10 Marketing Campaigns that Caught Our Eye

Using social media in itself used to be the most creative a company could get with their marketing campaigns. But now as social media is constantly flooded with advertisements and stunts, companies are seeking more creative ways to put their latest project out there. 

Whether it’s an immersive pop up or an influencer sponsorship, now more than ever before companies are crossing boundaries and redefining what creativity looks like in the world of marketing. Below we have included 10 marketing campaigns that caught our attention, and brought their companies success.

1. Grimace’s Birthday – McDonald’s
   This year McDonald’s celebrated the birthday of one of its mascots, Grimace. This celebration included confetti decorated bags, and the addition of the infamous Grimace meal to the menu. Taste testing the berry flavored beverage became a viral TikTok trend, where participants pretend that the shake wiped them out. McDonald’s did not shy away from embracing the meme culture, tweeting “me pretending i don’t see the grimace shake trend” with a funny picture of the beloved birthday boy. A final component behind the success was Grimace’s social media takeovers that promoted the meal with his witty sense of humor, as McDonald’s strayed from faceless corporate promotion.
   
2. Save the Sleeve – Kleenex
   Another campaign well-done this year is “Save the Sleeve” by Kleenex. The series of commercials urges viewers to “Save the Sleeve, Grab a Kleenex” by showing just how gross wiping your nose with your sleeve is. Especially in a time where people are much more conscious of health and cleanliness, this campaign resonated well with consumers. Kleenex continues to stand as a top facial tissue brand according to Consumer Reports.
   
3. Seen It All – Nike
   In celebration of Nike’s 50th Year Anniversary, Spike Lee partnered with the ‘Just Do It’ brand to produce a short film honoring the all time greats and upcoming legends of the sports industry. The film paid homage to Spike Lee’s “She’s Gotta Have It”, as Spike Lee performed his sport debate as his 1986 character, Mars Blackmon. With the success of the viral campaign appealing to both Spike Lee and sports fans, Nike app sales went beyond $10 billion.
   
4. Privacy on iPhone – Apple
   Apple introduced the Privacy on iPhone campaign in 2022, to show its users that the company prioritizes user trust, honing in on the popular fear amongst consumers of having personal data/information stolen. These ads promoted Apple’s new App Tracking Transparency update, which requires more apps to ask before tracking activity. Following the update and marketing efforts, Apple saw a 4% increase in its ad business, and more companies are looking to work with the now trusted brand in privacy.
   
5. Detox Your Feed – Dove
   #DetoxYourFeed by Dove is centered around girls’ self-esteem, partnering with companies like Girl Scouts of America and Women’s Dermatologic Society. The hashtag has over 1,000 posts on Instagram, and the associated short film “Toxic Influence” has over 3 million views on YouTube. This campaign has helped Dove to prove itself as a thought leader in women’s beauty and self-confidence, preaching that social media photos can be heavily edited, and that there’s no need to compare your authentic self to photoshopped images.
   
6. Year in Search – Google
   Since 2010, Google has been compiling their top searches into an inspiring commercial for the end of each year. The emotion driven campaign included “Can I change?”, “How to find my passion”, and “Can I create change” as some of its 2022 featured searches. Currently, the 2022 Year in Search has 296 million views on YouTube, with many users commenting that they can’t wait for the next one.
   
7. Because of This – Pfizer
   Pfizer pulled on heart strings to increase vaccination rates in 2021 by promising they would help get everyone back to doing what they loved – with who they love. One of the many FAQ styled ads read, “Q: Why will you get vaccinated? A: Because you can’t hug on a computer screen”. Attempting to subside misinformation, Pfizer established itself as a leader in global health. Since December of 2020, over 4 billion Pfizer vaccines have shipped globally.
   
8. Influencer Campaign – Hello Fresh
   By using influencer marketing, Hello Fresh established 1 million new customers in their first quarter of 2020. Since the company’s audience consists of about 80% women, the influencer campaign focuses on busy moms who value nutrition. Their partners include Mandy Moore, Jessica Alba, and a cooking show with Mindy Kailing entitled, “Meals with Mindy”. Evident of the campaign’s success, Hello Fresh won “Best Food and Drink Campaign” at the 2020 Influencer Marketing Awards.
   
9. Is Pepsi OK? – PepsiCo
   This star-studded ad featuring Steve Carell, Cardi B, and Lil Jon, pokes fun at waiters asking “is Pepsi ok?” when customers order Coke. It proclaims that Pepsi is “More than ok” as a cola flavored soda. Along with the ad, Pepsi “painted the town blue” for the 2019 Superbowl, with bright blue billboards and posters spread throughout the game’s host city of Atlanta. Reports show that Pespi saw a 4% uptick in stock market value following the original airing of the campaign’s gameday commercial.
   
10. We Find a Way – Mount Sinai
    Showcasing a snapshot of life saving moments, Mount Sinai Hospital launched “We Find a Way” to highlight their resilient spirit in healthcare. Sprinkled throughout New York, the billboards and posters capture moments of nurses and doctors caring for their patients in life-or-death situations.   

Great Success or Epic Fail? 

So what makes all these marketing campaigns successful? Everyone of these examples presents a clear message that resonates with their target audience. The importance of understanding how to reach and address your company or brand’s target audience in a campaign was highlighted in Bud Light’s recent scandal.

Following the partnership with trans TikTok influencer Dylan Mulvaney, Bud Light’s parent company Anheuser-Busch saw a 23% drop in revenue. This partnership also led to previous supporters like Kid Rock, and country singer Travis Tritt to publicly denounce Budlight on Twitter, announcing their boycotts to their followers. 
Channel V Media’s founder Gretel Going spoke with Yahoo Finance to provide insight on why this may have happened and where BudLight may have tripped up. See their full conversation here!