Successful marketing campaigns mark our history and shape our perception of brands. They are what make us laugh, reflect and, sometimes, even cry.
Who has never been involved in the eternal dispute between Coca-Cola and Pepsi or Burger King and McDonald's?
These “media battles” are more than just competitions for the public’s attention, they provide us with quality entertainment and successful digital marketing campaigns that remain in our memory.
Let's remember some cases?
Successful marketing campaigns: 5 million-dollar cases
1. Calvo Drive-Thru (Burger King)
In an unexpected move, Burger King has decided to embrace a target audience that, at first glance, seems unrelated to its concept: bald people.
The campaign Bald Drive-Thru was a real success, transforming the internet joke “the humble will be exalted” into a brilliant marketing stunt.
Burger King, known for selling fast food, surprised everyone by creating an action where bald people could go to the chain's stores and get free hamburgers.
But he had to meet the requirement of being a “Drive-thru Bald,” with two entrances (left and right) on the sides of his forehead and a bald circle on the back of his head.
The campaign could have been poorly received by the public, however, Burger King managed to make them feel valued, special and belonging to a space that, theoretically, was not for them, or rather, was for anyone.
The impact was so great that the brand stood out not only for its intelligent humor, but also for its ability to generate an emotional connection with an audience.
This is one of those successful marketing campaigns that we will remember for a long time, and it has even been replicated by dozens of other brands, highlighting other audiences, such as short people, for example.
2. Portraits of real beauty (Dove)
In a more serious and deeply impactful campaign, Dove launched Portraits of Real Beauty. The focus here was on self-esteem, showing how we see ourselves and how others see us.
The action brought women of different ages and ethnicities to describe themselves while an artist drew their portraits.
Then, someone else would describe the same woman to the artist. The result? Two completely different portraits, where the second, based on someone else's description, showed a more beautiful and confident version of her.
This campaign highlighted how harsh we are in our self-judgments and how we can treat ourselves with more kindness.
The impact was huge, and Dove managed to not only strengthen its brand, but also generate a global conversation about beauty and self-esteem.
3. It could be Pepsi (Pepsi)
Accepting second place can be difficult for some brands, but Pepsi decided to embrace this reality with good humor.
In Brazil, where Coca-Cola is the market leader, Pepsi launched the campaign It could be Pepsi.
The idea was simple: when a customer ordered Coca-Cola and the waiter replied, “Can I have Pepsi?”, the brand turned the situation into something positive, showing that, even though it was the second option, Pepsi still had a lot to offer.
The campaign was a success precisely because of this light and unpretentious approach, ensuring that the phrase “It could be Pepsi” remained on people’s lips, literally.
The brand managed to remain relevant and present in the minds of consumers, even recognizing its position in the market.
4. Generations (Volkswagen)
In 2023, Volkswagen launched the exciting campaign Generations to promote the ID.Buzz, the 100% electric version of the Kombi.
The campaign was marked by a beautiful and moving commercial that stood out for its use of artificial intelligence, which enabled a duet between singer Maria Rita and her mother, Elis Regina, who died in 1982.
Together, the two performed the iconic song “Como Nossos Pais”, by Belchior.
This recreation touched the audience deeply, awakening a powerful emotional connection and a wave of nostalgia. The promotional video quickly went viral, reaching more than 33 million views on YouTube.
The “Generations” campaign exemplifies how technology can be used to honor the past while fostering innovation for the future, reinforcing Volkswagen’s image as a brand that respects its roots while leading the transition to electric mobility. In addition to being sentimental, the commercial celebrates the legacy of the Kombi, one of Volkswagen’s most beloved vehicles.
How to create successful campaigns?
Now that we've seen some examples of successful digital marketing campaigns, how about understanding how to create a campaign as impactful as these?
The reality is that there is no recipe for creating something so incredible, however, some points of attention can help you guide your campaigns to reach not only the eyes, but the hearts of your audience.
Here are some helpful tips for developing a memorable campaign:
- Know your audience: understand the tastes, habits and needs of your target audience. Focus on what awakens emotions;
- Generate value: offer something relevant beyond product promotion, such as information, entertainment or solutions;
- Have a differential: stand out from the competition with a unique differentiator, whether through bold positioning, creative approach or exclusive benefit;
- Create a story and build rapport: develop an authentic narrative that reflects brand values, build affinity with the consumer through engaging stories;
- Focus on the benefits: show how the product improves the consumer's life, rather than just listing features;
- Develop the campaign on other platforms: use multichannel communication to reach as many people as possible. Build a campaign that can be used across multiple channels;
- Use clever humor: use humor in a way that is aligned with the brand's message and values, humorous campaigns are more likely to be shared and commented on.
Read also
How to measure the success of my marketing campaign
After launching your campaign, it is essential to evaluate its performance, but how do I evaluate the success of my marketing campaign? Keep an eye on the metrics!
Reach and engagement
Reach measures how many people were impacted by your campaign, while engagement shows how many of those people interacted with the content.
These metrics are important to understand whether your message is being seen and appreciated by the public.
Conversion rate
Conversion rate tells you how many people took a desired action, such as purchasing a product or signing up for a newsletter.
This metric is essential to assess whether the campaign is generating concrete results for your business.
Return on investment
O ROI It is one of the most important metrics, as it measures the financial return generated by the campaign in relation to the investment made.
A successful marketing campaign should bring a positive ROI, showing that the resources were well applied.
Brand sentiment
Monitoring brand sentiment on social media and other channels can help you understand how your audience is reacting to your campaign. Comments, mentions, and reviews are all great sources of feedback.
Meet GS2 Marketing
To develop a successful marketing campaign, research, feelings and a lot of creativity are necessary.
Going viral is the desire of all brands, but more than that, our focus is not only to be a success on social media, but also a success in conversions and sales. Bring your brand to GS2 Digital Marketing.
Our main goal is to always be a true lead generation and conversion machine, acting seriously and intelligently in digital marketing to provide increasing market recognition.
Currently, our team also has a CRM implementation and configuration service to help with the performance of sales teams.
Don't waste time! Increase your results with the best digital marketing strategies.
