2015’s Best Strategic Marketing Campaigns I

Every year the advertising and best-case database Warc.com awards the Top 100 strategic marketing campaigns worldwide (Klick). Though it feels like most people don’t know the award - and only a smaller percentage of the cases.

I've taken this is a reason to re-present you this years top cases  - including links to the video material and a first description/classification.

1. Unilever - Kan Khajura Tesan (Lowe Linthas/PHD India): Case Film <- 

In an Indian region with frequent power outages and low media coverage Unilever founded a 'radio station' that is received using mobile phone calls. The result: Millions of people just had to dial the number, hang up - and were recalled with chart-music, shallow entertainment they could listen to while working - and of course Unilever spots for soap or convenience food. That’s a basically a unique form of content marketing including an own channel for broadcasting.

2. Dove - Real Beauty Sketches (Ogilvy & Mather Sao Paulo): 3 Minute Version <-

 

This spot was probably the pioneer of 'your perception vs. true perception' spots including Alldays' "Like A Girl' (Klick) or the new German Targo Bank TVC (Klick). A forensic drawer confronts women with their negative-biased self-images.

I wonder why they did not play Beautiful by Christina Aguilera at the end - this could have added even more Kitsch. Anyway: Great strategic idea!

 

 3. Expedia - Travel Yourself Interesting (Ogilvy & Mather London): TV-Spot <-

In a category which in 99% of the communication efforts build on sunshine-pictures, relaxation-insights and discounts, Expedia uses the "halo-effect of travelling" (Travel yourself interesting) as its core message and adds a distinctive tonality to stand out - successfully!

4. Lifebuoy - Help A Child Reach 5 (Lowe India): 3 Minute Spot <-

This initiative for better hygiene in developing countries reframes the birthday of a five year old as a spectacular thing that should be celebrated - also with a well done execution that works with a twist. This way the viewer is probably rather emotionally hooked then if he would have seen pictures of suffering.

5. Pantene -Beautiful Hair, Whatever the Weather (Leo Burnett): Case Video <-

Well, I'm not sure if I like this one. In cooperation with a weather-service Pantene launched an application that tells people what kind of hair-product they should use - depending on the local weather. The smartest thing about it is probably the insight itself: weather-demolished hairstyles ruin self-confidence. Would people actually use this app?

Upcoming campaigns next week: Bentley Burial (Leo Burnett Brazil), Smart Txtbks (DDB Philippines), Mercedes-Benz, #YouDrive (BBDO UK), The Hornbach Hammer (Heimat Berlin), Virgin Fair Go Bro (Havas Australia)