4 Marketing Campaigns That Made a Splash in 2018
Ever look at a marketing campaign and think, how did they come up with that? Whether it’s a full-on name change or simplistic billboards with witty taglines, some brands just seem to get it. While there were many campaigns this past year that made an unforgettable impression on audiences everywhere, here are four examples that top the list for 2018:
From IHOP to IHOb
Whether it’s a full-on name change or simplistic billboards with witty taglines, some brands just seem to get it.
IHOP wanted to tell the world they were more than just a pancake house. While the brand’s foundation is built off the popular breakfast item, the iconic chain decided to ramp up their game and show customers they take other menu items just as seriously. That’s where IHOb came into play. In an effort to rejuvenate their image and excite the market, IHOP chose to temporarily change their name to IHOb (International House of Burgers) to promote their burgers and non-breakfast menu. In order to persuade consumers of their savory and quality burgers, IHOP felt a bold statement was necessary, and with a simple play on-words, they accomplished just that.
At first, many consumers were skeptical of whether the stunt actually helped increase burger sales. However, to much surprise, IHOP’s burger sales quadrupled in the three weeks following the announcement of the campaign. The operation generated so much buzz, it began trending on social media almost instantaneously, making it one of the most viewed and profitable marketing campaigns in IHOP history.
McDonald’s: Follow the Arches
While it’s obvious that McDonald’s branding is recognized worldwide, the fast food giant recently decided to take on a minimalist approach for promotional efforts. Their newest billboard campaign utilized a rather direct and simplistic design, displaying their iconic golden arches as an arrow to point and navigate people to the closest McDonald’s restaurant. The campaign consisted of four billboards with sections of the “M” appearing alongside slogans saying either “on your right,” “on your left,” “just missed us” or “next exit.” This campaign exemplifies that bold can be simple. The fast food brand took a creative approach to directional ads by taking its iconic logo and spinning it as both an advertisement and a functional sign. After the billboards were placed, McDonald’s received positive feedback, making the slogan “follow the arches” highly memorable.
Spotify 2018 Goals
Spotify wanted to create a campaign circled around its user base. Towards the end of 2017 and the beginning of 2018, they created a series of billboards with clever slogans in an attempt to boost viewer attention and generate buzz. Spotify took advantage of its user data and created multiple billboards featuring clever captions and the tagline “2018 goals.” The brand implemented analytical data and based each billboard theme off interesting user habits. For example, one exposed users saying, “Take a page from the 3,445 people who streamed the ‘Boozy Brunch’ playlist on a Wednesday this year.” By bringing streaming habits and social trends together, Spotify was able to present their brand with a witty and relatable perception. Since its debut, the campaign remains one of the most creative deployments of user data in advertising today.
Postmates “We get it”
“WITH EACH HEADLINE, POSTMATES USED A HUMOROUS APPROACH TO BETTER CONNECT WITH THEIR TARGET AUDIENCE BY MAKING THEIR BRAND RELATABLE TO CONSUMER INTERESTS.”
Postmates is an increasingly popular food delivery service that has generated lots of buzz over recent years. From dinner, to groceries, to alcohol, the brand wanted to inform consumers on their delivery capabilities and user-friendly concept. To do this, they created an outdoor campaign placing a series of billboards in several major cities they cater to. Each ad incorporated creative headlines with the tagline “we get it,” making the campaign simple, yet highly effective. With each headline, Postmates used a humorous approach to better connect with their target audience by making their brand relatable to consumer interests. For example, one ad read “When the breakup was bad, but only 360 calories bad. Halo Top. We get it.” Soon after its launch, the campaign was deemed highly successful in generating awareness and was a major turning point for the brand in terms of competition.