3 Amazing summer marketing campaigns we love
When you think of amazing marketing campaigns or even your favourite marketing campaigns, you probably think of a great Super Bowl commercial or a heartwarming holiday campaign, but there are plenty of great campaigns year-round as well.
As the weather heats up, let’s take a look at some of our favourite summer campaigns from years past and how you can steal some of the magic for your own summer marketing.
Smirnoff: Hang Out From Home
In early 2020 Smirnoff shot their ads in anticipation for their summer campaign. The campaign featured ads with celebrities like Dave Bautista and Laverne Cox and they were set to encourage people to have fun, get outside, and drink some Smirnoff… then a global pandemic happened. While the world collectively began quarantining at home, Smirnoff could have scrapped the entire campaign but instead, they found a way to pivot. They decided to keep the content that they already filmed but they tweaked the message, added a few more shots, and recorded new audio. Instead, the message would be to hang out - but to do so at home instead.
We love this campaign because it shows how important it is to be adaptable and it demonstrates how you can repurpose the ideas and content that you already have to create something new. It goes without saying that it was also incredibly relevant to the current events at the time.
Check out one of the ads here.
Bud Light Wax Bar
Summer is a great time to add an experiential component to your campaign because many people are spending more time outdoors and if they’re not, they probably want to be. Last summer, people were especially excited for summer because we had been cooped up indoors for over a year due to the pandemic. Alcoholic beverage company Bud Light decided to launch their #SmoothSummer campaign with a 1-day activation in downtown Toronto to help people get “waxed, vaxxed, and ready for summer.” The event which was held at a wax clinic, featured Bud Light drinks and free waxing (which was open to serve 100 people – all genders welcomed). You could even get your bikini line waxed. Yep, they really went for it.
This idea of being “waxed and vaxxed” worked well for a few reasons:
A wax bar worked with their “#SmoothSummer” campaign as it was a cheeky nod to both a smoothly waxed body and Bud Light being a smooth tasting beverage.
More and more people were vaccinated and ready to go out and have some fun.
They leveraged a popular saying as people on social media were already using the phrase “waxed and vaxxed.”
We love this campaign because it’s cheeky, it’s a great example of having a bit of fun while staying true to your brand, and it was topical too!
Check it out a video promoting the event here.
Babe Date Relief Squad
Canned wine company Babe was busy last summer. They gave out samples and free cans of wine at Toronto hot spots and they had a few fun campaigns. First, they launched their Summerlier campaign in June, you can see their IG video about it here or read what we had to say about it here. Then, towards the tail end of summer, they launched their Date Relief Squad for one weekend in Vancouver. Most of us have been on bad dates, and if you happened to be on one during the weekend of August 27th & 28th between the hours of 12-8PM, you could direct message the brand on Instagram to be rescued from your bad date. The “Boy Bye Buggy” would come to pick you up and would gift you merch and wine (if you’re legal drinking age) while you dished about your bad date.
We loved both the Summerlier campaign and the Date Relief Squad because it fit with their brand personality, and it was anything but boring. They gave you the opportunity to connect with the brand, have some fun, and enjoy some drinks!
Check out one of the Date Relief Squad posts here.
It's not too late to heat things up and have some fun this summer with YOUR marketing and we’re hoping these left you feeling inspired. However, if you need a little more guidance, check out this blog for some great summer marketing ideas or book a 20-minute consultation with us and let’s see how we can help!