In a creative discipline like marketing, inspiration is key. Whether it’s a strategy, a style or even a score, marketers of all stripes — advertising, social media, content and more — often look to each other for stimuli to kick off that next great campaign or community movement.
We asked marketers from four Colorado startups to share which campaigns have most inspired them — and how they apply that inspiration to their own work.
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Dan Bergeron, Social Media Manager
One of my favorite recent social media campaigns is from Mercedes Benz. They allowed consumers to customize their new GLA model on Instagram through the use of linking several Mercedes owned accounts, tagging different parts of the photo.
This campaign was a new approach to drive a younger millennial audience to engage with a historically older consumer base. They gained 20,000 new followers on Instagram as a result and were able to effectively use social media to help revive their brand and make it more appealing to a new generation of vehicle purchasing millennials.
This campaign has taught me to always think of non-traditional methods to capture consumers’ attention, and to keep the audience interacting and engaging with content rather than just broadcasting it.
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Drew Frey, Customer Marketing Manager
I’m a massive soccer fan and look forward to the UEFA Champions League every year. The performance on the field is great but sometimes, like the Super Bowl, the commercials are better. Heineken, one of the title sponsors, came out with a campaign this year that made me think twice about what I would do if I was put in this situation.
Not only do I like this because it deals with soccer, but at the heart of this great prank, it captures a very real moment on camera and puts me in the hot seat too! What would I do if I was in his situation? I would like to think that I’d make the right decision and watch the game with my buddies, but these are UEFA tickets we’re talking about! Some stunts are orchestrated; this one felt very real and authentic.
One takeaway here: While providing your customers with unprecedented access, be sure to bring a camera or two along for the ride to capture their reaction. It’s going to be worth all of the time, energy, and planning involved.
Jenny Clawson, Marketing and Communications Manager
Our "1986" Facebook ad campaign is a cult-favorite campaign here at Rachio. It started as a New Year's resolution campaign idea ringing in 2016. How do you celebrate a technology that has been around forever? Why not point out how dated traditional sprinkler technology truly is by turning back the clock 30 years.
It was such a clever and enjoyable ad, layered with nostalgic detail and just visually fun to explore. The date was linked to the age of our audience, targeted to hit just the right notes of bittersweet memory — items they remember fondly, but that have lost their relevance with the new and modern. The campaign connected with people on a personal level, while driving viewers toward the key idea that traditional irrigation is outdated and replaceable.
The ad was a bit of a gamble, as it took the subject out of the typical yard-and-watering-sprinkler context, but the gamble paid off with engaged viewers and quality clicks. We've since been using "1986" as a springboard to test which elements of the ad were most successful. Was it nostalgia alone? The easter-egg filled background? The subtle tech-shaming? We've been exploring which of these resonates the most with our audience and trying to recreate the magic in a new way.
Gavin Anstey, Co-founder and Sr. Producer
I’ve always been a huge fan of Denver Water’s campaigns over the years, especially the “Don’t Be That Guy” campaign. Besides it being pretty damn funny, it also simply conveys a really serious message.
It was just a really clever way to show people how to conserve water. Now, I always get annoyed when I see people watering their lawns in the middle of the day.
I just love the simplicity to it. It’s nothing crazy, just pictures of ridiculous looking people watering their lawns. But the messaging is just very clever and very spot on.
Do you have a favorite marketing campaign? Share a link with us on Twitter or tag us on Instagram: @builtincolorado.
