Looking for some inspo for your next big creative marketing campaign? Well, lucky you, you’ve just pulled into Inspiration Station, my friend. 🚂
While we had the pick of the bunch to choo-choose from (sorry), we’ve put together 6 recent – and oh-so-memorable – marketing campaign examples that absolutely killed it in the past couple of years.
We lived them, we loved them, we laughed at them, and now we will remember them forevermore – kinda exactly what you want from your own marketing campaigns, right?
And let’s be real, there’s no better way to get your creativity back and set the sparks flying than seeing what others are already doing. It’s not copying, it’s research... d’uh.
Now we’ve got that straight, let’s jump straight in.
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Michael Cera X CeraVe: The power of unlikely pairings
0:00/0:00You didn’t need to be a Super Bowl fan to catch this one. Michael Cera, previously nothing to do with skincare experts CeraVe, does one of his smoothest collabs in advertising.
Why does this work so well? Combining humor, celebrity appeal and the element of surprise, CeraVe takes on Cera’s awkward charm and signature deadpan delivery to create fresh, viral-worthy and unforgettable content.
This CeraVe pairing takes a not-so-subtle stance on differentiation. In a world where every celebrity has a whole host of brands behind them, CeraVe wants to remind everyone that their differentiator is their focus on science and product integrity.
🌶️ Hot tip: Try (or at least consider) combining distinct personalities or concepts that might not seem compatible at first glance. The contrast creates a surprising narrative that sparks conversation, engagement, and – in this case – laughs.
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British Airways: “A British Original”
0:00/0:00Tugging on the heartstrings (or the just plain relatable strings), British Airways dives deeper than the black and white approach of ‘Business or leisure’, and into the more colorful world of reasons to travel.
Some of our favorites include:
- To un-stray at least one Greek street cat
- To eat the unpronounceable
- Not ready to crack out the thermals
- Done with £7 pints
- Wine at lunch on a Monday
Real people, real stories – us humans can’t get enough of that stuff. And oh boy, the OOH (out-of-home) opportunities. With billboards found all over (grey, rainy, corporate) London town, British Airways know their audience... and know they are always looking for a break.
Responsive, sensitive, hysterical, and relatable, this kind of marketing gives all the feels and reminds you why travelling is just so good.
🌶️ Hot tip: Always think about the OOH opps because... look how good they look. Often considered a risk to marketing leaders because they “can’t be measured, blah blah blah”, out-of-home advertising is becoming bigger and better than ever. You better hop on that train before it gets too busy.
Hear what our CMO, Shafqat Islam has to say about the benefits of (sometimes scrappy) out-of-home advertising for other CMOs.
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Monzo: Money never felt like Monzo
0:00/0:00In this modern age, money is still a bit of a taboo subject. Talking about banks? That’s just plain boring. Monzo has made it their mission to change that, and to become ‘Your new favorite bank’ – and job well done.
...Well obviously, otherwise we would be listing it as one of the best marketing campaign examples in 2024, would we?
Monzo has been working hard at its Money Never Felt Like Monzo campaign in 2024. Here, the bank plays on clearcut comparisons of old traditional banking versus their new way of doing it. Each comparison makes us feel either on edge, or at ease – from one to the other – via video, social media posts, and OOH advertising.
On edge with nails dragging across chalkboards, spiders crawling across our heads, feet stuck in blocks of ice, and at ease with the much-nicer alternatives of:
- Those same fingers playing the harp (divine)
- That same head being pampered with a metal headscratcher (gimme)
- Those same tootsies in a pair of fluffy slippers (yes, please)
Visually appealing and emotion inducing, this marketing campaign from Monzo shows them as a no-brainer banking solution; one that doesn’t have you hitting your head against a desk.
🌶️ Hot tip: Playing on the emotions of your target audience is – and always will be – a winning marketing tactic, especially when you’re touching on pain points compared to solution. The pain points that Monzo mention aren’t necessarily (or at all) bank or money-related, but they exert a mutual human response of “ARGH!” (🤬) or “ahhhh” (🧘).
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Whirlpool Washing Machines: “Stay in School”
0:00/0:00Marketing your company’s solution is the name of the game, but simply presenting the product like “ta-da!” isn’t the only way to do this.
This marketing campaign example shows how Whirlpool is solving a pressing problem in local communities, making it so much more than laundry.
It’s about what’s holding kids back from succeeding in schools, and what can be done (by you, me, and them) to help. They actually launched the program back in 2017, but they only started using it in advertising in late 2023.
Why are we only seeing it 5 years later? Well, maybe it’s something to do with the fact we all see through a marketing or sales pitch now. We're done with the repetitive claims of being the best, the fastest, the easiest – and now we want to hear what sets brands apart. We heart authenticity.
🌶️ Hot tip: You don’t have to put your charitable works front and center to make this kind of marketing campaign work for you. Just think broadly about your organization’s mission eg. The problems you’re solving and why you’re doing it. Then, let your collective mission and passion do the talking.
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Liquid Death: Making water cool again
0:00/0:00Cans of water. Cans.... of water? Yes, you heard that right. Liquid Death is reinventing the timeless thing that is, water – and making it cool again.
A brand that came to light in a huge way, thanks to its focus on sustainability and entertainment, Liquid Death and its punk-rock feel is an unmissable – and recyclable – addition to bars, festivals, gigs and stores.
Partnering with Amazon Prime’s The Boys back in 2022, the quirky choice of water found its match in the quirky (and definitely not for the faint-hearted – IYKYK) TV series. And given the love for that partnership, with The Deep specifically, the LOLs continued in 2024 too.
Liquid Death offers a product, but a really unique personality too; one that simply cannot be replicated, but will always be remembered.
🌶️ Hot tip: Know your audience, and know the partnerships and collaborations that they’ll appreciate. This is where your personality can shine, those in-jokes can be made, and the particular sense of humor can really go to town.
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Stella Artois: “The Artois Probability”
0:00/0:00History nerds can have a field day, beer lovers suddenly feel more cultured. What’s not to love?
Here, Belgian beer Stella Artois calculates the probability that the beer in historic paintings is in fact their own product, helping to solidify its ongoing popularity, build brand relevance... and potentially justify why it’s a bit pricey sometimes.
The wealth of information – about the brand but also 6th century art – is unbeatable in this marketing campaign. It grabs your attention way more than your old history teacher ever did, and you actually learn something from watching it. It’s no wonder it won the Grand Prix in Creative Data at Cannes.
Deceased artists used as modern-day influencers? We’ll take it.
🌶️ Hot tip: Stories behind brands are always popular to hear, read or see – why do you think About Us is featured on every single website? While you might not have a vast history like Stella Artois (maybe) does, just telling stories of the brand or the people behind the brand can really draw people in and get them invested more emotionally.
More room to be creative with Optimizely
Marketers everywhere – how boring is chasing people? How boring are constant (and ahem... unnecessary) meetings? How boring is it weaving conversations, content and assets together from here, there, and everywhere?
Admin, we hate it. It takes away from time to be creative and it can be way too easy to get bogged down in. One second, it’s Monday morning, then next thing you know you’re wanting to throw your laptop out the window because notifications won’t stop pinging.
With Optimizely Content Marketing Platform, everything is all in one place. You and your team can work in a streamlined way, where everything is in one place, and you know the status of everything.
Don’t believe such a thing exists? See how Optimizely Content Marketing Platform works
