Janelle Zacherl
September 8, 2021
Marketing campaigns have to tread lightly these days, and that’s ok. Between cancel culture, a worldwide pandemic, and trying to get back to normal, brands have to tiptoe around a lot of feelings. It’s not just about being active on social media, it’s about having the right tone and conveying the right message. But sometimes, they are able to seize the moment and convey exactly the right tone to exactly the right audience and make a marketing moment unforgettable. Read for five of our best marketing examples in 2021 so far:
If you’re over the age of 30, you may remember the Domino’s commercials of the ’90s with delivery drivers trying to “avoid the noid” with the weird little alien creature trying to prevent pizza from being delivered. That advertising became stale at the time and they moved away from it, but since they’re trying out a new driverless delivery system, they’ve brought back an updated “noid” with nostalgia feels, which always grab an audience, and something innovative that grabs the attention of consumers. But the draw is not only nostalgia. Nuro, the robotics partner company, promises sustainability, an exciting chance to a mundane experience, and safety in a pandemic era, important aspects for consumers.
Seize the moment and convey exactly the right tone to exactly the right audience and make a marketing moment unforgettable.
Pandemic life has stressed out most of us. We can relate to things like forgetting “real” shoes and trying so hard to stay six feet apart. But all of us really want to just get back to “normal.” Dos Equis commercials do a great and funny job of illustrating what most of us are feeling and actually being relatable about it. So many brands are trying to give consumers what they want when all they really need to do is be relatable.
Sometimes, social media gives brands the opportunity they've always wanted - Insights into the minds of consumers. The song “Fancy Like” by country singer, Walker Hayes, took TikTok by storm with a popular dance, and Applebee's restaurant took advantage of the song’s lyrics by making a commercial featuring all of the TikTok dancers. I see this commercial all the time, and I can help but join in with a few moves when I hear the catchy song. So far, Applebee’s has seen its patronage grow since introducing the new ad and has brought back the Oreo Shake made famous again in the popular summer song.
While Dove has succeeded and failed in body positivity campaigns in the past, their latest campaign to improve body positivity by encouraging young people to reduce digital manipulation of their selfies has gained steam. Every bold digital marketing campaign carries some challenge of risk and reward. Sometimes, it falls on the ears of exactly someone who wants or needs to hear it. But these types of campaigns can always be offensive to others, depending on personal experiences. But we don’t think there’s anything offensive about embracing natural, unfiltered beauty, especially when young people viewing all of these filtered images have been proven to affect their mental health.
Didn’t we all think that every scent of candle has already been invented? Budweiser says “not today.” They have come up with BBQ-scented candles to keep you in the summer mood all winter long. Of course, Summer isn’t over yet, but come November, who wouldn’t enjoy the encapsulated aroma of a smoky scent of a backyard BBQ? Straight-up creativity in marketing is often scorned and rarely rewarded, but when it is, the rewards tend to go viral.
All of these brands have come up with something innovative, something fresh, and something new. What do all of these campaigns have in common? They’re relatable to their marketing community. Some of them may be targeting different demographic groups, but the bottom line is they relate and convey an authentic message.
September 8, 2021
