5 of the best marketing campaigns of 2021 and why

The past 2 years have brought about a number of challenges for businesses all over the world. Changing consumer behaviour and preferences has meant that companies now need to think outside of the box when it comes to marketing – and that’s something they’ve definitely done.

There have been plenty of marketing campaigns that have stuck in my mind. So, here, I highlight some of the best and reveal the tips you can take from them.

The famous fast-food brand has had the same slogan for 64 years. ‘It’s finger-licking good!’ But when the pandemic hit, they chose to suspend their tagline and instead use ‘It’s good.’ That’s not all though as they decided to have fun and use some other well-known slogans too.

They even parked a van outside Nike’s Oxford Street store with the slogan ‘Just do it’ which caused a stir on social media. Of course, I’m not telling you to copy someone else’s branding. The lesson here is to have fun, show off your personality and don’t be afraid to adapt.

Burger King

Now another fast-food chain. Burger King saw in the new year with a rebrand that no-one was expecting. In fact, they moved away from their traditional logo and instead played on the branding and placed ‘Burger King’ in between two golden buns.

The inspiration behind the design was to grab the attention of people who were craving their food. To me, this is a great example of simple yet stylish marketing that speaks directly to the target audience.

IKEA

Questions have been raised in the past regarding the sustainability of buying from IKEA. Instead of sitting quiet though, the brand decided to tackle this front on with their 2021 Fortune Favours the Frugal campaign.

In it, the video highlights the number of environmentally friendly products the brand sells while showing how everyday little changes can help to reduce environmental impacts. Overall, it’s a fantastic example of how a company can make their stance known and highlight the benefits of their brand.

Nike

Nike’s latest Play New campaign is focused on combating toxic masculinity in football and features some of the biggest names in the sport. The video starts with a football being shown while harsh voices can be heard, mocking and taunting. Marcus Rashford then appears and kicks the toxic football away.

The whole campaign aims to encourage people to discover sport in new ways – even if you have no experience. It shows that using personable and emotive messaging and reasoning in your campaign can really work.

UK Department of Health

How could I not mention the UK Department of Health, and their Covid-19 campaigns? The series of ads over the last year have been hard-hitting, emotive and hugely successful in addressing how serious the waves are and how we must all stay at home.

Combining raw footage from the NHS as well as scripted videos, the campaign also gave us a sense of responsibility with real-life images of what happens when the virus spreads. This is a fantastic example of when simple language and imagery really does work well.

What have your favourite marketing campaigns been recently? Do you agree with my top five? It would be great to chat about them and discuss how you can use similar techniques for your own business. I’m available via phone or email – reach me on studio@foxgraphicsdesign.com or 01625 468038.

Kate Fox

“Design adds value & we’re here to help businesses improve & strengthen their market communication & message.”

Established in 2008, FGDM work with a diverse range of businesses to help them improve their market image involving branding, digital, animation/video, websites, direct marketing, exhibitions, marketing material designed to build and bolster brands.