You won’t always hit the nail on the head with every marketing campaign or advertisement you’re involved with. However, success can hit big time when all of the perfect elements combine. The results of a truly successful campaign can lead to going viral, or having your slogan become a household saying. To inspire you towards creating a great campaign for your team, I’ve detailed 3 of the most successful and unique marketing ads of all time, below.
Chipotle: Back to the Start
This very powerful commercial first aired during the Grammy’s in 2012. The commercial, which features a cover of Coldplay’s “The Scientist,” sung by country legend Willie Nelson, was never actually supposed to be an ad, according to Chipotle CMO Mark Crumpacker. Audiences, however, were moved by the commercial and it’s message and drove it to become a viral and mass success. Within the 2 minute airing, audiences watch an animated short on a farmer who reforms his industrialized farm into a more simplified and sustainable practice. To raise awareness on this type of reform, Chipotle even directed viewers to download the song on iTunes, where proceeds of the purchases would be shared with the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation.
This ad works on many different levels. First, you have a recognizable voice connected to the commercial, singing a recognizable song. You then have a recognizable brand showing how they have progressed in bettering their organization. The final kick is attributing the commercial to a greater cause. This educates audiences and gets them involved with your brand. A true winner all around!
Nike: Just Do It
The true definition of success, Nike and “Just Do It” are almost synonymous at this point in the company’s career. Nike didn’t need anything more than a simple message to create their powerful campaign, they relied on the core principals of a “less is more” tactic and it served them well. At this time in Nike’s standing, Reebok was outperforming in sales and acted as their biggest competition. This 1988 ad made all the difference and transformed Nike into the iconic brand it is today.
This campaign’s success relies heavily around the bluntness of the slogan. The phrase is so general as to reach a large audience, but decisive enough to offer a solution that no one could argue against. Motivation and support became pillars of the Nike brand based off of this one campaign, and the “Just Do It” mindset has stayed with Nike to this day.
Old Spice: The Man Your Man Could Smell Like
A vast departure from the above campaigns, Old Spice decided to spice things up and change the way people could think about a deodorant brand. This fast-paced commercial was all about quick wit and thinking big. By depicting fantastical yet desirable scenarios in which your boyfriend, husband, or male partner could find themselves in if they used an Old Spice product, audiences and buyers were easily persuaded to see Old Spice as the gold standard of a great product and a great lifestyle brand.
This ad works on many levels, but in different ways than the Chipotle ad and the Nike ad. Old Spice had been a deeply established brand when this commercial hit the airwaves, so this ad was able to spark new interest in the product while keeping core buyers satisfied as well. It also painted the picture of what cleanliness and manliness smelled like, taking looks completely off the table. While the male model used in the video was easy on the eyes, the whole point of the commercial was to show that anyone could use this product and still pass the “man” test.