While no one will remember August 2021 for the stunning weather, it was filled with amusing and original advertising campaigns. From Specsavers reusing Neighbours footage from the 80s to Amazon rewriting Cleopatra’s history, we were laughing right through this month.
1. Specsavers visit Ramsey Street
This month, high street opticians Specsavers took a trip to Ramsey Street; the home of Australian soap ‘Neighbours’. Specsavers have created a new set of adverts that depict iconic Neighbours characters talking to a Specsavers member of staff during a home visit. We loved the way the eyecare specialists used one of the most well-known streets as the backdrop for home visits but mostly we loved the trip down memory lane and seeing key characters like Harold Bishop back in their prime.
2. Nike advertise their retail staff
When we think Nike adverts, we tend to imagine a short film that follows the story of an athlete who worked very hard, whilst wearing Nike trainers, to get to the position they are in today. Initially, this advert appears to be no different, but further viewing reveals that the subjects are actually Nike retail staff. The campaign is titled ‘Ask our Athletes’ – we love that Nike are recognising the talent and importance of all their staff, not just their professional athletes.
3. Cadbury predict the future
Ever wondered what tomorrow has in store? Well Cadbury’s Twirl can help you out. The new Australian and New Zealand Cadbury campaign allows people to use their phones to scan and analyse the patterns within their twirls. We love this campaign that combines traditional advertising methods (tv ads) with new, digital techniques to target a younger audience.
4. Jägermeister launch their range of coffee liqueur
In amongst Shoreditch’s hipster coffee shops is a new vendor – the Jägermeister pop up shop. In honour of the release of Jägermeister Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur, the company not only opened a pop up shop but put up a billboard with a QR code to claim a free shot. Marketing is about finding new and improved ways to appeal to the masses – with pop up shops becoming more popular, we think Jägermeister’s coffee bar is a great marketing tactic!
5. Instagram challenge the status quo
As the world starts to see the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, Instagram have made a bold statement asking us not to return to normal. As explained by Instagram itself: ‘After a year that challenged everything we thought was normal and possible, a new campaign from Instagram denounces “going back to normal” because normal was never good enough.’ The picture sharing social media site has created various poster promoting the diversity of their users with the caption ‘Who We Become is Yours to Make’. We love Instagram’s message – let’s challenge what was before and move forward with a new, more accepting, society.
6. We The 15
Gone are the days when we used to watch miserable short films that would make us feel guilty and pitying and here to stay are adverts like #WeThe15. Led by the International Paralympic Committee and the International Disability Alliance, #WeThe15 is a 10 year campaign to improve the lives of disabled people everywhere, who make up 15% of the population. This advert is one of our favourites – it’s funny and inclusive, and challenges the perception of disabled people in our society.
7. WhatsApp or Snapchat?
WhatsApp took a leaf out of Snapchat’s book this month launching their new disappearing photo and video feature. The feature allows you to send images and videos that can only be viewed by the receiver once. More and more social media networks have been doing the same with Instagram offering a similar feature. It’s great to see WhatsApp making changes to improve their users’ privacy.
8. Prime changing everything
Finally, this month Prime released a collection of adverts retelling the stories of Rapunzel and Cleopatra. Both adverts see the protagonists use Prime to change the trajectory of their story – for example, instead of waiting for a Prince, Rapunzel orders a ladder from Prime to climb out her window. The adverts finish with the statement ‘Amazon Changes Everything’. We were laughing from start to finish during this advert and it definitely stuck in our minds.
Make sure you come back in September to find out our favourites from the world of marketing! You won’t want to miss it!
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