How the best marketing campaigns of 2023 mastered pop culture nostalgia

Regardless of a better-than-expected financial local weather, a preponderance of challenges acted as inventive handcuffs for entrepreneurs in 2023. The few manufacturers that have been capable of break by way of relied on tried-and-true ways reasonably than inventive disruption.

The tone of 2023 was set early by a Tremendous Bowl advert season described by some as secure, lazy and boring. Entrepreneurs by no means appeared capable of get out of the block because the 12 months went on. Most noteworthy efforts fell into the classes of rebrands, refreshes and repositionings as entrepreneurs sought to reconnect with evolving shoppers reasonably than wowing them with splashy campaigns.

On the media entrance, surging spend on retail media and related TV have been met with issues about fraud, fragmentation and FTC intervention. And whereas generative synthetic intelligence dominated headlines — changing final 12 months’s shiny object, the metaverse —  manufacturers weren’t capable of incorporate the tech into their promoting in a significant approach, with one notable exception.

As an alternative, profitable entrepreneurs leaned much more aggressively into campaigns round nostalgia and popular culture, sparking pleasure for in any other case beleaguered shoppers. With that in thoughts, Advertising Dive has assembled the standout inventive work from 2023: Campaigns that made a distinction, even when the playbook stays acquainted with advertising and marketing at a crossroads.

McDonald’s shakes free for Grimace’s birthday

No stranger to turning childhood nostalgia into buzzy advertising and marketing, McDonald’s struck gold — or maybe, purple — with a summer time promotion round model mascot Grimace’s birthday. Paying homage to recollections of birthday events at PlayPlaces, the multichannel marketing campaign included advertisements, an 8-bit online game, merchandise, a Snapchat augmented actuality expertise and a cellphone quantity to textual content with birthday needs. 

Essentially the most participating aspect of the marketing campaign was a limited-edition purple shake that drove greater than 3 billion views on TikTok and helped enhance gross sales progress. In a stunning viral pattern, younger shoppers flocked to the platform to share clips of themselves consuming the berry-flavored deal with and imagining surreal, typically horrible unwanted side effects.

“A part of displaying up authentically in tradition means sharing the pen with followers to allow them to make the model their very own,” stated JJ Healan, vice chairman of U.S. advertising and marketing, model, content material and tradition at McDonald’s, in emailed feedback. “And generally, which means they take the dialog in an surprising route. However we’re right here for nevertheless they need to have a good time with us. Due to our followers, Grimace’s Birthday was one among our most socially participating campaigns of all time.” 

The Grimace birthday marketing campaign was billed as a continuation of McDonald’s efforts to satisfy shoppers on the intersection of nostalgia and tradition, a theme to which the QSR continues to return. The marketer in November partnered with Crocs (one other model that has benefited from a cultural obsession with nostalgia) for a limited-edition line of footwear, socks and Jibbitz charms impressed by Birdie, the Hamburglar and — after all — Grimace.

Mattel says, ‘Hello, Barbie!’

Mattel and Warner Bros. “Barbie” film was nothing in need of a worldwide sensation, producing $1.36 billion on the field workplace, with gross sales of the toy up by 25% after the movie’s launch. Numbers like these mark a turnaround for the model from a decade in the past when it was shedding social foreign money with the dad and mom who make purchases regardless of retaining an affinity with children. That every one modified this 12 months, defined Lisa McKnight, government vice chairman and chief model officer at Mattel, throughout an Promoting Week panel. 

“The notion has solely improved. Dad and mom with daughters and younger children alike actually see [Barbie] as a job mannequin, see this model as one thing that’s related to tradition, that’s inclusive, empowering, and celebratory and enjoyable, and that is vital, too,” the chief stated. “You need to be purpose-driven, however you additionally need to convey pleasure, enjoyable and somewhat little bit of leisure — that’s what persons are on the lookout for.”

This 12 months, Barbie was seemingly in every single place as manufacturers of all stripes appeared to get in on the motion. Relationship app Bumble gave shoppers the prospect to match with characters from the movie whereas a Barbie selfie generator went viral with 13 million customers. Barbie’s important market penetration was a win for each the model and companion entrepreneurs.

“[There were] actually over 165 companions all over the world on this film, and we stated ‘no’ to folks,” McKnight stated. “The engagement degree — the quantity of people who needed to have a playdate with us — was unbelievable.”

Coca-Cola leads the way in which with generative AI

The hype round generative AI made it the 12 months’s largest story throughout advertising and marketing, know-how and tradition at-large. However whilst tech giants and company holding corporations made large investments, most manufacturers haven’t absolutely embraced generative AI of their inventive efforts — with some noteworthy exceptions.

Coca-Cola jumped on the hype practice early as the primary marketer to leverage a partnership between administration consultancy Bain & Firm and OpenAI, the developer of AI software program like ChatGPT and DALL.E, to launch its “Create Actual Magic” platform. Since then, Coke has used generative AI at music at festivals, at a takeover of the Las Vegas Sphere and to make digital vacation playing cards.

Coke used AI to assist create a brand new beverage — a launch that noticed robust preliminary outcomes, per a latest earnings name — and the corporate continues to search for each consumer-facing and non-consumer-facing functions of the know-how, Selman Careaga, president of the worldwide Coca‑Cola class, advised Advertising Dive.

“So long as we really feel that we will create one thing that individuals can interact with and create an excellent expertise for our manufacturers, we will certainly proceed to make use of the instrument,” the chief stated. “And in addition, to create, internally, a few of our processes — if we will make one thing sooner and use higher insights, as nicely, I believe we’ll proceed to make use of that instrument.”

As generative AI strikes from buzz to make use of instances, count on entrepreneurs trying to create magic of their very own to comply with Coca-Cola’s lead into 2024 and past, as Careaga hinted at “different thrilling stuff arising that we’re engaged on.” 

State Farm’s crimson period

The celebrities aligned for State Farm this 12 months for a marketing campaign which leveraged the hype surrounding the connection between Kansas Metropolis Chiefs tight-end Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift. Throughout an Eagles recreation on Oct. 1, Jake, the State Farm mascot, cozied as much as Donna, mom of each Travis and Philadelphia Eagles heart Jason Kelce. Through the recreation, Jake sat with Donna and recreated moments from her interactions with Swift the week prior. 

The stunt, which noticed the pair consuming hen nuggets, amongst different callbacks, was made attainable by way of a collaboration with Most Effort, which is owned partially by Ryan Reynolds, a private buddy of Swift. The entire thing got here collectively over a really quick time frame. 

“The reality is, one thing like that solely occurs whenever you create the circumstances for it years, a long time upfront,” stated Alyson Griffin, head of promoting at State Farm in an interview with Advertising Dive. “It’s uncommon you could catch lightning in a bottle by likelihood… manufacturers need to type of work on their model and make the circumstances proper in order that one thing like that may occur.” 

Donna and Jake’s journey paid off for the model, equal to the impact of 1,700 cable advertisements, in line with Griffin. There was additionally a 15 occasions search enhance for State Farm on-line, whereas State Farm ads that aired throughout the recreation proved more practical than typical. 

Swift has turn into a advertising and marketing darling lately, particularly along with her Eras Tour set to generate $4.1 billion, making the solo tour the highest-grossing in historical past. Her star energy is so robust, Heinz got here up with a brand new condiment, “Ketchup and Seemingly Ranch,” in lower than 24 hours after a tweet about her alternative of condiments at a Kansas Metropolis soccer recreation went viral.

Dunkin’ builds model with Ben Affleck, Ice Spice

Amid a sea of forgettable superstar cameos and goofy humor on the Tremendous Bowl was one union that performed to the strengths of each the model and the ambassador: Ben Affleck’s look in a Dunkin’ advert that the Hollywood star directed.

The partnership acknowledged long-running memes in regards to the Boston native’s love for the Massachusetts-based breakfast spot and managed to ship each authenticity and precise laughs. Dunkin’ didn’t cease there: In April, it returned with a spot that performed off Affleck’s relationship with Matt Damon, his companion in manufacturing home Artists Fairness, with which Dunkin’ not too long ago formalized a relationship. 

Then, in a push to interact with youthful shoppers, Dunkin’ enlisted upstart rapper Ice Spice to call and promote a limited-time drink that blended the chain’s Pumpkin Munchkins Donut Gap Treats into its Frozen Espresso, an effort Dunkin’s advertising and marketing group was capable of pull off by transferring at “the pace of popular culture,” CMO Jill McVicar Nelson stated in emailed remarks.

“Connecting the model to tradition isn’t nearly being stylish for the sake of it or for superstar cache — we use these moments to maintain Dunkin’ high of thoughts as a each day ritual, and to create affinity with the following era of espresso drinkers,” the chief stated.

In the identical approach the chain performed off Affleck’s popular culture affiliation with Dunkin’, the Ice Spice Munchkins Drink pulled inspiration each from Dunkin’s donut holes and Ice Spice’s fan base, often known as “munchkins,” as a sweet-toothed providing for shoppers who by no means noticed Affleck and Damon in 1997’s “Good Will Searching.”

“Our Ben Affleck and Ice Spice marketing campaign was such a enjoyable method to take tried and true pumpkin spice season up a notch with a star-powered collaboration nobody noticed coming,” Nelson stated. “Their connection and shared real love for Dunkin’ made the spots resonate with audiences throughout all demographics and pursuits.”

Pepsi marks visible overhaul with one hundred and twenty fifth anniversary advertising and marketing blitz 

Model refreshes have been in vogue in 2023, however few have met the second like Pepsi, which unveiled a complete design overhaul — its first in 14 years — within the spring. The brand new look’s official introduction was timed to have a good time the model’s one hundred and twenty fifth anniversary within the fall as a part of a monthslong advertising and marketing blitz.

Years within the making, Pepsi’s rebrand swapped the soda’s muted shade scheme for an electrical shade of blue paired with sharp black tones. The refresh, which emphasizes its zero-sugar providing, noticed the PepsiCo marketer pivot away from minimalist branding to as a substitute embrace a louder, extra vibrant look. It’s a theme that others have adopted not too long ago and one meant to embrace what Pepsi payments as a “disruptor” repute.

Pepsi in August kicked off 125 days of promotions spanning conventional spots, social content material, SMS promotions and experiential ploys, together with a Pepsi 125 Diner idea. Nostalgia is a powerful focus of the advertising and marketing, which has manifested in a number of methods, together with by way of the reimagination of decades-old collabs and the resurrection of previous commercials from stars like Madonna. Every aspect is supposed to have a good time “Pepsi’s previous within the service of constructing Pepsi’s future,” in line with Jenny Danzi, senior director for Pepsi Trademark. 

“We’re absolutely ourselves with this rebrand and we’ve seen a very good response — folks need merch, folks love the product,” stated Danzi. “Persons are very clear that that is the Pepsi they’ve identified and liked and we predict it’s making us interesting to audiences which may not have been interested by Pepsi high of thoughts.”

Taco Bell liberates Taco Tuesday

Taco Bell appeared to free Taco Tuesday from its trademark shackles in 2023. Finally, LeBron James bought in on the motion. Throughout a 30-second commercial, the basketball star may very well be seen being “bleeped” each time he makes an attempt to say the beforehand trademarked slogan.

The model in the end discovered success in July after Taco John’s deserted the trademark which it had held in each U.S. state apart from New Jersey since 1989. The rival chain introduced it will donate $100 per location to the Youngsters of Restaurant Workers (CORE), calling on Taco Bell to do the identical. 

To have a good time the liberated trademark, Taco Bell teamed up with DoorDash to offer away $5 million in free taco orders on Sept. 12. The cash went to taking part distributors and elevated the connection between the 2 corporations, which has existed since 2022, past the transactional.

“The surest, quickest method to have a good time it was by way of supply,” Taco Bell Chief Digital Officer Dane Mathews stated at Promoting Week. “If we needed to succeed in the taqueros, if we needed to amplify and have a good time their means to make use of Taco Tuesday, essentially the most simplified, simple platform to try this with was DoorDash.” 

The Yum Model’s chain noticed exceptional success with its efforts, which prolonged far past liberating the trademark. #TacoTuesday generated $1.1 million earned media worth (EMV) from 103 creators throughout 14 posts. This spectacular efficiency makes #TacoTuesday the model’s sixteenth most profitable hashtag by EMV, in line with information from CreatorIQ.

The success of the hassle speaks to Taco Bell’s robust place within the QSR panorama. As Mathews stated at Promoting Week, “We consider it’s a approach for the class and taco tradition to proceed to thrive in a burger world.”