With 2020 bringing unprecedented levels of personal and economic disruption, we are all dealing with an event that has impacted everyone to one degree or another.
As I sat down to watch Sunday Night Football one evening, I saw some of the most creative campaigns (and great media placement if I do say so myself) I realized how different us marketers have to think when it comes to the future of running marketing campaigns. For a more fun article, I wanted to share with you what I found to be some the 6 of the most creative marketing campaigns of 2020.
1. Dove
Ad Title: Courage is Beautiful
Lesson:
It’s extremely important, especially in 2020, to support the front line heroes and those who support them. This aligns with their branding as a whole by having all types of bodies shown and that “Beauty is for everyone”, which is their slogan.
They emphasize the company is also donating to healthcare front line workers with a custom landing page. To learn more, visit Dove.com/BeSafe.
2. Buffalo Wild Wings
Ad Title: #SportsLiveOn
Lesson: This campaign was done pre-sports season, as the ad came out in late March (So at this point we had no idea if sports were even going to happen). What Buffalo Wild Wings was trying to convey in this ad is although we may not know exactly what is to come, that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the time indoors playing the sports we love.
Another important thing the marketing team did was add a social media campaign with a Hashtag so people could engage on social media with Buffalo Wild Wings by sharing their story related to the campaign.
3. Burger King
Ad Title: Stay Home of the Whopper #StayHome
Lesson:
What Burger King was saying in this marketing campaign is that “Healthcare workers stay at work for you, so you should stay home for them.” This approach, a for-profit business saying, “You don’t need to visit us right now, and that’s okay” is a humble and responsible voice in uncertain times. Instead of trying to earn the customer’s business, they are working to capture their hearts. This can be a risky message if not done correctly, but in this case, and in hindsight, this messaging at the time was effective and appropriate.
Just like the Buffalo Wild Wings Campaign, they also added a social media element and a custom hashtag #StayHome. This created great engagement and a viral component on social media.
4.USPS (United States Postal Service)
Ad Title: Certainty
Lesson:
This choice might have been a little biased as my dad has been a postal worker for over 30 years, but oh well. In this marketing campaign, The Postal Service celebrates the heroism and commitment of the organization’s 630,000 employees, who are continuing to serve the American people during the coronavirus pandemic.
Even through COVID, Postal Workers are working everyday through rain, snow, and sleet to make sure the mail is delivered every day on time to you, your family, and your business!
5.Microsoft
Ad Title: Microsoft Teams | Helping bring NBC Sunday Night Football to fans
Lesson:
Of course, this was going to make the cut, I mean it’s Football season! Microsoft has done an amazing job throughout the entire COVID 2020 year in terms of marketing.
Since Microsoft has the amazing Teams application, which is very similar to Slack, they have been able to capitalize on this all year with multiple ads all proving the importance of social distancing and being able to work remotely.
6.Nike
Ad Title: Play for the World
Lesson:
They ran a campaign that showed how their roster of athlete endorsers are staying active during the lockdown, in a powerful, emotional, and inclusive video spot promoted heavily across social media. They even took it up a notch by making their Nike Training Club app FREE – so people could access workouts from home!
4 Key Takeaways
- We are still in uncharted waters and for businesses across industries, this is probably the most challenging time ever faced—and will face. It’s time for brands to make a connection by crafting messages that reassure and support consumers.
- It’s time brands demonstrate by taking a stand alongside people who are facing the crisis by empathizing with their feelings and emotions.
- Try and make the marketing campaign and immersive experience. This includes boosting posts related to COVID content, writing blogs related to your business around COVID, and even sending out “Thank you” notes to local hospitals or whatever fits your brand best.
- Never underestimate the power of social media and hashtags! These potentially viral components of a marketing campaign allow for users across the web (not just Twitter) to take your message and remix it from their perspective.
These six creative marketing campaigns prove that by staying true to your values and creating content to help people engage with your brand on a deeper, more meaningful level, you will be able to remain afloat in the short-term and perhaps even thrive in the long-term.
Ready to get started on your own marketing campaign? Contact V12 Marketing for a free project consultation!
This post was authored by Alaina Froton
