Ever-so-often, there comes a marketing campaign that blows the world apart. Not so much for raising controversy (looking at you, Pepsi), but because of the sheer genius behind the ideas. There’s a lot to be learned from the kinds of mind-popping campaigns companies like Google and GoPro can piece together. Aside from throwing money at the problem, these companies were able to come up with videos that changed the way we look at video marketing.
Here are some of the most impressive video marketing campaigns and a few lessons we can learn from them.
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Android: Friends Furever
Friends Furever was a short marketing campaign run by Google to promote its Android subsidiary. It was so successful that by the end of the year, it was shared over 6 million times, making it the most shared video of 2015.
The success of this video shows just how important of an aspect simplicity is in marketing videos. All it does is create a combination of cute, unlikely pairings of animals to take advantage of our love for cute animals being cute.
Additionally, the video was designed to look like a normal video you could come across the internet when you’re busy browsing for cute cat videos on YouTube or little goats climbing things. At the end of it all, however, the logo is plugged in together with the brand’s catchphrase.
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Coca-Cola: The Last Customer
Soda companies are known for being in the spotlight for their viral video marketing campaigns – at times for being wholesome and uplifting, and other times, not so much. Coke’s take was an example of one of the most uplifting video marketing strategies used by a big brand, rather than take jabs at each other.
During the Super Bowl, Coca-Cola aired their ad featuring the often-overlooked retail worker and highlighted the importance they play during the holiday season. This was followed by granting an approximate 15,000 people gifts during the holidays. They managed to win people’s attention and trust by committing themselves to the spirit that Christmas brings with it. Doing something as seemingly selfless as this made the brand feel more trustworthy and human.
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GoPro: A Hero In Action
The GoPro brand has been built on top of an adventurous persona. One of the ways this has been achieved has been by making use of user-generated content. Things like jumping out of buildings and planes are the most typical scenarios where the company likes to involve itself with.
This video is nothing like what you’d typically expect from the company. There are no giant waves the size of several buildings or riding bikes down a hill at full speed. Why then, did GoPro decide to go for something that’s never been associated with their brand – saving a helpless kitten from a fire – in one of their video campaigns?
It’s a great way to extend brand image and inspire now people with the feeling that anyone can be a hero, regardless of how small the act. You don’t have to be a full-time athlete to make a difference.
The takeaway from this is you should never be afraid to venture into uncharted waters. Pushing brand image just towards the breaking point may help you find new ways to express your brand’s personality. In the process, you may be able to find areas to explore and expand your market.
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HubSpot: Customer Success Story
Away from less specific product lines, having some testimonials on your website has always been an effective way of getting experts on board. When it comes to boosting video engagement among professionals, nothing beats having someone of similar or higher clout talk about their experiences. Rather than reading about it, a video is a much better method of creating a feeling of trust.
Best known for their heavy use of video automation, Hubspot provides an excellent example of how to deliver a story. It has everything a complete story needs – the setup, the climax (conflict) and the resolution. It manages to let people who have used the product before share their views and ends with a credible ending of problem-solving.
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Dove – “Choose Beautiful”
As far as video campaigns go, Dove has been at both ends of the stick quite many times. This ad by Ogilvy & Mather Chicago, however, is an excellent example of how to connect with the kinds of problems people face to the very next level. It works because it’s able to show people that they are not alone in their struggles and it can always get better.
Additionally, they don’t try to shove their product line down people’s throats through this campaign. The kind of reactions they were able to solicit, all by taking advantage of customers’ positive emotions enabled them to have a complete lock-down on viewers’ video engagement. Just like GoPro, they appealed to people’s humanity.
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Gainsight: Blank Space
Gainsight is a customer success software. In the industry, they feature a market that takes themselves a lot more seriously than businesses like LinkedIn. When they needed to announce their most significant event ever, you’d think they would get a bunch of CEOs to announce their presence and feature the crucial things they will be talking about.
They did get VPs, and CEOs on board, but instead of giving two-minute motivational speeches, they sang along to Taylor Swift’s ‘Blank Space’ with custom lyrics. The result was a lot more phenomenal than they expected: over 2,000 new inquiries and a lot more brand awareness at the end of the day.
The lesson to be learned from this is that influences can be employed in different ways, not just the normal, mundane methods. If the video is fun and catchy, people will blow right past the video call to action.
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Always: Like a Girl
Feminine hygiene products have some of the most generic ads television has to offer. The market revenue for the products is estimated to reach $47.3 Billion by 2024 and with right marketing, it might go even further. Historically, they don’t have the most attractive content. Between some liquid pouring on a pad and women discussing life, the tropes are endless.
With their catchy music and super active social media campaign, Always is a brand that somehow manages to cut through all the genericism and make their ads feel substantial. The #LikeAGirl video campaign is an example of how taking an old phrase and turning it on its head can have an inspiring message inside it.
To conclude
Common stereotypes can be used and twisted in hilarious ways, while at other times, they can be used in unprecedented ways and have impressive results. The key is to take a stand on where your brand stands with regards to various cultural and societal issues. Society is a lot more important than the kind of product line you offer. With a little bit of creativity, you can easily plug in a CTA for the user to react to.
