IS YOUR
CONTENT
BRAVE &
DISRUPTIVE?
IS YOUR
CONTENT
BRAVE &
DISRUPTIVE?
IN CLASS
CONTENT
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WHAT
OTHER BRANDS
ARE DOING
A nice website with good SEO is no longer good enough.
You need to do more, to do better. To compete with the best
of the best for people’s attention, you need to be different.
What makes you unique?
You need to do more, to do better. To compete with the best
of the best for people’s attention, you need to be different.
What makes you unique?
A nice website with good SEO is no longer good enough.
You need to do more, to do better.
To compete with the best of the best for people’s attention, you need to be different.
What makes you unique?
You need to do more, to do better.
To compete with the best of the best for people’s attention, you need to be different.
What makes you unique?
BE INSPIRED
BY THE BEST ↓
Samsung S4 Virtual Line
To launch the Samsung S4 phone in New Zealand, users joined a virtual line ahead of the launch. Over 2 weeks they were drip fed new features & functions of the phone to share on their own social media.
The more likes, re-tweets, shares & comments you got, the closer you moved to the front of the line – rewarding the most connected and active users at the front with perks, freebies & the new phone.
Samsung installed a 50 meter screen in Auckland (largest LED screen installation in NZ history) where people in the virtual line had their own avatar in this digital queue which engaged with audiences and reacted to weather and time of day.
This creative and original campaign got all of Samsung's core target audience to do their marketing for them and reached and audience they could never reach on their own.
In just 2 weeks - 12,000 people joined the virtual queue, shared 74,000 product feature stories, viewed by 2.9 million news feeds.
Red Bull – Stratos Space Jump
An experimental marketing campaign like the world had never seen before, that became the world's most viewed live stream event in history. It's no secret that Red Bull really know how to go viral.
Red Bull sponsored Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner in his record attempt to jump from an altitude of 39km free falling for over 4 minutes over 1,300kph becoming the first free-falling human to break the sound barrier. (He was supersonic for 30 seconds!) And then parachuted back to Earth. This ambitious project was named Red Bull Stratos.
Despite repeatedly stating that this was not a marketing campaign (probably an obvious reverse psychology statement!), the stunt was live streamed in 50 countries across 80 TV stations and a large network of digital partners. 8 million simultaneous viewers on YouTube and the record attempt was watched live by a total of 52 million viewers through a network of 280 digital partners earning Red Bull Media House a Sports Emmy Award. (Now over 1 billion views across YouTube)
The Stratos campaign is estimated to have gained Red Bull tens of millions of USD in earned media value, reached over 200 million views, and saw a 7% sales increase in the first 6 months following the jump.
Old Spice – The Man Your Man Could Smell Like
When you hear "Like getting your money's worth?" and that famous whistle - you think MacDonalds. Or those forever famous bells and "Holidays are coming..." you know the Coca Cola Christmas truck is making the rounds!
So when you hear "The tickets are now diamonds!" Or "Now I'm on a horse" - you think Old Spice. They famously produced adverts that are memorable, different, funny and weird. It's about association.
The campaign was launched in 2010 and immediately went viral. The ads were full of absurdity and hyperbole, showcasing a variety of humorous and outrageous situations. The message was clear: Old Spice was not just the choice for older men, but was also a product for young, modern, and adventurous men.
The success of the campaign was due in large part to its how it demonstrated the power of humour, engagement with the audience, and creativity. The humour was charming and clever, making viewers want to share it with others.
It won several awards and increased the sales of Old Spice products by up to 107% in a short amount of time.
AirBnB – The World’s Biggest Hotel Chain
Airbnb is the gold standard of user generated content. What started as 3 friends renting out their mattresses in 2008, ended with a $100 billion IPO in the worst year in the history of the travel industry - 2020.
The Airbnb marketing strategy which relied on global community members has a crucial contribution to its success. Airbnb's marketing campaign focused on its people and local experiences which led to the creation of a unique brand identity.
The basis of Airbnb marketing is to leverage it's existing users for building content, social media growth, and trust between travellers. Airbnb doesn't sell anything, and yet created one of the most unique brand identities in the industry without lifting a finger for content.
Their famous referral program that was built to benefit both hosts and guests with travel credits, gave Airbnb an annual growth of 900%. Their users did their marketing for them and it only made the global community stronger.
Their content marketing is highly segmented to all different types of travel and demographic and has become the world's biggest travel community. They now have over 60 categories of rentals, operate in over 100,000 cities and more than 6 million properties listed. Airbnb forever changed the way people travel.
Guinness
Guinness was always traditionally a drink for the older generation and historically never advertised since it was founded in 1759. It relied on it's visual identity - the signature dark colour and creamy head are instantly recognisable, making it stand out anywhere.
In 1929 Guinness launched it's first advertising campaign and since then have always been the hero of it's own advertising every time. Guinness became cool.
Every advert is a full blown production and a journey, and will always be known as having some of the most amazing adverts of all time, as they captivated the viewer. Target audience or not - they were just fantastic adverts.
"Good things come to those who wait" - What a tag line!
QR Code N-Building in Tokyo
In 2009 a city overrun by signs and billboards, what might the future of connectivity look like? N Building in a shopping district of Tokyo transformed an entire side of a building into one giant QR code enticing engagement based on curiosity.
The building sized QR code at first went to a website for the shopping center, then later had augmented reality graphics on users phones. But that was never the endgame. The idea was to show what the future of the technology could look like.
Users could see tweets and Instagram posts of shoppers inside the building, view shop information, stock updates, special offers and sales, download coupons, see restaurant menus, make reservations etc. Turning a simple 2d building face with limited space into an endless opportunity of advertising and content marketing for businesses inside.
Nike+ Fuelstation @ Box Park London
In 2012 Nike built a pop-up store in Box Park London for the launch of its wearable tech fuelband. It targets the technologically-focussed athlete, and is a completely immersive, interactive and sensory shopping experience.
There's a motion-sensitive screen installation that lets visitors see a life-size, digital reflection of themselves that reacts to movement resulting in digital art to be shared on social media.
iPads in the walls to browse product information, a treadmill so customers can be fitted for the right shoe to suite their running style, augmented reality products, digital mannequins, gait analysis and more.
Nike seriously raised the bar for digital retail and what consumers expect for in-store shopping experiences. These engaging digital experiences were designed to enable and inspire Nike customers to be the best versions of themselves.
That is exactly what Nike is all about. This concept tapped into the user's "Wow I must have this stuff!" part of their shopping journey simply by creating an experience that they know their customers would love.
Apple – Think Different
Apple is all about simplicity. And it shows throughout the company from it's core values through to it's product launches. The 1st iPod was simply, "1,000 songs, in your pocket". For the 1st iPhone it was, "Today, Apple is going to reinvent the phone".
Apple had a reputation for doing things differently and breaking the rules - and this was also their approach to innovation. It goes way beyond what other brands do, they focus on creating products for their target audience and loyal customers who truly believe that the company's products make their lives better.
Steve Jobs' ethos was simplicity. And he only ever did 1 ad campaign in his career which was his narration in one of the most iconic and successful marketing campaigns in history. Launched in 1997, the campaign aimed to change the way people thought about Apple by highlighting the company's innovative approach to technology and design.
"Here's to the crazy ones..." The campaign called "Think Different" featured iconic names who aligned with Apple's idea of being the change you want to see in the world, such as Einstein, Bob Dylan, Martin Luther King Jr., John Lennon, Muhammad Ali, Gandhi, Picasso and more. Innovators in their own right, who inspire greatness. That's what Apple's marketing still does today.
P&G – Thank You Mum
Mums are arguably the single most influential consumer base on the planet. With over 150 athletes sponsored by P&G brands, P&G released a series of campaigns called 'Thank You, Mum' for Olympic Games since 2010.
They show athlete journeys of strength, failure, perseverance, motivation, hardships, sacrifice, heroism, success and gratitude along the way.
The ads tapped into the raw emotion of this customer base to tell a beautiful story of success. But at the end of each ad was a quick flick through of P&G brands, and the marketing messaging was subtle yet simple.
'Thank You, Mum', was first and foremost a reminder of the innumerable sacrifices made by our mums. But behind every mum, is a collection of P&G products. Only Mums can do what they do, and they can do it because of P&G. They are essentially giving their products the credit for the job of a Mum - very clever!
The ads shared incredible stories that united all P&G brands under 1 voice. This campaign was the biggest and most successful of P&G in it's 175 year history. They gained an unbelieve audience of 76 billion global media impressions, over 74 million global views, over 370 million Twitter interactions and earned $500 million in global incremental P&G sales.
Fitbit Stories – #MyReasonIs
There's nothing more powerful in a digital marketing campaign than inspiration success stories directly from happy customers - which is exactly why Fitbit’s #MyReasonIs campaign was such a hit. It focused on real users and how Fitbit changed their lives.
The campaign success came from combining the inspiration and authenticity of real people’s stories, then inviting us all to organically amplify the campaign by sharing our own reasons for getting healthy across social media.
The campaign was targeting their users on a personal level. By profiling 5 people from different backgrounds and life stages, Fitbit’s message was more likely to resonate with individual consumers who could find someone in that group to identify with.
It was a great move and very smart to invite their fans to participate and share their own reasons with the #MyReasonIs hashtag all over social media. It inspired a huge community of thousands of success stories. Ordinary athletes - Extraordinary stories.
Nike – Just Do It
Nike ads are all about 2 things: Inspiration and courage. The content and narrative is relatable to the viewers and make you want to do more, be better, work harder at the sport you love.
Their main reason for their content success is that they rely heavily on celebrities, influencers and athletes that people love. The brand supports popular and unpopular athletes who have motivational stories and journeys to share.
Working with people who have been on the same road as their target audience creates strong emotional connections with their customers. It's the classic "I want the racket that Murray plays with or the shoes that Jordan wears".
Their investment into creating such powerful connections with their consumers - of all types demographic and across such a huge variety of sports - is what has made Nike the world's leading apparel brand. (And of course their simple yet amazing slogan "Just Do It" resonates with everyone who needs a bit of motivation!)
GoPro
GoPro has always been a brand that represents amazing experiences and adventure. It began as a product to help athletes self-document themselves in their sport, and is now the go-to solution for capturing all of life’s moments.
"Enabling the world to capture and share its passions” is a great mission. While most brands put their product first, GoPro's emphasis is on it's user generated content. Share over Shop, content over commerce.
It sells the user on the amazing content created by every day people that resonates with it's mission, which does a great job of easing the user down the shopper journey instead of displaying the product front and center. The user has decided they want the product that can capture their own life well before GoPro has even tried to sell it to them.
GoPro use user generated content to tap into emotions and inspiration and their fans do the marketing for them. They make a conscious effort to reach out to peripheral audiences by creating content that connects with individual demographics. It shows the awareness of GoPro's content marketing strategy and their commitment to the user experience.
GoPro's own content is tailored and highly targeted to the audiences who engage in different ways on different social channels and always distribute their content with that audience in mind.
Cadbury’s Gorilla Drummer
In 2006 Cadbury recalls over a million chocolate bars from shelves amid fears they are contaminated with salmonella costing Cadbury £20 million. The business is on the brink of going under with wide spread public disdain for the brand.
The next TV ad had a very clear brief - "Get the love back!" When the Gorilla ad was first pitched they said, "Let me get this right - You want to make an ad that’s three times longer than a normal ad, has got no Cadbury’s chocolate in it and there’s no message?" Initial feedback was "You are never showing this ad!"
But the concept of the advert was not about what Cadbury is, or what it's products are, but about what the brand represents - the feeling of happiness. The anticipation of joy until you take that bite is represented perfectly with the gorilla waiting for the big drum riff moment.
It was totally captivating. It forced people to acknowledge how iconic Cadbury's brand is, and re-engage with it. The appeal lies in the fact that it evokes a feeling – and it’s therefore something people enjoy over and over again and was crowned the UK's favourite ad of all time.
The response to the advert was overwhelmingly positive and the ad went viral instantly. It was just so different, so unexpected, so cool. 250,000 YouTube views within 24 hours, Wonderbra created a spoof which also went viral (watch here), product sales shot up 10% and the advert won a bunch of media awards.
Corona – #ThisIsLiving
The campaign taps into the universal desire for freedom, for wanderlust, the brand wants to inspire people to go outside, to relax, to enjoy life and live more moments that matter.
Corona selected local influencers around the world who embodied the 'This is Living' lifestyle to feature in the campaign. #ThisIsLiving moments were shot globally in a content series documenting personal stories to be shared across social media.
An amazing shoot was also done from the perspective of the lime to bring an original fresh look at how a Corona is enjoyed. It was a great piece of video content.
The campaign connects with Corona drinkers in a way that other beers don't - that these moments of living life are made possible with a Corona!
Budweiser – “Whassuuuup?!”
Budweiser’s "Whassup?" ads in 1999 helped usher in a new age of viral media and the arrival of urban culture in the advertising mainstream. The internet was flooded with parodies and spoofs.
The ad was about being connected. The goal was to attract a youthful demographic of 21-27 year olds who's brand loyalties had not yet been formed. The setting of the advert resonated around this demographic who enjoyed feeling connected, and because of the popularity of these ads, the feeling of being connected was then associated with that beer being a Bud.
"Whassup?!" was one of the most acclaimed and popular campaigns in advertising history. It won nearly every major award in the industry. The campaign’s signature phrase earned comparisons to classic advertising phrases like Wendy’s ‘‘Where’s the Beef ?’’ and Nike’s ‘‘Just Do It.’’.
It makes Budweiser a younger, hipper and more contemporary brand. In 2001 Bud Light became the best-selling beer in the US with it's parent company Anheuser-Busch approaching a market share of nearly 50 percent.
8 years later the cast of the original ad made a comeback to recreate the same advert as a political endorsement in show of support for the presidential campaign of Barack Obama. Watch here.
Mr Beast – The First Billionaire YouTuber?
MrBeast is one of the biggest and most successful YouTubers in the world. With almost 200 million subscribers and billions of views on his videos, MrBeast has built a massive following and empire around his content. He even turned down a $1 billion dollar offer to buy his YouTube channel.
His story is about brand awareness. His content is all about giveaways and fun stunts, and the campaigns are not profitable. He operates on his own form of philanthropy. The lesson is that even if no immediate ROI is made, brand awareness is very powerful if it grows an engaged audience. Patience and a good vision will pay off, for example it took Amazon 9 years to turn a profit.
Since 2012 he has built a brand for himself centered around creating content that is entertaining, creative, fun and most importantly - he understands the value and importance of creating content that his audience loves.
His ethos is also one that people want to get behind: Use your brand’s content to make a positive impact in the world, set an example and people will follow.
His YouTube success is the most successful story in the history of the platform. His main channel has almost 200 million subscribers and his top 5 videos alone have almost 2 billion views.
Chicago Museum of Science and Industry
The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago ran the “Month at the Museum” contest to promote itself as a cool place for learning and entertainment. The call for applicants resulted in more than 1500 entries from all seven continents.
One winner was paid to live inside the museum for 30 days. She used social media to share her daily activities and experience. Curious visitors could find out more about the winners’ activities while educating themselves about the programs at the museum.
Museum visitors were so excited about following this winner throughout the month they happened to learn so much about what is on in the museum which did wonders for the footfall in coming months.
The campaign resulted in more than 1,100 media hits and 460 million audience impressions. Attendance grew by double digits over the previous year in the months following the campaign. 59 percent of guests were aware of the campaign prior to their visit.
Month at the Museum was a success because it got people excited about a huge and potentially impersonal institution by connecting them to a unique and highly personal experience.
Dollar Shave Club – Our Blades Are F***ing Great
The Dollar Shave Club is a true David Vs Goliath story. In a highly competitive market full of global corporations that dominated the market - one guy was tired of paying too much for razors plus the inconvenience of going to the store to get them.
His idea was simple - why not send high quality razors straight to consumers for a low monthly fee? The idea was delivered with one of the most famous launch videos in FMCG marketing and went viral instantly.
It was funny, different, low budget, and most importantly spoke to the every day razor user on a personal level without the typical sales bravado of the other big companies. People loved him for it and loved his product.
When it launched in 2012, their website crashed the same day. The next day it had 12,000 new subscribers for their $1/month subscription service. After a few months they had over 330,000 subscribers. Within a few days the video had over 3 million views and today has over 28 million views on their YouTube channel.
This subscription based direct to consumer model, combined with killer marketing ended up with a large market share and being bought by Unilever for $1 billion dollars just a few years later.
Heineken – The Most Interesting Man in The World
In a time when craft beer was taking over the US and sales on imported beer were dipping, Dos Equis found a way to make their beer desirable and captivated multiple demographics immediately in a way no other drink was doing.
They took a polar opposite approach to every other beer brand, featuring a refined & worldly gentleman - a figure to aspire to. And drinking Dos Equis would get you there. It changed the way people thought about what beer they drank.
The ad had all the right elements for success - didn't try too hard, unique, interesting, funny, it had a signature style, it remembered the brand, it was addictive as his story developed, and it represented a vibrant spirit of adventure.
It became a viral sensation, people were recreating their own version of "He doesn't normally do X, but when he does, he Y..." and the creativity of all these consumer made videos was endless. It made the original and even more popular and for almost 10 years the world has followed the adventures of The Most Interesting Man In The World.
The beer tripled it's sales in the years following the MIMITW's birth. The best part of this marketing campaign was nothing to do with the brand or the beer. It was in the narrative. The quotes were so outlandish and bold, yet the way they were presented perfectly made the ads so loved.
Nike+ Fuelstation @ Box Park London
In 2012 Nike built a pop-up store in Box Park London for the launch of its wearable tech fuelband. It targets the technologically-focussed athlete, and is a completely immersive, interactive and sensory shopping experience.
There's a motion-sensitive screen installation that lets visitors see a life-size, digital reflection of themselves that reacts to movement resulting in digital art to be shared on social media.
iPads in the walls to browse product information, a treadmill so customers can be fitted for the right shoe to suite their running style, augmented reality products, digital mannequins, gait analysis and more.
Nike seriously raised the bar for digital retail and what consumers expect for in-store shopping experiences. These engaging digital experiences were designed to enable and inspire Nike customers to be the best versions of themselves.
That is exactly what Nike is all about. This concept tapped into the user's "Wow I must have this stuff!" part of their shopping journey simply by creating an experience that they know their customers would love.
Chicago Museum of Science and Industry
The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago ran the “Month at the Museum” contest to promote itself as a cool place for learning and entertainment. The call for applicants resulted in more than 1500 entries from all seven continents.
One winner was paid to live inside the museum for 30 days. She used social media to share her daily activities and experience. Curious visitors could find out more about the winners’ activities while educating themselves about the programs at the museum.
Museum visitors were so excited about following this winner throughout the month they happened to learn so much about what is on in the museum which did wonders for the footfall in coming months.
The campaign resulted in more than 1,100 media hits and 460 million audience impressions. Attendance grew by double digits over the previous year in the months following the campaign. 59 percent of guests were aware of the campaign prior to their visit.
Month at the Museum was a success because it got people excited about a huge and potentially impersonal institution by connecting them to a unique and highly personal experience.
QR Code N-Building in Tokyo
In 2009 a city overrun by signs and billboards, what might the future of connectivity look like? N Building in a shopping district of Tokyo transformed an entire side of a building into one giant QR code enticing engagement based on curiosity.
The building sized QR code at first went to a website for the shopping center, then later had augmented reality graphics on users phones. But that was never the endgame. The idea was to show what the future of the technology could look like.
Users could see tweets and Instagram posts of shoppers inside the building, view shop information, stock updates, special offers and sales, download coupons, see restaurant menus, make reservations etc. Turning a simple 2d building face with limited space into an endless opportunity of advertising and content marketing for businesses inside.
Dollar Shave Club – Our Blades Are F***ing Great
The Dollar Shave Club is a true David Vs Goliath story. In a highly competitive market full of global corporations that dominated the market - one guy was tired of paying too much for razors plus the inconvenience of going to the store to get them.
His idea was simple - why not send high quality razors straight to consumers for a low monthly fee? The idea was delivered with one of the most famous launch videos in FMCG marketing and went viral instantly.
It was funny, different, low budget, and most importantly spoke to the every day razor user on a personal level without the typical sales bravado of the other big companies. People loved him for it and loved his product.
When it launched in 2012, their website crashed the same day. The next day it had 12,000 new subscribers for their $1/month subscription service. After a few months they had over 330,000 subscribers. Within a few days the video had over 3 million views and today has over 28 million views on their YouTube channel.
This subscription based direct to consumer model, combined with killer marketing ended up with a large market share and being bought by Unilever for $1 billion dollars just a few years later.
Old Spice – The Man Your Man Could Smell Like
When you hear "Like getting your money's worth?" and that famous whistle - you think MacDonalds. Or those forever famous bells and "Holidays are coming..." you know the Coca Cola Christmas truck is making the rounds!
So when you hear "The tickets are now diamonds!" Or "Now I'm on a horse" - you think Old Spice. They famously produced adverts that are memorable, different, funny and weird. It's about association.
The campaign was launched in 2010 and immediately went viral. The ads were full of absurdity and hyperbole, showcasing a variety of humorous and outrageous situations. The message was clear: Old Spice was not just the choice for older men, but was also a product for young, modern, and adventurous men.
The success of the campaign was due in large part to its how it demonstrated the power of humour, engagement with the audience, and creativity. The humour was charming and clever, making viewers want to share it with others.
It won several awards and increased the sales of Old Spice products by up to 107% in a short amount of time.
Budweiser – “Whassuuuup?!”
Budweiser’s "Whassup?" ads in 1999 helped usher in a new age of viral media and the arrival of urban culture in the advertising mainstream. The internet was flooded with parodies and spoofs.
The ad was about being connected. The goal was to attract a youthful demographic of 21-27 year olds who's brand loyalties had not yet been formed. The setting of the advert resonated around this demographic who enjoyed feeling connected, and because of the popularity of these ads, the feeling of being connected was then associated with that beer being a Bud.
"Whassup?!" was one of the most acclaimed and popular campaigns in advertising history. It won nearly every major award in the industry. The campaign’s signature phrase earned comparisons to classic advertising phrases like Wendy’s ‘‘Where’s the Beef ?’’ and Nike’s ‘‘Just Do It.’’.
It makes Budweiser a younger, hipper and more contemporary brand. In 2001 Bud Light became the best-selling beer in the US with it's parent company Anheuser-Busch approaching a market share of nearly 50 percent.
8 years later the cast of the original ad made a comeback to recreate the same advert as a political endorsement in show of support for the presidential campaign of Barack Obama. Watch here.
Nike – Just Do It
Nike ads are all about 2 things: Inspiration and courage. The content and narrative is relatable to the viewers and make you want to do more, be better, work harder at the sport you love.
Their main reason for their content success is that they rely heavily on celebrities, influencers and athletes that people love. The brand supports popular and unpopular athletes who have motivational stories and journeys to share.
Working with people who have been on the same road as their target audience creates strong emotional connections with their customers. It's the classic "I want the racket that Murray plays with or the shoes that Jordan wears".
Their investment into creating such powerful connections with their consumers - of all types demographic and across such a huge variety of sports - is what has made Nike the world's leading apparel brand. (And of course their simple yet amazing slogan "Just Do It" resonates with everyone who needs a bit of motivation!)
Red Bull – Stratos Space Jump
An experimental marketing campaign like the world had never seen before, that became the world's most viewed live stream event in history. It's no secret that Red Bull really know how to go viral.
Red Bull sponsored Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner in his record attempt to jump from an altitude of 39km free falling for over 4 minutes over 1,300kph becoming the first free-falling human to break the sound barrier. (He was supersonic for 30 seconds!) And then parachuted back to Earth. This ambitious project was named Red Bull Stratos.
Despite repeatedly stating that this was not a marketing campaign (probably an obvious reverse psychology statement!), the stunt was live streamed in 50 countries across 80 TV stations and a large network of digital partners. 8 million simultaneous viewers on YouTube and the record attempt was watched live by a total of 52 million viewers through a network of 280 digital partners earning Red Bull Media House a Sports Emmy Award. (Now over 1 billion views across YouTube)
The Stratos campaign is estimated to have gained Red Bull tens of millions of USD in earned media value, reached over 200 million views, and saw a 7% sales increase in the first 6 months following the jump.
Heineken – The Most Interesting Man in The World
In a time when craft beer was taking over the US and sales on imported beer were dipping, Dos Equis found a way to make their beer desirable and captivated multiple demographics immediately in a way no other drink was doing.
They took a polar opposite approach to every other beer brand, featuring a refined & worldly gentleman - a figure to aspire to. And drinking Dos Equis would get you there. It changed the way people thought about what beer they drank.
The ad had all the right elements for success - didn't try too hard, unique, interesting, funny, it had a signature style, it remembered the brand, it was addictive as his story developed, and it represented a vibrant spirit of adventure.
It became a viral sensation, people were recreating their own version of "He doesn't normally do X, but when he does, he Y..." and the creativity of all these consumer made videos was endless. It made the original and even more popular and for almost 10 years the world has followed the adventures of The Most Interesting Man In The World.
The beer tripled it's sales in the years following the MIMITW's birth. The best part of this marketing campaign was nothing to do with the brand or the beer. It was in the narrative. The quotes were so outlandish and bold, yet the way they were presented perfectly made the ads so loved.
Corona – #ThisIsLiving
The campaign taps into the universal desire for freedom, for wanderlust, the brand wants to inspire people to go outside, to relax, to enjoy life and live more moments that matter.
Corona selected local influencers around the world who embodied the 'This is Living' lifestyle to feature in the campaign. #ThisIsLiving moments were shot globally in a content series documenting personal stories to be shared across social media.
An amazing shoot was also done from the perspective of the lime to bring an original fresh look at how a Corona is enjoyed. It was a great piece of video content.
The campaign connects with Corona drinkers in a way that other beers don't - that these moments of living life are made possible with a Corona!
AirBnB – The World’s Biggest Hotel Chain
Airbnb is the gold standard of user generated content. What started as 3 friends renting out their mattresses in 2008, ended with a $100 billion IPO in the worst year in the history of the travel industry - 2020.
The Airbnb marketing strategy which relied on global community members has a crucial contribution to its success. Airbnb's marketing campaign focused on its people and local experiences which led to the creation of a unique brand identity.
The basis of Airbnb marketing is to leverage it's existing users for building content, social media growth, and trust between travellers. Airbnb doesn't sell anything, and yet created one of the most unique brand identities in the industry without lifting a finger for content.
Their famous referral program that was built to benefit both hosts and guests with travel credits, gave Airbnb an annual growth of 900%. Their users did their marketing for them and it only made the global community stronger.
Their content marketing is highly segmented to all different types of travel and demographic and has become the world's biggest travel community. They now have over 60 categories of rentals, operate in over 100,000 cities and more than 6 million properties listed. Airbnb forever changed the way people travel.
GoPro
GoPro has always been a brand that represents amazing experiences and adventure. It began as a product to help athletes self-document themselves in their sport, and is now the go-to solution for capturing all of life’s moments.
"Enabling the world to capture and share its passions” is a great mission. While most brands put their product first, GoPro's emphasis is on it's user generated content. Share over Shop, content over commerce.
It sells the user on the amazing content created by every day people that resonates with it's mission, which does a great job of easing the user down the shopper journey instead of displaying the product front and center. The user has decided they want the product that can capture their own life well before GoPro has even tried to sell it to them.
GoPro use user generated content to tap into emotions and inspiration and their fans do the marketing for them. They make a conscious effort to reach out to peripheral audiences by creating content that connects with individual demographics. It shows the awareness of GoPro's content marketing strategy and their commitment to the user experience.
GoPro's own content is tailored and highly targeted to the audiences who engage in different ways on different social channels and always distribute their content with that audience in mind.
Fitbit Stories – #MyReasonIs
There's nothing more powerful in a digital marketing campaign than inspiration success stories directly from happy customers - which is exactly why Fitbit’s #MyReasonIs campaign was such a hit. It focused on real users and how Fitbit changed their lives.
The campaign success came from combining the inspiration and authenticity of real people’s stories, then inviting us all to organically amplify the campaign by sharing our own reasons for getting healthy across social media.
The campaign was targeting their users on a personal level. By profiling 5 people from different backgrounds and life stages, Fitbit’s message was more likely to resonate with individual consumers who could find someone in that group to identify with.
It was a great move and very smart to invite their fans to participate and share their own reasons with the #MyReasonIs hashtag all over social media. It inspired a huge community of thousands of success stories. Ordinary athletes - Extraordinary stories.
Apple – Think Different
Apple is all about simplicity. And it shows throughout the company from it's core values through to it's product launches. The 1st iPod was simply, "1,000 songs, in your pocket". For the 1st iPhone it was, "Today, Apple is going to reinvent the phone".
Apple had a reputation for doing things differently and breaking the rules - and this was also their approach to innovation. It goes way beyond what other brands do, they focus on creating products for their target audience and loyal customers who truly believe that the company's products make their lives better.
Steve Jobs' ethos was simplicity. And he only ever did 1 ad campaign in his career which was his narration in one of the most iconic and successful marketing campaigns in history. Launched in 1997, the campaign aimed to change the way people thought about Apple by highlighting the company's innovative approach to technology and design.
"Here's to the crazy ones..." The campaign called "Think Different" featured iconic names who aligned with Apple's idea of being the change you want to see in the world, such as Einstein, Bob Dylan, Martin Luther King Jr., John Lennon, Muhammad Ali, Gandhi, Picasso and more. Innovators in their own right, who inspire greatness. That's what Apple's marketing still does today.
Samsung S4 Virtual Line
To launch the Samsung S4 phone in New Zealand, users joined a virtual line ahead of the launch. Over 2 weeks they were drip fed new features & functions of the phone to share on their own social media.
The more likes, re-tweets, shares & comments you got, the closer you moved to the front of the line – rewarding the most connected and active users at the front with perks, freebies & the new phone.
Samsung installed a 50 meter screen in Auckland (largest LED screen installation in NZ history) where people in the virtual line had their own avatar in this digital queue which engaged with audiences and reacted to weather and time of day.
This creative and original campaign got all of Samsung's core target audience to do their marketing for them and reached and audience they could never reach on their own.
In just 2 weeks - 12,000 people joined the virtual queue, shared 74,000 product feature stories, viewed by 2.9 million news feeds.
Cadbury’s Gorilla Drummer
In 2006 Cadbury recalls over a million chocolate bars from shelves amid fears they are contaminated with salmonella costing Cadbury £20 million. The business is on the brink of going under with wide spread public disdain for the brand.
The next TV ad had a very clear brief - "Get the love back!" When the Gorilla ad was first pitched they said, "Let me get this right - You want to make an ad that’s three times longer than a normal ad, has got no Cadbury’s chocolate in it and there’s no message?" Initial feedback was "You are never showing this ad!"
But the concept of the advert was not about what Cadbury is, or what it's products are, but about what the brand represents - the feeling of happiness. The anticipation of joy until you take that bite is represented perfectly with the gorilla waiting for the big drum riff moment.
It was totally captivating. It forced people to acknowledge how iconic Cadbury's brand is, and re-engage with it. The appeal lies in the fact that it evokes a feeling – and it’s therefore something people enjoy over and over again and was crowned the UK's favourite ad of all time.
The response to the advert was overwhelmingly positive and the ad went viral instantly. It was just so different, so unexpected, so cool. 250,000 YouTube views within 24 hours, Wonderbra created a spoof which also went viral (watch here), product sales shot up 10% and the advert won a bunch of media awards.
P&G – Thank You Mum
Mums are arguably the single most influential consumer base on the planet. With over 150 athletes sponsored by P&G brands, P&G released a series of campaigns called 'Thank You, Mum' for Olympic Games since 2010.
They show athlete journeys of strength, failure, perseverance, motivation, hardships, sacrifice, heroism, success and gratitude along the way.
The ads tapped into the raw emotion of this customer base to tell a beautiful story of success. But at the end of each ad was a quick flick through of P&G brands, and the marketing messaging was subtle yet simple.
'Thank You, Mum', was first and foremost a reminder of the innumerable sacrifices made by our mums. But behind every mum, is a collection of P&G products. Only Mums can do what they do, and they can do it because of P&G. They are essentially giving their products the credit for the job of a Mum - very clever!
The ads shared incredible stories that united all P&G brands under 1 voice. This campaign was the biggest and most successful of P&G in it's 175 year history. They gained an unbelieve audience of 76 billion global media impressions, over 74 million global views, over 370 million Twitter interactions and earned $500 million in global incremental P&G sales.
Guinness
Guinness was always traditionally a drink for the older generation and historically never advertised since it was founded in 1759. It relied on it's visual identity - the signature dark colour and creamy head are instantly recognisable, making it stand out anywhere.
In 1929 Guinness launched it's first advertising campaign and since then have always been the hero of it's own advertising every time. Guinness became cool.
Every advert is a full blown production and a journey, and will always be known as having some of the most amazing adverts of all time, as they captivated the viewer. Target audience or not - they were just fantastic adverts.
"Good things come to those who wait" - What a tag line!
Mr Beast – The First Billionaire YouTuber?
MrBeast is one of the biggest and most successful YouTubers in the world. With almost 200 million subscribers and billions of views on his videos, MrBeast has built a massive following and empire around his content. He even turned down a $1 billion dollar offer to buy his YouTube channel.
His story is about brand awareness. His content is all about giveaways and fun stunts, and the campaigns are not profitable. He operates on his own form of philanthropy. The lesson is that even if no immediate ROI is made, brand awareness is very powerful if it grows an engaged audience. Patience and a good vision will pay off, for example it took Amazon 9 years to turn a profit.
Since 2012 he has built a brand for himself centered around creating content that is entertaining, creative, fun and most importantly - he understands the value and importance of creating content that his audience loves.
His ethos is also one that people want to get behind: Use your brand’s content to make a positive impact in the world, set an example and people will follow.
His YouTube success is the most successful story in the history of the platform. His main channel has almost 200 million subscribers and his top 5 videos alone have almost 2 billion views.
