It’s that time again! Every quarter, each team member of ODEA picks a favorite example of BOLD marketing that caught their attention. We all had a time narrowing down our choices for this one because brand’s have been bringing it! Check out our favorites below.
JJ’s pick…
Microsoft’s Internal Memo
Why is it BOLD?
Not everyone felt like a prankster this April Fool’s! Microsoft tried to take the first step in putting an end to tech companies participating in pranks on April Fool’s Day. According to an internal memo , Microsoft found that data shows these pranks have limited positive impact and can backfire if something goes wrong or is taken the wrong way. It can also drive customers crazy because let’s be honest, we’re all a bit tired of seeing brands trying to be funny all on one day. Customers are starting to not pay attention to anything that companies come out with on April 1st.
On a day that is full of jokes, I think going against the grain and taking a “no funny business” approach is BOLD for Microsoft.
Chelsi’s pick…
Walmart’s “Famous Cars” Commercial
Why is it BOLD?
At ODEA we like to think of BOLD as simple and unexpected. I think that the “Famous Cars” advertisement launched by Walmart during Super Bowl LIII was both of those things. Walmart enlisted the help of some famous cars, old and new, to introduce their new grocery pickup service that keeps you from having to leave your car. The ad features Lighting McQueen (Cars), The Batmobile (Batman), Bumblebee (Transformers), the DeLorean (Back to the Future), the Mystery Machine (Scooby-Doo) and many other famous faces (or wheels).
I absolutely love this ad and can’t help but smile and try to spot a new “famous car” every time it comes on. I believe BOLD comes in many forms and this fun, nostalgia-filled ad is one of them.
Patty’s pick…
HubSpot Outage Response
Why is it BOLD?
I received an email from HubSpot, the marketing automation technology that we and many of our clients use, that started, “Hi Patty, We’re sorry. HubSpot’s only mission is to help businesses grow better, and today we weren’t able to do that for you and many of your clients.” You see, HubSpot had a monstrous technical issue that caused an outage on March 28, near the end of the month and end of the quarter. In no way ideal timing if you are a technology helping companies sell. But what was ideal, and why HubSpot is my BOLD pick for this quarter, is how they handled the issue.
Here is their blog post about the outage and a copy of the email I received that includes the simple yet impactful subheads “What Happened”, “Our Response” and “Next Steps”. Being accountable and communicative while dealing with an issue head on? That’s BOLD.
Megan’s pick…
Fiverr Ad Campaign
Why is it BOLD?
The new Fiverr ad campaign is BOLD because it takes a simple approach to communicating what Fiverr is as a service. It can be hard to find intriguing visuals for services and that’s why I like that Fiverr used simple, beautiful, black and white head shots of people. But, they made it interesting by pairing them not only side by side – but blending them together. Not only does it look good, but it communicates that the freelancer you hire on Fiverr is a part of your team and has your back. The colors also pop against the black and white images and it’s easy to read the copy which speaks to the audience’s issue and how Fiverr has the solution. As users of Fiverr ourselves, I felt this BOLD campaign was spot on!
Sue’s pick…
T-Mobile International Women’s Day Ad
Why is it BOLD?
T-Mobile created an ad to celebrate International Women’s Day that honors a grandma. The grandma is given a cell phone because her children are worried about her and want to keep track of her. They give her a phone and teach her how to use it. She learns to take selfies, kill zombies and use a dating app. But when her granddaughter teaches her how to post old photos, the family is reminded that she isn’t just their mom or grandma but a real person.
I think this is a BOLD ad because it portrays an older woman as being capable of learning new things and being her own person. You don’t see the older generation, especially women, shown that way in advertising very often. T-Mobile chose to move out of a comfort zone and portray an elderly woman in a different light. And if it made consumers shed a few tears and get all the feels, then all the better.
Stephanie’s pick…
Topo Pop from Good Pop
Why is it BOLD?
If you haven’t experienced the delightful, effervescent bubbles of this delicious, Mexican mineral water, you are missing out. Not only am I huge fan of their beverage, but I’m also pretty in love with their branding and design. So, when this post came up in my Instagram feed, I got pretty stoked. 1. It’s awesome when brand partnerships – that actually make sense – happen. Finding the magical synergy between two brands without having to force it takes thought and finesse. This execution makes the partnership between Topo Chico and Good Pop make sense. 2. April Fool’s jokes can be tricky, it’s easy for them to fall flat or go too far. (See JJ’s post above.) This one felt just right. Topo fans notoriously love Topo swag or any way to bring more Topo into their lives so this would immediately peek their interest and leave them with a good chuckle once they realize that mineral water popsicles are really just… ice.
Emil’s pick…
Soundgarden Album Bundled with Guitar Hero
Why is it BOLD?
I know this is an older story (maybe completely unknown to many) but no less relevant when looking for creative ways to get your brand in front of new customers.
Soundgarden had not released an album since 1997, until 2010 when they released a retrospective album. A week before official retail release, the first million copies of the album were released with the latest Guitar Hero video game.
*Highlights*
- The album was certified platinum (1 million albums) the day after it’s official retail release.
- Soundgarden distributed 1 million copies of their new album to possible new fans while also introducing their music to a new generation of fans.
- The creativity of this marketing effort created a buzz at the time because of the nearly instant platinum certification.
Cailyn’s pick…
Halo Top’s “Ice Cream is for Adults”
Why is it BOLD?
Halo Top’s new “Ice Cream for Adults” campaign struck me as BOLD because it’s a new and unexpected way we haven’t seen ice cream being marketed before. Normally a family-friendly treat, Halo Top gave it a dark twist that adults are more deserving of the dessert than kids.
This is Halo Top’s first national TV campaign and these commercials are very blunt and don’t hold back. “She looks like she needs it more than you” the ice cream man says while handing the pint over to the mother instead of the daughter.
These commercials definitely grabbed my attention while also being hilarious.