The best marketing campaigns of 2024. Would you rather skip the dishes or swipe right?

Without further ado – here are some of the most relevant and memorable campaigns of 2024 (subjective, of course – but that’s the best!).

There are many discourses we could have today about McDonald’s, but one thing’s for certain—they know how to do marketing. One of the examples you can see below is that they partnered up with Czech creative agency DDB to launch a campaign around McDelivery. The effects? “The search for McDonald’s in connection with delivery skyrocketed. It grew by 140% within 90 days of our communication.” That’s more than something! Both the idea and the execution are on point.

Source: https://www.ddb.cz/our-cases/skip-the-dishes

Another example of interesting digital marketing campaigns in 2024 shows how vital user engagement is. It’s not even about engagement in the broadly understood life of the brand (the customer doesn’t have to know its history or know who’s at the helm), but identifying with what the brand offers. In the case of the iPhone, the brand has been developed for many years, and despite the ups and downs, customers are still eager to share what they do and have been doing so since 2015. But interestingly, this year’s campaign has gained momentum, and the leading role was played by the band The Weekend, who recorded their music video for Dancing in the Flames… on the latest iPhone 16 Pro. Impressive, isn’t it? And it brings UGC to a completely new level. Among the distinguished films, we have, for example, the Mexican film Suerte or Year of the Dragon set in China. Supporting artists and exciting content? Not the worst idea.

This is one of the interesting examples of content marketing campaigns from 2024, which shows how you can play with a brand’s image, not always flattering, and communicate well with Gen Z.

Tinder decided to take on the subject of what the app is for – and that it doesn’t have to be a one-night stand. In a series of graphics and videos set in a perfectly retro reality (the ’80s with a Gen Z twist), it refers to the trend of maximalism, and with a clever duet of humor and distance, it reaches the target group. It turned out quite nicely!

PS In this campaign, Tinder addressed the issues and feelings that the younger generation identifies with – hence the slogans on the posters such as “Realizing you’re not dead inside” or “A toothbrush at their place”.

Source: https://www.tinderpressroom.com/2023-02-27-TINDER-REDEFINES-EXPECTATIONS-WITH-NEW-BRAND-CAMPAIGN-THAT-CELEBRATES-GEN-ZS-AUTHENTIC,-FLUID-AND-BEAUTIFUL-CONNECTIONS

Among the best marketing campaigns in 2024, we will often find ideas related to zero/less waste, care for the environment, and the brand’s mission. There are, for example, Patagonia or Adidas, which combat the plastic waste, or promise to take actions to become more sustainable and environmental-friendly. Of course, I could list them here, but in my opinion (subjective, of course, but supported by careful observation of the market and the prevailing moods), these are no longer fresh or groundbreaking campaigns. I have no insight into their results, and they are primarily branding campaigns, so their effects are more challenging to track, but is this the direction we should be heading in the coming years? Not necessarily. And this is not because care for the environment is passé, but because customers increasingly expect it as an absolute minimum, which is not a distinguishing feature of the brand, but its fundamental mission (so-called bare minimum). While Patagonia has successfully managed to create a lasting, strong brand image around sustainability and put the environment first, Adidas or fast-fashion brands such as H&M didn’t really win this fight. They don’t stay authentic, so they’re out of the game. I would expect a consumer backlash than applause in the near future.

For a similar reason, I consider “Real Beauty” by Dove to be a bit outdated. It is not a bad campaign, but I think it lacked a bit to be in this year’s TOP. The conversation has already moved from the “social media is not very realistic” discourse to a higher level, and brands should keep up with it.

Here’s something new: the outdoor campaign of the cosmetics brand The Ordinary has just been launched. We can talk a lot about Black Friday – some like it, others don’t; regardless, one thing is certain. It’s talked about aaaall November.

The Ordinary aimed for the silver lining with its outdoor campaign, which shows the nonsense of numerous (often completely fake) promotions. “Buy one, get 2… for the price of 3” is one of the slogans on billboards—everything in the minimalist convention typical of the brand. And yet, in a way, it reaches the target group and maybe even elicits an ironic smile, allowing for reflection. Since the brand has already flashed somewhere and created a sense of relief in the flood of omnipresent promotions, maybe it will stick with the clients. I consider this campaign a great way to get out of Black Friday with a face, but also… with some profits.

Work with us on content tailored to your tone of voice. SEO Copywriting can, and even should, be like that!

Here, as a little something extra, is an exciting initiative – Procter & Gamble (although problematic on many levels, but that’s not what we’re talking about here!) saw an opportunity to show up at the Games from a side that supports participants who are also mothers. They created a nursery in the Olympic Village (by Pampers), a dental clinic from Oral-B, and a beauty salon sponsored by Pantene. Of course, it doesn’t change the lives of athletes to a considerable extent, but the fact that brands want to be visible from this side fits nicely into their pro-family character. Most importantly, they didn’t do it alone – we can find entries on the web saying that it was all with the help of Olympic runner, Allyson Felix—definitely the way to go.

Source: https://www.sponsorunited.com/insights/p-and-g-olympic-village-activations

What do the above campaigns have in common? Why were they successful? What made me choose them for this list?