Here are just a few brands that have caught my attention over the past few months that are finding creative ways to join or start an online conversation:
Charli XCX’s Brat
The “Brat Summer” trend has captured the attention of marketers across various industries. From doing the ‘Apple’ TikTok dance, to changing logos to lime green and an arial typeface, brands have jumped on the bandwagon of this album’s success.
Even Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign has tapped into this phenomenon. By changing banners on social media, she aligned herself with the Brat movement. Even Charli XCX joined in with a post on X saying, ‘Kamala is BRAT’.
This has been seen as a risky move by American media, because a lot of people aren’t sure what ‘Brat’ means. But ultimately, Team Kamala has seen a lot of engagement as a result. Her new TikTok channel gained nearly 4 million followers in just over a week, and more people under 35 signed up to vote.
e.l.f. Beauty
We all know e.l.f. as a cosmetics company. However, its recent “Change the Board Game” campaign aims to launch the brand into a different conversation. The campaign highlights that there are more men named Dick (including Richard, Rich and Rick) on corporate boards than entire groups of underrepresented people.
Some stats include:
- 2x more men named Dick than Hispanic women.
- Black women and Asian women barely outnumber men named Dick.
- There are 19x more men named Dick than women of Middle Eastern descent.
- There are only 3 Native American women serving on these boards.
The campaign goes on to highlight why diversity is important in leadership positions, before highlighting e.l.f.’s inclusive board. With over 2,000 impressions and 300 reposts on LinkedIn, social media loved it. e.l.f. even displayed its ads across the Financial District in New York.
e.l.f. harnessed the power of driving real-world change and business success. This strategy underlines the growing importance of corporate responsibility and how it resonates with today’s socially conscious consumers. The campaign is a great way to add value to an ongoing discussion, even if it’s not your typical field of conversation.
Smashed
Smashed, originally Mixoloshe, took a creative approach to announcing its new name and branding. An Instagram account named @thebestmarketingstrategyever, run by ’Nicole The Intern,’ appeared with a video of her smashing a Mixoloshe can. She made a bet with her boss that smashing a can a day on social media for 60 days would be more effective than his entire marketing strategy.
A bold statement, but she continued to post every single day for nearly two months, smashing a can of Mixoloshe in a creative way. Ranging from a simple baseball bat to dropping bowling balls. Her videos gained thousands of views and skyrocketed to over 500k followers.
On the very last day her boss finally joined in with a Joker style can crushing. The next day ‘Smashed’ was announced with a cinematic trailer of Nicole blowing up the last cans of Mixoloshe to reveal the new brand.
Whether this was the brand’s plan from the start or if it naturally evolved as she started her bet, it doesn’t matter. It caught the attention of consumers and marketing professionals.
These examples highlight how powerful creative and bold social media campaigns can be. Campaigns that make a lasting impact. As brands continue to innovate and find unique ways to join online conversations, they not only capture attention but also shape the narrative in today’s digital landscape. Whether it’s through embracing trends, championing social causes, or making daring rebranding moves, the key to success lies in authenticity and resonating with the audience.
