With summer coming to a close, it’s time to give credit where credit is due: to five of the best content campaigns of the season. We loved these campaigns for their creativity and their ability to engage and connect with consumers on unique platforms that neither they, nor other brands in their markets, had used before. And while they aren’t the only brands killing it with content, they are the faces of some of the best campaigns we’ve seen recently. If you haven’t already, take a look at what these brands have been up to this summer:
1. Kia
Hamburger Helper’s “Watch the Stove” may have started as an April Fools’ joke, but its release prompted quite a few brands to take music more seriously as a way to engage their audiences. And when Spotify introduced its brand-sponsored playlists in May, that task became easier.
Leading up to Spotify’s playlist announcement, Kia sponsored New Music Friday to introduce its new Kia Sportage. Kia was able to promote the Sportage to Spotify users as they listened to new music by sponsoring the playlist for a week, resulting in a campaign that was incredibly successful in engaging consumers and increasing brand awareness — two important goals for content marketers across the board.
2. McDonald’s
With a new website as fresh as some of its most recent menu additions, the latest McDonald’s website McMakeover was the result of CEO Steve Easterbrook's continued efforts to make McDonald’s “a modern, progressive burger company.”
In addition to easy navigation and a modern look, some new features on the site include location-based menus, newsletter sign-up, and, most importantly, information about its new app. Step aside, Kimojis — this new McDonald’s app offers a keyboard feature that allows users to text their friends McMojis, which is just about the greatest thing ever.
3. KFC
It’s hard to deny that eating fried chicken is amazing, but smelling like it, too? Sign me up! In its unforgettable summer campaign, KFC introduced extra crispy sunscreen that protects wearers from UV rays “while the lovely fragrance rays penetrate it to give you a healthy chicken aroma.”
Offered online, the product sold out quickly, and I was unfortunately too late to order it. While I can’t say for myself what it was like, I can say that KFC’s campaign was a great way of engaging consumers in more ways than your standard commercial. Falling in line with its brand voice, the product itself was also funny and lighthearted, and the messaging surrounding it only enhanced it.
4. Coors Light
Using 360-degree video footage, Coors Light’s latest advertisements take viewers on a series of adventures, ranging from kayaking to dirt biking to surfing. Plus, with a virtual reality headset, you can get a better view of the ocean waves, making this ad even more experiential.
We know that virtual reality is changing content marketing, and ads like these from Coors Light are paving the way for more companies to see how it can be used to engage their target audiences successfully. This series masters the art of lifestyle marketing and appeals to its audience of Millennials.
5. eBay
From helping you think of new, compelling content ideas to keeping your own audience engaged over time, podcasts can be a content marketer’s best friend. And following the success of podcasts like “Serial” (my personal favorite), “TED Radio Hour,” and “This American Life,” eBay launched its own branded podcast titled “Open for Business.” The episodes focus on different aspects of building a business from the ground up and offer advice on topics like entrepreneurship, hiring, and pricing.
There you have it — some of the best content campaigns this summer. I hope you enjoyed them as much as we did. Keep an eye out for more content from these brands in the future, and let them inspire your own content creation so you can launch campaigns that will wow the crowd every season.
Want to create a content marketing campaign that's as compelling as the ones listed above? Download our free whitepaper before you get started!
