Marketing Rewind: Our Favorite Campaign Strategies of 2022
As a marketing agency, we’d be remiss if we didn’t pay special attention to the biggest, most successful campaigns. Ads aren’t just about numbers; entertainment value is also a huge factor in how they’re received. Strategy is everything when it comes to marketing, and the best strategies account for both data and heart.
So, what stories are the best ads telling? Why are they important to us?
Let’s dive into our personal favorite marketing campaigns of 2022 and what they got right strategically.
1. The Barbie Movie
Greta Gerwig is a critically acclaimed director, known for her unique and thought-provoking films such as Lady Bird and Little Women. Naturally, her take on the classic Barbie franchise will be highly anticipated. In December 2022, this trailer was released and has since gained over 8 million views.
The concept of this movie itself introduces a brilliant marketing strategy: Integrating Warner Bros. Pictures and Mattel. Both are colossal brands with a lot of influence, and this partnership is sure to turn some heads.
What made the particular teaser so successful? One of the standout artistic choices is that it’s a direct parody of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey trailer, released in 1968. This side-by-side comparison shows the cheeky homage frame by frame. This familiarity undoubtedly sparked interest among moviegoers, as it hints that Gerwig could be taking an enigmatic and Kubrick-esque approach to the film.
2. CSAA’s Rick Astley Commercial
Insurance isn’t the sexiest industry, but it helps that insurance companies have some of the most memorable ads in the game. The world is well-acquainted with the Geico gecko, State Farm’s “Like a Good Neighbor” jingle, and Flo from Progressive, to name a few. In November 2022, CSAA made it clear that they weren’t an exception with a promotion featuring Rick Astley and his well-known song, “Never Gonna Give You Up.”
The original music video has a whopping 1.3 billion views on YouTube and has been a consistent part of internet culture since the inception of “Rick Rolling,” a prank where the 1987 song is played somewhere unexpected.
Cleverly incorporating such a beloved and well-known concept into its marketing has brought CSAA a great deal of exposure and memorability.
3. Spotify Wrapped
We know that Spotify Wrapped happens every year, but it’s too good not to mention when it comes to masterful marketing strategy.
Spotify has 456 million users worldwide. With those numbers, it’s no surprise that the platform’s shareable and interactive end-of-the-year summary is always highly anticipated. Despite having such a massive user base, Wrapped is curated toward each individual user. This makes listeners excited to share their music tastes and reveal more unique profiles, such as their Listening Personalities and Audio Days.
4. Duolingo’s Museum of Wonky English
Duolingo has quickly become one of the most popular language-teaching tools in the world, averaging about 9.1 million daily users. This success is largely due to its cutesy, casual, and funny approach to marketing. That’s why this particular ad, released in November 2022, has made our list.
The ad showcases a new museum exhibit called the Museum of Wonky English (MOWE), which showcases hilarious and absurd mistranslations from Japanese to English. The purpose of this exhibit is to embolden visitors to be diligent when learning a new language so that they can avoid making similar embarrassing mistakes.
With this ad, the campaign’s success is pretty transparent: Humor works. 72% of consumers would choose a brand that uses a funny marketing approach over their competitors.
Each of these campaigns effectively used creative and targeted storytelling to grab the attention of consumers. By utilizing these strategies, they were able to generate significant buzz, engagement, and brand loyalty. Memorable marketing like this generates long-term success.
Interested in exploring your brand’s creative marketing possibilities? We’d love to be your guide. Reach out to us and see how MCG can help you discover your full marketing potential.
