My go-to inspiration.
This week I thought I would share with you some examples of some work that I personally always refer back to. These are campaigns or great brand executions, some are big budget, some are smaller, but each one in their own right did something to move the dial for the brand and set them apart in their category.
Persil: Dirt is Good
This example was a big-budget, cinematic masterpiece, and before you shout at me, we don't have eleventy million dollars to execute like this, what I love about this campaign is not the execution, although that is great, it is the storytelling aspect.
Persil found a shocking stat “On average, children now spend less time outdoors than a prison inmate.” The campaign was simply different ways of communicating it and rallying parents to get their kids outside and getting messy (and then in turn buy more Persil).
Glossier
I harp on a lot about community. Not community in the old sense of the word which is more or less a one-way conversation dictated by brands, but instead communities that are peer-to-peer conversations around sub-niches, where the brand is the facilitator.
I truly believe that this is where we are headed, and I think Glossier is an amazing reference for a brand that is on the way there. They have created a space, kind of like more attractive version of slack that enables customers to talk about what they care about- make-up that they love, how they use the products. The whole experience is centred around them.
BodyForm the tale of the blue liquid
This is one from the achieves, it is a BodyForm social video from 2012, at a time when Facebook was king and periods brands spoke exclusively through visuals of horse riding, roller skating and innocuous blue liquid.
In this video, a fictional BodyForm CEO responded to a Facebook user, who accused the company of lying to the public, poking fun at the company's depiction of a woman's "wonderful time of the month" in its TV ads. Neill's rant totalled over 89,000 likes. The spoof response video - which in itself 7m views on YouTube - ends with the CEO thanking Richard for lifting the veil on their lies and exposing the truth.
You can see the response here.
What I loved about this was the reactivity. BodyForm could have removed this comment, ignored it, but they saw an opportunity to get the personality of the brand out into the world. As challenger brands, you will get people who actively disagree with your stance, rather than shy away, use this as your opportunity to spark a conversation and to get your POV across.
Good Pair Days.
This is a new addition to my list that I first saw last week, but I have since shared it with several people so I know that it will be on my list.
The diagnostic tool allows you to find your perfect wine pairing. What I love about this is that it humanises wine.
The wine sector is often shrouded in elitism and unless you are a wine concierge you can be overwhelmed with the amount of choice on offer.
This simply and easily allows the consumer to discover blends that match their taste preference and nudge them closer towards purchase.
I would love to know if you have any other examples that are your absolute go to references.