Advertising has always been the cornerstone in influencing consumer purchasing behavior and brand perception. There are a few campaigns that have had such tremendous impact in the market, society and culture. On this page, we will look at ten of the best advertising campaigns in history to show you how they changed their brands and has helped shaped our world.
Advertising Campaigns Build Influence
As a marketer, your goal should be to get inside of the collective subconscious and emotionally move people so that their choices are rooted in loyalty. That often means tying the brand to culture, social cause or product innovation – all vehicles that help connect with consumers. Not only were the campaigns featured here successful to meet their immediate goals, they also made the brands behind them into shining examples in advertising land.
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Nike – “Just Do It”
Overview:
Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign, one of the most memorable taglines in advertising history Launched: 1988 The campaign introduced a new demographic to sports, and made them synonymous with positivity — combining fitness inspiration along empowerment. Based on the final words of a death row prisoner, the expression was intended to evoke immediacy and grit — so it would resonate with anyone confronting an obstacle.
Success:
The campaign “Just Do It” was very successful, and led Nike to increase its market share within a decade from 18% to about 43%. Thus, causing a major spike in brand loyalty and global fame as well. Their sales rose from $877 million in 1988 to a whopping and record breaking figure of around the $9.2 billion mark by 1998, underscoring just how good an impression they managed with this campaign! Not only did this campaign change the face of Nike branding — but it also changed advertising in sportswear.
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Old Spice – “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like”
Overview:
Old SpiceIn 2010, Old Spice made a massive splash in rebranding with an ad that featured the fun and debonair Isaiah Mustafa directly speaking to viewers — all while blending humor into presenting a killer brand message. The campaign “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” was made smartly for either men and women at once, it is attractive to both with humor by the nature of man appeal.
Success:
The campaign went viral immediately, resulting in a 125% bump in sales within the first six months. Old Spice YouTube channel views and social media brand exposure climbed. The campaign didn’t just save Old Spice’s brand reputation, it also made them one of the best in class for men’s grooming and showed that being able to have a laugh with an icon can make all the difference when it comes to your product.
Dove – “Real Beauty”
Overview:
Created in 2004, the “Real Beauty” campaign from Dove celebrated women of all shapes and sizes. It was a campaign for promoting beauty and color beyond the media-stereotype of an unachievable ideal.
Success:
Over the first decade, a whopping 2000% increase in sales led to millions of women around the world relating more positively to theirselves as part of this “Real Beauty” campaign. That transitioned Dove from a world leader in massage to the most successful advocacy brand building positive body image and self-esteem. The campaign also initiated a global dialogue on beauty standards; one of the most socially impacting advertising campaigns ever.
ALS Association – Ice Bucket Challenge
Overview:
The Ice Bucket Challenge is one of the most significant social media virulence phenomenon to date and was conducted globally during The ALS Association’s fundraising campaign in August 2014.
Success:
That campaign lifted total donations to fight ALS by more than $115 million and made the Ice Bucket Challenge a global phenom participated in actors, musicians/politicians/celebrities….folks like you me. The campaign accomplished in raising awareness about ALS and resulted lot of progress being made against the disease. This highly digital campaign with the charity angle went viral, so it turned out to be one of the most successful social media-driven campaigns ever.
Coca-Cola – “Share a Coke”
Overview:
Following SwedenTMs lead, in 2011 Coca-Cola launched the TMShare a Cok(TM campaign and replaced its worldwide logo with up to 150 of most popular names per country on bottles. The campaign encouraged people to discover their names on bottles and pass them along, making consumption a more personal experience.
Success:
The “Share a Coke” promotion helped drive up U.S. sales by 2% and almost doubled the company’s social media presence in terms of users reached during this time. More than 500,000 #ShareaCoke photos were shared on social media by the public, which makes it one of Coca-Cola´s most successful and interactive campaigns ever. This campaign has shown the strength of personalization in marketing, placing Coca-Cola ahead as a protagonist for consumer engagement.
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Apple – “Shot on iPhone”
Overview:
In 2015 Apple released a campaign called “Shot on iPhone” to highlight the camera capabilities of their product, featuring images and videos taken with iPhones from real owners. It showcased the capability of an iPhone camera accessing user-generated content that was displayed on billboards, TV commercials and social media.
Success:
The campaign “Shot on iPhone” reinforced Apple´s innovativeness and creativity in its advertising which led to record high sales of iPhones. This created an army of brand advocates who felt as if they had some skin in the game themselves, strong sense of achievement that their work is being used at a global level. Since the ad itself was generated by users, Apple managed to craft an authentic story that connected with a large audience.
Red Bull – “Stratos”
Overview:
Red Bull’s 2012 sponsorship of Felix Baumgartner in his record-breaking freefall from the edge of space, dubbed “the Stratos” project. The event was video streamed live, and acquired global news coverage earning Red Bull an increased association with extreme sports.
Success:
The “Stratos” project went through the roof, and thousands of media impressions resulted from getting some 8 million viewers simultaneous as they watched Stratos live. It strengthened the brand for Red Bull as an extreme sports and adventure leader, demonstrating its ability to bring a project that would have once seemed impossible across the finish line in grand style.
Always – “Like a Girl”
Overview:
Always (2014): 69 Launched in 2014, this campaign by Always saw a third lift after changing the culture to make doing something “like a girl” cool. By making a statement of strength in place of the all-too-oft flung epithet, the campaign reinterpreted and took control from stereotypes to promote empowerment; especially self-esteem among young girls.
Win:
On YouTube alone, the “Like a Girl” ad went viral with over 85 million views and shone new light on gender norms. That campaign won numerous awards, including an Emmy and a Cannes Grand Prix (or “best in show”), and improved brand perceptions for Always tremendously. This campaign was a success and showed how socially aware advertising can strike chords with today’s viewers.
Airbnb – “We Accept”
Airbnb’s “We Accept,” which started in 2017, aired during politically challenging times in the U.S. They launched a Super Bowl spot that tapped into acceptance and unity messaging, showcasing its brand values by promoting an open world for all.
Result:
The “We Accept” campaign appealed on a global level with a 101% increase in social media mentions. This also positioned Airbnb as a responsible market leader and bolstered its brand credibility. The victory of the campaign emphasized that you had better make sure your brand messaging is coherent with what is happening societally and politically right now.
Burger King — Whopper Detour
Context:
In 2018, Burger King offered its classic burger—the Whopper—for one penny to anyone who ordered it through the app and was no more than a few hundred feet from McDonald’s. Using geo-fencing technology, the campaign went after competitors’ customers, resulting in a friendly duel between two fast-food powerhouses.
Success:
Over the course of time, the “Whopper Detour” campaign garnered more than 1.5 million app downloads, becoming (for a moment) one of the USA’s most downloaded apps across every category. It earned various advertising awards for creativity and effects and brought Burger King’s app engagement to raise loyalty of clients. The success of this campaign was its usage, combining technology with creative marketing strategies.
The success behind the campaign, “Just Do It”! — (Usually Asked)
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FAQs:
Nike: The “Just Do It” campaign worked across demographics because it offered an empowering and motivating message to all. This user-friendly, widely available campaign helped Nike take over more of the marketplace and build their brand.
What made Old Spice revival so special, the success of “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” campaign?
The new Old Spice commercial recycled the brand via a campy approach and humanized their pitchman to men (and women along for the ride). The campaign went viral on various social media platforms, and its shareability combined with clever targeting helped Old Spice grow to be one of the leading brands in the men’s grooming category.
What does Dove’s “Real Beauty” campaign have to do with it for advertisement?
Dove’s “Real Beauty” campaign even has a game-changer standing to challenge traditional beauty standards toward body positivity. Dove unlocked this global movement with the simple but powerful insight that all women are unique and beautiful in their own way, gaining recognition far beyond your typical AdWeek polls.
How did the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge generate fundraising and awareness?
The most notable development from the challenge was its success in raising over $115 million for ALS research and increased public awareness of the disease. It was one of the most successful charitable campaigns in history due to its viral popularity and extensive participation.
What made Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke” campaign so personalized?
Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke” campaign made the brand experience personal by omitting its logo from bottles altogether and inviting customers to find and share drinks with their names or their buddies. This generated a sense of personal attachment to the brand that later resulted in higher engagement and sales.
The “Whopper Detour” initiative of Burger King — what are the takeaways?
This innovative approach to advertising is a great lesson for every creative agency out there. Using geo-fencing along with playing up to the rivalry between them and McDonald’s, Burger King managed an increase in its app downloads (therefore customer engagements) alongside traditional marketing strategies, making sure we understand not just thinking about digital or promoting false binary narratives.
Conclusion:
The ten examples supplied in this article showcase how the force for innovation and originality with social aspects make advertising campaigns stand out. Whether it be Nike’s inspirational “Just Do It” or Dove’s life-affirming “Real Beauty,” these campaigns served to not only increase their sales and turn consumers into brand ambassadors but also influence culture along the way. The advertising world is changing, but these lessons about marketing will keep getting passed down, just like how they were earlier, impacting current practices and encouraging more iconic campaigns.
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