With July almost upon us, marking the start of the second half of 2018 (where’s the time gone?), marketers are facing tougher competition than ever, to grab audience's attention in an increasingly saturated market. Taking risks, getting involved in popular topics of discussion, and using self-deprecating humour appears to be the way forward. But marketers should proceed with caution, political issues must be brand relevant otherwise audiences will snap back.
These are Champions PR's top picks for those nailing it in 2018 (so far!):
Hostelworld X Mariah Carey
This campaign for Hostelworld aims to raise the profile of hostels and show how they offer a community atmosphere for travellers, while still providing all the facilities of a hotel. Inspiration has been taken from the success of previous campaigns where celebrities can mock themselves and this time they targeted Queen of Pop, Mariah Carey.
As Carey represents the polar opposite of Hostelworld’s values, her involvement has made their branding stand out even further. YouTube was the ideal platform for this campaign with its typically younger and global audience.
The result was half the planned cost per view and double the expected views- the points go to Hostelworld!
KFC's "FCK" moment
KFC's genius reaction to the chicken shortage in their restaurants won back a nation of fried chicken lovers. A playful yet meaningful apology, alongside a crucially quick reaction to the crisis, calmed the backlash and very quickly hit the front pages and six o’clock bulletins.
The success of the campaign showed as the "FCK" ad went on to win Three Black Pencils at the D&AD Awards this year, knocking it out of the park!
Ireland's Together for Yes
This campaign aimed to unite pro-repeal voices and speak to undecided voters. By taking a positive tone of voice and avoiding taking digs at no voters this campaign rallied support. The resulting success of the Yes campaign in repeal of abortion restrictions in Ireland speaks to the power of the right tone of voice.
Vodafone Raising Voices
International Women’s Day had huge presence and support across social media. Vodafone used this support to raise awareness with a video campaign featuring child actors challenging gender stereotypes. This campaign also combined with the company's involvement in the global maternity policy, HeforShe and the ReConnect programme.
The success of the campaign came from the company’s championing of women’s rights and presenting themselves as advocates- not just jumping on the bandwagon.
Samsung TV blackout
Samsung's 20 second TV advert featured only a black screen, the idea was designed to make the audience think their device had switched off. Impressively this campaign carried out by a 20-person PR agency, brought audiences back to the reality of a world without their digital screens...or at least for 20 seconds.
Those are our favourite campaigns of the past months, have we missed any that make your own top five? Let us know your favourites @Champions_PR on Twitter