Highs and lows characterised a lot of promoting in 2024. The business was enlivened by events for unity, together with a blockbuster Summer season Olympics in Paris, however the ultimate stretch of the yr introduced again an environment of uncertainty and danger aversion. Entrepreneurs rediscovered their brand-building appetites after an overcorrection towards efficiency advertising and marketing, however an excessive amount of artistic vitality manifested within the realm of fleeting, directionless social content material. What number of manufacturers excitedly billed themselves as “brat” or demure earlier than abandoning the thought as soon as the subsequent pattern took maintain?
The seesaw impact was evident in areas like generative synthetic intelligence (AI), which secured a gentle deluge of funding however repeatedly proved itself unready for the limelight, with Coke’s vacation marketing campaign the newest AI-driven idea to obtain a shellacking. Rebrands and refreshes geared toward youthful shoppers additionally remained in vogue, with combined outcomes. Jaguar just lately confirmed that going all-in on a daring, Gen Z-friendly new look nonetheless carries the danger of blowback for legacy manufacturers.
Different entrepreneurs expertly threaded the needle and have been capable of revitalize not solely model perceptions, but in addition gross sales throughout a interval of difficult client pullbacks. These corporations drove an impression by executing particular techniques, whether or not associated to purpose-driven advertising and marketing, ambassador partnerships, media technique or, in a single case, merely not promoting in any respect.
The perfect advertising and marketing of 2024, which Advertising Dive has assembled beneath, carries essential classes as business decision-makers proceed to really feel the strain to make fewer assets go additional.
Liquid Loss of life’s casket cooler collaboration with Yeti
Courtesy of Liquid Loss of life
Finest challenger model advertising and marketing: Liquid Loss of life
Liquid Loss of life is seemingly at all times selling a brand new model collaboration, outsized stunt or superstar partnership, protecting the canned beverage model within the social media and commerce press dialog. The fixed stream of leisure content material is just too regular for even its executives to maintain up with.
“We put out a lot stuff, I’ve to look again at our YouTube channel or Instagram to recollect what we even did this yr,” joked Vice President of Artistic Andy Pearson.
The content-heavy method — which doesn’t depend on paid media — is working. Aside from its $1.4 billion valuation, Liquid Loss of life is killing the engagement and return-on-investment sport with its anything-goes advertising and marketing method.
This yr, Liquid Loss of life’s most profitable efforts have been out-of-nowhere model collaborations, like a corpse paint line with E.l.f. Cosmetics, a sizzling fudge sundae LTO with ice cream chain Van Leeuwen and a casket cooler with Yeti.
“The partnerships are nice, as a result of they’re both individuals and types that make complete sense or ones that make zero sense,” Pearson mentioned.
The E.l.f. collaboration notched greater than 250 million social impressions as response movies ping-ponged throughout social media, whereas the Van Leeuwen product bought out in below 7 hours and was the No. 1 most profitable grocery LTO on Amazon ever, per particulars shared with Advertising Dive. Together with the Yeti casket — which bought for $68,000 in public sale — the collaborations display how Liquid Loss of life is reducing by way of advert noise in a crowded class.
“A throughline of this yr has been widening the palette of stuff that we’re portray with,” Pearson mentioned.
Massive Smasher BurgerTime gameplay
Courtesy of Chili’s Grill & Bar
Finest use of nostalgia: Chili’s Massive Smasher BurgerTime
Chili’s isn’t any stranger to wanting backward to maneuver ahead, and after bringing again its iconic “Child Again Ribs” jingle in 2023, the restaurant chain utilized nostalgia for ‘80s arcade video games to bolster its worth messaging and stick it to fast-food chains.
The chain in June revealed Chili’s Massive Smasher BurgerTime, a refreshed model of the traditional platformer BurgerTime by which avid gamers toy with ladders to make components rework into full burgers.
Together with selling its Massive Smasher menu merchandise, the sport allowed Chili’s to tackle a profit-crazed “evil Quick-Meals Syndicate” and reinforce its worth message whereas chains like McDonald’s and Burger King scrambled to claim their very own worth propositions. The technique additionally helped the chain’s different predominant crucial: stepping into the cultural dialog, in line with CMO George Felix.
“It felt like an ideal mix to deliver [back] a sport like that which has probably not been rebooted. I positively keep in mind enjoying it on an Apple 2e pc with my sister rising up,” Felix mentioned. (Whereas CMO at Pizza Hut, Felix helped mastermind a equally retro gaming expertise round Pac-Man.)
Created by companies Jon Marshall and Daughters and Media.Monks, Massive Smasher BurgerTime accrued 8,184 hours of gameplay, or practically a yr’s value of hours, over the marketing campaign’s 20 days. However the effort wasn’t “nostalgia only for nostalgia’s sake,” Felix defined.
“It simply felt like a extremely good match for us,” the chief mentioned. “As video games turn into extra complicated and complicated, there’s something about that simplicity of these older video games that individuals actually gravitate in the direction of.”
“The Bear” actor Jeremy Allen White for Calvin Klein
Courtesy of Calvin Klein
Finest superstar tie-in: Jeremy Allen White for Calvin Klein
A sea of entrepreneurs this yr have sought high-profile superstar partnerships in hopes of boosting their profile, however none managed to show heads to the identical diploma as Calvin Klein’s steamy collaboration with up-and-comer Jeremy Allen White.
The 56-year-old model in January launched its spring 2024 advert marketing campaign starring White, who was photographed in his hometown of New York Metropolis whereas sporting traditional Calvin Klein kinds. An accompanying video featured White exercising on a rooftop to the tune of Lesley Gore’s tune “You Don’t Personal Me.”
The marketing campaign shortly achieved social media virality and fueled numerous awestruck TikTok posts. The ensuing surge in social impressions was value about $74 million, in line with PVH Corp., the holding firm of Calvin Klein. Throughout the first 48 hours of its debut, the marketing campaign generated $12 million in media publicity.
The selection to hyperlink with White was in response to the impression of his main position in FX’s “The Bear” and his passionate fanbase, elements that inspired the model to wager on the star’s potential, mentioned International Chief Advertising Officer Jonathan Bottomley.
“We’re centered on abilities with ‘cultural velocity’ — these on the verge of breaking by way of, who’re creating one thing larger than themselves and whose followers actually present as much as help them — and that rang very true for Jeremy,” mentioned Bottomley in emailed feedback.
Calvin Klein debuted a second advert starring White in August that showcased its fall 2024 assortment. An accompanying video confirmed White poolside, soundtracked to The Shacks’ cowl of “Crimson and Clover.” The repeat tie-up was meant to construct on the preliminary marketing campaign’s momentum and provides shoppers “extra of what they wished,” Bottomley mentioned.
“To seize the cultural worth we create, we intention to construct partnerships over time — persevering with the momentum and reinforcing the authenticity of the connection,” Bottomley mentioned.
E.l.f. Cosmetics’ “Dupe That” promoting
Courtesy of E.l.f. Cosmetics
Finest purpose-driven advertising and marketing: E.l.f. Cosmetics
Throughout a yr marked by enduring tradition wars and DEI pullbacks, E.l.f. Cosmetics got down to obtain outlier standing with purpose-driven advertising and marketing. The model’s highly effective requires variety, backed by daring paid and earned media plans, are a part of its “Change The Board Recreation” initiative round company variety.
A “So Many Dicks” marketing campaign launched in Might takes its identify from the discovering that there are practically as many males named Richard, Rick or Dick as ladies from numerous teams on U.S. company boards. The trouble, created with company Oberland, included attention-grabbing visuals positioned round New York’s Monetary District that referred to as out the preponderance of “Dicks.”
In October, E.l.f. launched “Dupe That!,” a marketing campaign inviting different corporations to affix it in prioritizing making a constructive impression. That push, which had an identical media technique as “So Many Dicks,” generated a 99% constructive sentiment. Whereas encouraging different corporations to “dupe,” or replicate, E.l.f.’s function technique might spur competitors, it demonstrates the model’s dedication to vary, mentioned E.l.f. Chief Model Officer Laurie Lam.
“Objective is definitely actually attractive as a result of it lets you lead along with your coronary heart, and it lets you carry by way of your model ethos, which is one thing that makes my coronary heart sing as effectively, as a result of our model ethos is what’s actually essential and what’s going to present us the long-staying … means for us to resonate,” mentioned Lam.
Singer Troye Sivan stars in Hole’s music-forward fall marketing campaign
Courtesy of Hole
Finest use of music in advertising and marketing: Hole
Few platforms drive the cultural dialogue greater than TikTok, the short-form app that steadily catapults musicians to in a single day fame and conjures up viral dance crazes. Hole ably capitalized on the phenomena this yr with an promoting technique centered on up-and-coming artists and thoroughly choreographed commercials.
Look no additional than the retailer’s work on its fall-winter marketing campaign starring pop star Troye Sivan, who spent a month on tour with “Brat” mastermind Charli XCX. “Get Free” reveals Sivan and dance group CDK Firm as they placed on Hole’s wide-fit denim and pull off an elaborate efficiency backed by Thundercat’s “Humorous Factor,” a viral TikTok tune.
Sivan reunited with the choreographer of his “Rush” clip, Sergio Reis, for the movies, which impressed shoppers to check out their very own takes on the routine. Media spanned digital, print, out of residence, video and social belongings, in addition to in-store playlists curated by Sivan.
The artistic, which adopted an identical idea with singer Tyla from the spring, resonated with Hole’s goal Gen Z viewers and contributed to a bigger comeback narrative for the informal put on icon. Buttermilk, an company that helped develop “Get Free,” discovered the advertisements acquired engagement charges averaging 8.72% and think about charges averaging 50.3% within the vital weeks after launch, metrics above business benchmarks.
“Groundhog Day” actor Stephen Tobolowsky for Lay’s
Courtesy of PepsiCo
Finest media technique: Lay’s “Groundhog Lay’s”
At a time when extra entrepreneurs are prioritizing quick-hit social content material, Lay’s proved {that a} intelligent paid media technique can nonetheless make waves — on linear TV no much less. The chip maker ran eight spots a complete of 75 occasions on ABC for Groundhog Day, recreating the disorienting time-loop of the 1993 film bearing the vacation’s identify for each unassuming viewers and the marketing campaign’s protagonist.
The trouble starring “Groundhog Day” actor Stephen Tobolowsky as a grocery shopper who slowly realizes he’s in checkout lane hell allowed Lay’s to capitalize on the Tremendous Bowl dialog with out the $7 million business purchase whereas proudly owning an underleveraged vacation.
“We have been capable of hack, not solely tradition, but in addition the business at a time that usually is so oversaturated,” mentioned Chris Bellinger, chief artistic officer at PepsiCo Meals U.S.
“Groundhog Lay’s” got here collectively in two weeks based mostly on a textual content pitch from company Most Effort, with assists from Kimmelot, OMD and Disney. It generated 1.4 billion earned media impressions and just lately acquired a spherical of Clio awards, together with gold within the model promotion class.
“There wasn’t an opportunity to journey over ourselves,” mentioned Bellinger. “The velocity at which we have been capable of transfer, it saved the simplicity of the thought because the centerpoint.”
Bellinger admitted that there was extra the model might have accomplished with the idea in hindsight, specifically implementing a strong social technique. However “Groundhog Lay’s” opened the door to contemporary traces of artistic pondering for the legacy snacks big, together with round the place to supply concepts from and which calendar events to hit the gasoline on advertising and marketing. May Arbor Day be subsequent?
Heineken shares a secret message on the Amsterdam Dance Occasion
Courtesy of Heineken
Finest cell marketing campaign: Heineken’s “Boring Mode”
Heineken threw it again to the early 2000s with a multifaceted marketing campaign celebrating pre-smartphone social events. To encourage disconnection, the beer model launched a cell app that turns any telephone right into a “boring telephone,” blocking different apps, notifications and digital camera capabilities for a set time frame and permitting customers to reside within the second.
To embrace nostalgia for Y2K, a restricted variety of precise telephones have been made in collaboration with streetwear model Bodega. The telephones have been launched in April at Milan Design Week, with over 70,000 individuals trying to acquire one of many 5,000 out there models.
The marketing campaign was developed in partnership with Publicis Groupe’s LePub and impressed by analysis commissioned by Heineken that discovered 35% of Gen Z and millennial shoppers examine their telephone greater than they want throughout social occasions. Smartphones can even put a damper on reside occasions, with 41% of Gen Z and millennials indicating telephones within the air was an annoyance.
The cell app and bodily product not solely tapped right into a want for connection and nostalgia, but in addition pointed to renewed curiosity from manufacturers in creating apps. Whereas excessive prices have made such activations troublesome previously, the widespread use of generative AI might pave the best way for extra app-based campaigns.
“The essence of this tech-driven initiative is to redefine the live performance expertise, creating areas with no distractions the place individuals can authentically reside the second and immerse themselves within the magic of reside music,” mentioned Bruno Bertelli, world CEO LePub and CCO Publicis Worldwide in a press release.
