazine, Carly Silva said that Travolta “revisits the famous dancing scene from ‘Grease,’ only this time, instead of playing his legendary character Danny Zuko, he’s embodying jolly old St. Nick – and instead of the bright red car they call ‘Greased Lightnin,’’ he’s got Santa’s shiny sleigh.”

 

“The commercial shows Travolta, 71, looking effortlessly cool while dressed up as Santa Claus as he walks into Elf’s Sleigh Repair Shop,” Silva wrote.

“He then recites some of the famous lines from the hit movie soundtrack song, this time with a festive holiday twist: ‘Why this sleigh could be frost-o-matic…tinsel-matic…1.5% cash back-o-matic.’”

“Travolta then jumps on top of the sleigh, just like his character does in ‘Grease,’ and breaks out into the iconic “Greased Lightnin’” dance he popularized with his fellow T-Birds’ characters in the movie”…nearly 50 years ago.

 

“Why it’s ‘Greased Lightnin!’” he sings, while breaking out into song to perform a few lines from the original track,” Silva said. “The video ends with Travolta, a.k.a. Santa, riding away in his souped-up sleigh and reciting the Capital One tagline, ‘What’s in your wallet?’”

 

In advance of releasing the new commercial, Capital One teased audiences via social media with a short clip showing Santa “working under the sleigh” in the repair shop with text asking, “Guess who’s coming to sleigh the holidays?”

Colin Costello of Reel 360 News, who reports on the advertising, film, television, music and entertainment industries, said: “Travolta has officially sleighed the holidays. In what may be the best holiday commercial of 2025, the screen legend returns as Santa Claus for Capital One’s new Quicksilver credit card campaign, created by GSD&M, based in Austin, Texas, and directed by Bryan Buckley through Hungry Man Productions.”

Costello commented that Santa’s “tricked-out sleigh” resembles a 1950s hot rod with “enough chrome to blind Rudolph.”

 “Given the perfect mix of nostalgia, humor, craft and pure musical joy, don’t be surprised if this becomes the most talked-about holiday spot of the season,” Costello said. “Travolta didn’t just don the red suit. He brought Santa a little grease, a little soul and a whole lot of charm, and the result is pure lightning.”

“The commercial is a follow-up to 2023’s hit spot in which Travolta’s Santa riffed on ‘Saturday Night Fever’ (1977),” Costello said. “This year’s iteration leans even harder into nostalgia, giving fans the crossover they never knew they needed: Santa Claus meets Rydell High swagger.”

 

According to Accio Data, a software solutions firm headquartered in Dripping Springs, Texas (near Austin), “industry analytics show that holiday ads incorporating nostalgic marketing campaigns achieve 38% higher recall rates than conventional seasonal content, making this approach a proven driver of brand memory retention.”

“Travolta’s transition from leather-jacket rebel to mechanically inclined Santa Claus tapped into viewers’ emotional connections while maintaining brand authenticity. This nostalgic marketing strategy proved particularly effective during the 2025 holiday season, when consumers showed increased receptivity to familiar faces delivering fresh interpretations of beloved seasonal themes.”

“Successful vintage revival marketing campaigns generate 47% higher emotional resonance scores compared to purely product-focused advertisements, creating lasting impressions that drive long-term customer loyalty.”