Christmas is a musical time, so as we head off for our own holidays let’s share a little musical joy.

We have two takes on holiday music, both at US shopping centers. The first is a part of T-Mobile’s always-impressive Life is For Sharing campaign (though it seems to have dropped that tagline for this particular video). Director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon and Musical Director Paul Mirkovich brought together an amazing surprise performance at Woodfield Mall, one that makes a fantastic video. Just when it seemed that flash mobs were going completely stale, we’re given one of such scope and glamor that it will be a challenge to surpass.

The song is also the perfect uplifting anthem to bring a little joy to these last few busy days before Christmas. No lie, it brought tears to our eyes.

The second video we want to share with you is smaller, older and far less popular, but if you’re up for a laugh it’s a great watch. Normally offbeat local advertising can be totally cringe-worthy, especially when it involves hip-hop. But something about this Fairlawn Plaza holiday ad from last year just makes us smile. It’s presented with just the right amount of self-effacing humor that it’s positively charming.

Justin Bieber has a huge following, so pretty much everything he does is sure to go viral these days — after all, that’s how the teen sensation got his start. But pretty much everything he does is targeted at teen girls, and you might not think he has the power to attract any other eyes.

You’d be wrong, because the newest video promoting his SOMEDAY fragrance is reaching a whole other demographic. It’s aiming for the fathers of the girls who love Bieber, but it’s catching quite a few views around the periphery. While the young man seems downright earnest in most of his stuff, he’s more than a little cheeky here.

It’s part of a broader campaign that points back to SOMEDAY’s website. Dream Shot asks fans to snap photos of themselves and upload them. The photos are then slipped into the videos, which users can share on all their favorite social sites. It’s clever, but somehow this ‘Dear Dad’ video is getting most of the attention. Check it out:

You know how games like Farmville are very, very popular? They’re also incredibly successful from a financial standpoint. Zynga, Farmville‘s creator, brings millions of dollars in every quarter.

The way they do this is by selling currency in their games, currency that can be used to speed up game’s timers or buy special virtual items for the games. Whether or not it’s a practical way to spend money, plenty of folks do it and love it. But what if you could get your social game on while giving money to a much better cause than lining Zynga’s full pockets further?

Brilliantly, someone’s taken that idea and run with it: the RSPCA. They’ve created an animal shelter simulation for Facebook, and set it up with the same popular monetization model that works so well for Zynga’s game. The best part is that RSPCA Rescue Shelter is a good game. Not that Farmville isn’t, but often games made for a cause don’t quite make the fun cut. This one does. And with any luck, it will inspire people to buy plenty of PAWS, with proceeds all going to the RSPCA.

Now, we don’t want to leave you without a video to take a break with this week, so here’s a terribly cute German ad for McDonalds, created by DDB Tribal Group:

The holidays can be an emotional time. From crowded shopping centers to family engagements, there is plenty to stress about. But there’s also joy, sometimes in the smallest of places.

John Lewis’s Christmas ad this year is a sweet take on those emotions – frustration, impatience, and finally joy. Make sure you keep the tissues nearby when you watch. This one’s a tearjerker. 3 million views can’t be wrong — just, as always, stay out of the YouTube comments.

There’s something about Christmas that makes it special, especially when you’re young. Something often missed in holiday preparations and marketing, something that gets trodden on when Christmas is a matter of annual routine. That something is delight.

Delight is waking up first thing in the morning and emptying out your stocking. It’s the first time you ride with your parents to see a light show at a house in the wealthy part of town. It’s meeting Santa when you’re finally old enough to understand that he’s magical and not just a stranger in a red suit. And it’s almost impossible to recapture once you’re old enough that you’re the one buying the ornaments and filling the stockings.

But Starbucks has managed to capture a glimmer of that delight with its holiday marketing, using technological tricks that seem almost like magic. If you’re a Starbucks fan, take your smartphone and download the “Magic Cup” app. Then point your camera at Starbucks holiday cups, bags of coffee and signage around the shop. Augmented reality is a total gimmick, but the holiday season is gimmicky by nature. That’s no reason to enjoy it.

This video will spoil the fun of discovery, but it’s worth a watch if you want to see what they’ve done. I particularly like the collection aspect of the app — already I’m wondering where to find the other four characters I haven’t seen yet. Sure, the magic cup might be boring and rote by this time next year, but right now I’m completely delighted.