Here at The Agency Creative we have taken a look back through the year and chosen our top 5 marketing campaigns of 2021.
Again, 2021 has proven to be a challenging year for many, however many brands have been able to adapt and use innovative design ideas to create inspirational campaigns that resonate with the times. We have selected 5 brands that have impressed us with their strategies and creativity.
1. Google | Search On
Google has certainly created an impact throughout the year with its ‘Search On’ adverts. These campaigns have delivered important messages alongside struggles we have faced internationally throughout the year. Timing is everything when it comes to marketing and we believe that Google found the perfect balance when it comes to addressing these important issues.
Google explored its largest platform (search engine) by creating a series of videos reflecting on what people across the UK have been searching for. These videos create a relatable and emotional connection with viewers whilst releasing a sense of realism. A perfect campaign strategy if you ask us!
2. Le Chocolat De Francais | Only Keep The Best Of France
As a team of creative individuals, we can’t deny the beauty within Le Chocolat De Francais’ stunningly illustrated visuals, packaging & posters. They have previously succeeded with similar packaging, however, we feel that this campaign just creates a stronger impact due to its humorous outlook and ‘shock advertising’ strategy.
This campaign portrays a comparison between the good and bad aspects of France, especially during the pandemic. The focal point obviously highlights the chocolate bar packaging within the centre of these campaigns. A beautiful reminder that this chocolate contains the ‘best of France’. All illustrations have been designed by different artists each one with bold and contrasting colours. A truly charming and creative campaign!
3. Pepsi | Better With Pepsi
A strong logo can create an equally strong campaign when it’s presented in the right way. Pepsi has one of the most globally recognised logos, so it makes sense for them to enhance their brand by building on the logo. This campaign perfectly recycles used fast-food packaging, the designer altered the wrappers until they could visualise the Pepsi logo within. It was a perfect coincidence as they found their logo within Mcdonald’s, Wendys, and Burger King’s wrappers.
This campaign simply highlights that these restaurants sell the rival brand Coca-Cola instead of Pepsi. They also stated ‘even when we’re not on the menu, we’re always in the picture’. We couldn’t be any more impressed with this idea!
4. Heinz | Draw Ketchup
For this campaign, Heinz decided to interact with the public by anonymously asking individuals to simply ‘draw ketchup’. Sounds like an easy task doesn’t it? Watching the advert you’ll see how people started to draw the iconic Heinz ketchup bottle, some even explain that they don’t know of any other ketchup brands. They added a ‘blooper’ take within the video to enhance its light-hearted, and humorous feel (That one guy who drew mustard).
Our favourite part about this advert is seeing all of the final drawings together, showing a clear understanding that Heinz is the internationally preferred brand for ketchup.
5. Heineken | ‘Shutter Ads’
Heineken has impressed us massively with this campaign. They chose to highlight the effects of the pandemic on individual bars by showing them closed with their shutters down. As these places were forced to shut due to pandemic restrictions, it was almost impossible for owners to drive revenue and keep their business afloat. Heineken saw the potential for the shutters to be used as an advertising platform. This way they could pay each business instead of other billboard companies.
We believe that this advert has a strong sense of community, especially as one company started many more followed, allowing over 5000 businesses to benefit from shutter ads.