Digital marketing campaigns come in all shapes and sizes, with some proving more successful than others. Social media advertising is something many of us are regularly exposed to and also, consider the right platform for our own brands and businesses.
With that in mind, I’ve had a look back at some of the Facebook ad campaigns that have grabbed my attention over the years and want to share my 6 favourites.
1. Iceland’s Alternative Christmas Advert
Fresh from the 2018 Christmas ad race, Iceland’s alternative Christmas advert proved particularly popular across Facebook in the run up to the big day. By November it had gained a lot of traction and already had 13 million views on the social media site. That total is closer to 18 million, today.
There were a few reasons this advert worked so well on Facebook:
• It was banned from mainstream TV in the UK, making it exciting and something people were interested in.
• The ad told an important story in a way that was emotional but also factual.
• It showed Iceland as a brand with integrity, willing to share a story at Christmas that others probably wouldn’t.
While it’s long-term viewing figures are impressive, it achieved around 105,000 individual engagements within 24 hours of launching on Facebook. The ad, in partnership with Greenpeace, also increased footfall to the frozen food shop.
2. Nike’s 2019 Dream Crazier Campaign
Sticking with the theme of a brand showing they’re not afraid to think differently, is Nike. Hot on the heels of the Colin Kapernick ad campaign of 2018, 2019 has seen the company utilize the dream crazy slogan on behalf of sporting women.
Lead by Serena Williams and also featuring Simone Biles and Caster Semenya, this latest Facebook ad campaign from the sports manufacturer focuses on strong women standing out and achieving, in the face of naysayers and doubters.
Figures suggest the Facebook video has been viewed over 50 million times and has surpassed the success of its previous ad campaign featuring Colin Kapernick. Source: http://bit.ly/2WNIfGz
3. Cadbury’s Thank You Chocolate Thumb
This time, we’re taking a look at the success of a Facebook ad campaign that’s all about a brand just saying thanks to its customers and social media followers. After the Cadbury’s Facebook page received 1 million likes, to say thank you it created a huge Facebook thumbs up – the signal for like on the platform – out of chocolate.
The chocolate company created a video of how the thumb was made and gave a big chocolate thumbs up to everyone who liked them. The image of the big thumb and the video of it being made gained popularity very quickly and its Facebook page quickly gained another 40,000 likes.
This highlights that if you make the effort to engage with your customers and followers in a positive and thoughtful way, you can increase interest in your brand. Source: http://bit.ly/2WIS9cl
4. Adidas Gains from Facebook Paid Ads
Adidas is already a well-known sportswear manufacturer, however, when it has new collections to promote it needs to find the most profitable way to do that. This 2017 Adidas Facebook ad campaign proved a success and gave the company a 5.3 return on its ad spend.
That’s an impressive number for a single new range and goes to show that even the big businesses understand the importance of using a variety of strategies, including Facebook ads, to achieve the result they’re looking for.
Sometimes the saying ‘less is more’ is on the money and if that can prove to be the case for Adidas, then it can definitely work for other brands too. Source: http://bit.ly/2WNUOkV
5. UnderArmour’s #IWillWhatIWant Campaign
Back in 2014, Under Armour Women began a new Facebook social media ad campaign to push its brand among women. It began with its own professionally created images and videos of supermodel Gisele Bundchen in different athletic clothing showcasing a different strength.
It did well, but took off when the model spearheading the campaign shared her own photo with the hashtag. Years later, #iwillwhatiwant is still used by women all over Facebook, highlighting many different achievements and strengths.
While the more recent hashtags aren’t directly linked to Under Armour, that’s the brands that started it, proving a positive, strong message can have real longevity, even in the fickle world of digital advertising! Source: http://bit.ly/2WXdkaw
6. Always #LikeAGirl Campaign
This ad started life on Facebook but went viral after being shown during the SuperBowl ad in 2015. It took on the stereotype that girls were weak and not as good as boys at the sport.
It focused on the strengths of its customers – women and girls – and that positive message is still going strong today, years after the initial P&G ad campaign began.
By finding a message that really resonates with your customer base you can encourage a huge increase in online engagement, which is exactly what the #likeagirl Facebook campaign did. Source: http://bit.ly/2WQlRfx
What is your favourite Facebook campaign? Let me know in the comments below.