A peer of mine asked me recently what I thought were the 5 best marketing campaigns I have seen. It’s not an easy question to answer but I narrowed it down to 5 campaigns that have stuck with me since I first saw them. The criteria I’ve set for the 5 best marketing campaigns are:

• memorability – you clearly remember the campaigns after seeing them one time
• clear message – you know exactly what message the company wants to convey
• meaning – you know exactly what the message means
• purpose – you know exactly what the company wants you to do (buy this, use that, we are all about this, etc.)
• uniqueness – no one else in the market is doing this

Without further ado, here are the 5 best marketing campaigns I have seen:

WhatsApp – Dark mode

WhatsApp announced dark mode for iOS and Android with an ad in March 2020. The video depicts people in the dark, in bed, in movie theaters etc., opening their phones and a bright light shines in their faces, while “The Sound of Silence” by Simon and Garfunkel is playing (“Hello darkness my old friend”).

I think we can all relate to what these people are going through and most of us are familiar with the song as well. It’s a great and funny way of visualizing the benefit of using dark mode, and they even have Borat in the video. The message is conveyed in a clear and memorable way.

Update April 11, 2021: For some reason the video for this ad is nowhere to be found, so I used a still picture to replace the broken video link.

Red Bull Stratos

To me Red Bull Stratos in 2013 is the definition of a viral campaign. The high altitude diving project saw Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner breaking the world record for the highest sky-dive at 39,045 meters (128,100 feet). It’s hard to imagine any campaign even coming close to having the same reach as this one did. It’s estimated that Red Bull spent about $30 million on the project, but the value this campaign added to Red Bull is priceless.

The project was all everyone talked about for weeks. There was a lot of anticipation leading up to the event itself and it was streamed live by an estimated 8 million viewers on YouTube and also generated an incredible amount of buzz in other social media. The project was a huge success. Baumgartner set a couple of records and the Red Bull logo was everywhere in the videos and online.

The message here might be a bit convoluted but it falls in line with all the other sponsored extreme sports events Red Bull were doing at the time. By associating with extreme sport, Red Bull conveys the message that they are extreme and cool themselves. This is really more about branding than anything else.

Adobe – Creativity For All

Adobe’s 2020 Oscars ad shows the endless possibilities their softwares offers and combines this with social awareness (pro education, pro climate change activism etc.). The hashtag #CreativityForAll was used heavily and for 5 days every tweet that included the hashtag, Adobe donated $5 to the education nonprofit Teach for America.

The video itself is stunning, full of colors and special effects. The message that their softwares are cutting edge is crystal clear, and the social profile also makes this video very tasty and memorable.

Nike – You Can’t Stop Us

Nike’s most recent ad, from July 2020, delivers a message of inclusiveness and perseverance in a split screen video, showcasing how athletes of all colors and creeds keep at it despite organized sports being halted by the coronavirus pandemic.

The video delivers a clear message and seeks to inspire both athletes and others in a time when most people have had their lives upended in the current situation.

“But Kristian,” you might say, “these brands have pockets that are virtually impossible to empty! Not everyone can afford to launch campaigns like this!” Yes, that’s true but you can do a lot with less. Here’s an example of a very cost effective campaign:

We Make-Up – Augmented Reality Ad

As Facebook introduced augmented reality (AR) ads, the Italian makeup brand We Make-up launched an AR ad that let people “test” different shades of lipstick with a face filter. This is definitely the most cost effective campaign out of all my picks, and it’s wonderfully executed. We Make-Up saw a 28% increase in purchases as well as 8% lift in brand awareness, and became one of Facebook’s success stories.

With their campaign in May 2019 We Make-Up did something new and groundbreaking by using new technology in an innovative way. Using technology like this is something we’re going to see a lot more in the future and this particular way of using it is something that would help a lot of businesses keep their customers in case of a pandemic, like we’re experiencing these days.

Yes, you can do a lot if you have a lot of money, but that’s not a guarantee for a successful campaign. A great and successful campaign speaks to you, and delivers a message that sticks with you long after you have encountered it.