Advertising Campaigns to Inspire Marketing Campaigns In 2021

Advertising campaigns are groups of similar ads that present a unified tone and message. Leveraging multichannel marketing over longer periods, ad campaigns help brands push ideas without being repetitive.

Campaigns are unequal. Though created in a somewhat similar manner, advertising campaigns command different results. Specifically, some campaigns achieve astonishing results fueling inspiration amongst other brands.

With numerous ad campaigns being run daily, understanding what makes a campaign successful helps improve any marketer’s prowess. In no specific order, here are the best ad campaigns of all time and key lessons that marketers should learn from them.

#1. Coke’s “Share a Coke” Campaign

Beginning in Australia in 2011, the “Share a Coke” campaign involved printing the most popular names on coke bottles. The campaign spread to coke markets around the globe, allowing coke clients to order custom bottles via Coke’s website. The customization feature allowed coke consumers to imprint college logos and nicknames on their coke bottles too.

Due to its unique and highly personalized campaign, many consumers were enchanted by coke’s approach. At the same time, some consumers were confused about why coke had chosen to personalize temporary items—in this case, the coke bottles.

Nonetheless, Coke’s “share a coke” campaign drove immediate attention to the brand.

Key Lesson

By leveraging coke fan’s regular consumption, the company employed personalization to invoke each user’s sense of individual ownership. As well, the thrill of what name was drawn from vending machines was fun for consumers. It encouraged more of them to “share a coke” with individuals whose name appeared on a can or bottle.

#2. Absolut Vodka’s “Absolut Bottle” Campaign

Absolut vodka makes a very recognizable bottle, despite the fact that it has  no particularly distinct shape. Featuring print ads, the “Absolut Bottle” campaign showed bottles  “in the wild”, creating a campaign that ran for 25 years. With more than 1500 ads, the Absolut Vodka campaign was the longest ad campaign ever run.

At the campaign’s inception, Absolut Vodka controlled a measly 2.5% of the American vodka market. In the late 2000s, when the campaign ended, Absolut held close to 50 percent of America’s imported vodka market ( roughly 4.5 million cases).

Key Lesson

Regardless of the nature of a product, marketers should try to tell a product’s story interestingly. With more than 1500 ads for one bottle, Absolut leveraged differentiation to reach its target customers.

#3.  “LikeaGirl” Campaign by Always

With a groundbreaking message that millions remembered after the campaign was over, Always’ “like a girl” campaign is worth studying.

The campaign leveraged the stigma that accompanies playing sports “like a girl”.Often, the boy’s way of playing emerged as correct and better. But at the end of the campaign ads, Always succeeded in sending a clear and inspiring message. The message showed that girls are as capable and fit as boys, especially at puberty—a stage that’s important to Always and its products.

Key Lesson

Brands should acknowledge the challenges that their audiences face. And each brand should take a stand that supports its audience by identifying with their passions.

At the same time, not all societal problems are off-limits for brands. Marketers and advertisers can find unique angles that touch their audience thus improving ad campaign performances.