Social campaigns & strategies that deserve your attention

The ideas are endless on social media. It’s easy to hit a wall when you’re looking for ideas on a new campaign, or simply revisiting how you create ads to generate more sales, leads, or brand awareness. With so many options out there, sometimes it’s best to look at what other brands are doing to get your creative juices flowing. 

The following social campaigns & strategies deserve your attention because they’ve done an outstanding job sparking conversations and grabbing our (and millions of others’) attention. 

Spotify Wrapped 

Spotify revamped their yearly “Wrapped” campaign in December of 2019, to showcase the top streamed songs, playlists, artists, and albums of not only the year but the entire decade. 

Because the end of 2019 marked the beginning of the second “roaring 20’s”, they decided to bring their users back in-time and remind them of their favourite songs since 2010. Alongside the hilarious billboards, Spotify also created unique Wrapped graphics for popular musicians to share with their fans.

This yearly campaign continuously shows us the power of utilizing user data for marketing campaigns, so it’s no surprise that they ended up first on our list.

Gillette’s “The Best A Man Can Be”

The men’s razor commercial launched in early 2019, urging men to be more accountable and to take an active role in driving change. The commercial features a series of clips with men and societal issues, such as the objectification of women.

While the commercial had mixed reviews, with social media uproar combined with praise and criticism, senior writer Sarah Boesveld of Chatelaine magazine stated her opinion on the online attacks.

“Men feel targeted, and it is because they’re not used to being targeted.”

Several calls were made for the company to post an apology. Instead, president Gary Coombe stated the importance of continuing to “hold each other accountable, eliminate excuses for bad behavior, and support a new generation working toward their personal best.” 

This campaign and call-to-action falls on our list for grabbing the attention of users across the world and sticking to their initial message and goal. Alongside the campaign, Gillette partnered with the Building A Better Man Project, an organization that aims to reduce violent behavior in men. 

White Claw capitalizes on user-generated content

In 2019, YouTuber Trevor Wallace uploaded a comedy sketch where he paints a stereotypical drinker of White Claw, mocking “frat bros” who claim to be large fans of the drink after trying it one time. Without intent, Wallace completely rebranded White Claw, and users across the internet were inspired to create ironic, funny, and creative content with the vodka soda beverage.

The company continues to stay quiet on the matter, as a conscious choice of wanting their fans and consumers to have fun and be creative with the trend. Senior VP of Marketing, Sanjiv Gajiwala, stated “I’m not interested in forcing myself into a conversation they’re already having. I’m grateful they’re having that conversation.”

The best part about this “campaign” is that it developed organically — all stemming from simply being a likable product on the market; proving the massive power that comes from user-generated content.

Denny’s Diner, a confusing yet somehow relatable social strategy

Denny’s shifted its marketing strategy by reinventing themselves in 2017. Their strategy is noteworthy because they’ve continued to stay relevant and spark numerous conversations since their rebrand. The breakfast joint shows their competitors how it’s done in the social — a unique mix of humor, quirk, irony, and most of all: a complete disregard for conventionalism. 

But what’s significant about Denny’s strategy is that they understand their audience. After extensively looking through their various platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook (for research purposes, of course), they understand that each social platform is home to different demographics. They show us that adapting their tone, voice, style, and content is crucial in content marketing.

Their content inserts itself into the media, staying up to date on the latest pop culture news and participates in relevant conversations; all the while reminding you that they’re socially relevant, open for business, and your go-to spot to sober up after a night out. 

Burger King’s moldy whopper

When you think fast food ads, you think of perfectly sculpted burgers and fries that resemble plastic a little too much. 

Earlier this year, Burger King’s new campaign sparked the media’s attention when they launched their “Moldy Whopper” campaign, showing their audience what a 28-day old burger would look like (hint: it’s moldy). 

While a lot of users praised the fast-food chain for highlighting their lack of preservatives, some called them out saying that the perception of their favourite menu item has now been “tainted”. 

So, how’d they make this list? Well for one, they grabbed the attention of marketing experts, sparked debates, and got people talking about their most iconic burger. And most importantly, they divided marketing experts by forcing them to take 45 seconds of their day to watch a burger rot. That fact alone deserves a spot on any list.

The beauty of social media marketing is the amount of room for creative freedom. And while these campaigns may have gotten some negative feedback, they’ve all done these things well: being inventive, creating awareness, and provoking conversation. 

Which one of these is your favorite? If we missed one, let us know!