There have been numerous successful marketing campaigns over the years, spanning various industries and featuring diverse marketing strategies. Here are a few examples of our top 5 favourite marketing campaigns:
1.Dove #TurnYourBack Campaign
Dove released it’s #TurnYourBack campaign in March 2023 after the emergence of TikTok’s ‘Bold Glamour’ filter that warps young people’s self image and promotes toxic beauty standards. This influencer-led campaign focuses on women turning their back to the camera and then walking off screen to place emphasis on the fact that no filter should tell you how you look.
As part of their Self-esteem mission, Dove aimed for this powerful campaign to create a #NoDigitalDistortion movement and raise awareness about the harmful impact digital distortion has on young people. #TurnYourBack sees females rally together and back the movement which has accumulated an impressive 4 million views on TikTok!
2.Barbie: The Movie
Did you know the Barbie movie launched last month? If not, you’ve been living under a rock as the marketing department at Warner Bros worked overtime to take the Barbie-core movement worldwide!
The film’s marketing budget was reported to be a whopping $150 million, which is more than what it cost to make the movie itself – so how did Warners Bros paint the town pink?
The campaign kicked off to a flying start with the launch of its character posters each showing the actors name and film title which took the internet by storm! The posters had everyone around the globe creating Barbie character posters for anyone and everyone – even we got involved > look at our posters!
Barbie also signed over 100 ‘bright pink’ brand deals with partners in every industry on the run up to launch day. This summer you could dress in Barbie apparel from brands like Primark, Zara and Asos, indulge in Barbie themed food with Barbie x Burger King’s pink burger and Barbie x Pinkberry’s frozen yoghurt. And if that wasn’t enough, you could even stay in Barbie’s Malibu Dreamhouse with Barbie x Airbnb!
3. Coke’s “Share a Coke” Campaign
The “Share a Coke” marketing campaign by Coca-Cola is a multi-national campaign that aims to create a more personalised experience for customers. The campaign debranded the traditional Coke logo and replaced it with the phrase “Share a Coke with” followed by a person’s name, allowing consumers to find and share a Coke with someone whose name they knew. This created a sense of connection and emotional appeal for customers, making the brand more relatable and memorable
This campaign was such a success as it tapped into the ever growing desire for unique experiences that consumers seek. It also boosted social media engagement by inviting people to share their personalised Coke bottles using the hashtag #ShareACoke, in turn creating a buzz around user-generated content and a sense of community for all involved!
4. Absolut Vodka x Heinz
The unlikely collab between Absolute Vodka x Heinz was a collaborative effort between the two iconic brands to promote their limited-edition Tomato Vodka Pasta Sauce.
The collaboration came off the back of a viral pasta alla vodka recipe by model Gigi Hadid which sent the internet into a frenzy.. The marketing campaign for this pasta sauce was tactical in its use of influencer partnerships, social media amplification, limited-edition product launch and unified branding each contributing to widespread brand visibility and capturing customer attention.
The campaign earned 500m impressions on social media and saw the sale of pasta sauce soar by 50%!
5. British Airways – Take Your Holidays Seriously” campaign
British Airways partnered with Uncommon and released their “Take Your Holidays Seriously” campaign in December 2022. The campaign involved a series of short videos that used comedy to urge British adults to start taking their holiday seriously after a survey by YouGov revealed that 50% of UK working adults don’t take their full annual leave allowance. The ad states that over a third of Brits respond to work emails whilst on holidays when “science says not taking time off could drastically shorten your life expectancy.” British Airways also had the campaign feature on OOH billboards showing comical out of office replies to remind people to take a break and look after their well being!
What have been some of your favourite marketing campaigns through the years?
