12 Successful Marketing Campaign Examples

Successful marketing campaigns can help drive brand awareness, whether you’re targeting existing or new customers. These campaigns include a range of tactics: digital marketing campaigns, social media marketing, influencer marketing, video marketing, email marketing, and more.

When done well, strong ad campaigns can have a long life, often becoming synonymous with a brand long term. Do you think of anything other than Nike when you hear the phrase, “Just do it”?

Small business owners should focus their efforts on creating an effective marketing strategy that works for their brand. To offer inspiration for your marketing efforts, we’ve collected some of the best marketing campaigns to review as you establish or optimize your own marketing plan. This article will also walk you through the various elements of marketing campaigns and different types to consider so you can develop an effective strategy for your company.

Top marketing campaign examples

While creating an effective marketing campaign can be a big undertaking, it can reap tremendous benefits if done effectively. Here are 12 marketing campaign examples that reached their target audiences and convinced customers to take action.

1. Kellogg’s: Wow

Some of Kellogg’s most successful branded advertising campaigns in recent years have relied heavily on data to reach consumers in personalized and innovative ways.

The company analyzes the data that comes from various sources, such as its Family Rewards program, which had more than 33 million Americans enrolled until its discontinuation in late 2022. It also looks at its e-commerce platforms, which monitor what people are viewing online and how long they stay on specific products.

At the same time, the company relies on digital marketing to connect with customers in a more modern way. A great example of this push is Kellogg’s Pringles’ first Super Bowl ad, “Wow,” which aired in 2018.

The humorous TV commercial starring “Saturday Night Live” alum Bill Hader introduced the world to the concept of “flavor stacking,” or eating different Pringles chip flavors at once to create interesting combinations. (Watch the video.)

To further boost the campaign’s reach, Kellogg’s used non-skippable, six-second YouTube bumper ads tied to it to increase brand awareness. The result was 60 million unique impressions. Additional research found that one in five Pringles snackers attempted “flavor stacking” in real life.

2. Domino’s: Piece of the Pie Rewards

The United States has more than 310 million smartphone users, which means that reaching consumers on their phones is an important opportunity for brands to be successful.

Through its “Piece of the Pie Rewards” program, Domino’s has been able to engage not only mobile users but also those using tablets or laptops—basically any mobile device where people can download its loyalty rewards program app and create a Pizza Profile. Every time a customer spends $10 or more on an order, they get 10 points. Once they get to 60 points, they can redeem them for a free medium, two-topping pizza.

While pizza lovers are drawn to the possibility of a free meal, the advertising campaign and reward program’s success is about more than freebies. It’s fueled by customer engagement and their repeat usage of the app. In addition to earning pizzas, Domino’s finds other fun ways to connect with consumers.

For instance, in 2019, the company launched its “Points for Pies” campaign, which asked users to upload an image of a pizza (frozen, homemade, or made by Domino’s or another pizzeria) in exchange for loyalty points. This not only continued to build on its relationship with the app’s users in a clever way, but the company also collected an incredible amount of useful data.

3. Apple: Shot on iPhone

Apple launched its “Shot on iPhone” marketing campaign in 2014 with the purpose of showcasing the phone’s camera. While the campaign highlighted the iPhone’s high-tech features, it turned to an old-school medium to share how photographers around the world were using its advanced camera system: billboards.

Relying on user-generated content, Apple invited its customers to share photos taken with iPhones on social media using the hashtag #ShotoniPhone. Since its launch, the company has received millions of submissions on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).

The best photos have been blown up and displayed on billboards, buildings, and other large-scale, outdoor public spaces across the globe to tout iPhone’s technology. The effective concept shows no signs of slowing down, either, with calls for photos to celebrate specific themes, holidays, and movements with successive iPhone products.

4. Coca-Cola: Share a Coke

The powerful “Share a Coke” marketing campaign was introduced in 2011—initially launched in Australia at a time when the beverage company had updated its packaging to read “Share a Coke with…” Coca-Cola sought to develop more personal relationships with younger consumers and inspire them to share their love for the brand with others.

The 150 most popular names in Australia were printed on Coke bottles.

The campaign was so successful that it spread across the globe to other countries. Over the years, the campaign has evolved, with the company offering personalized variations of it by relying on user-generated content.

Israel saw interactive billboards that greeted people by name. In China, the company printed nicknames on bottles, making the marketing campaign even more personal for soda drinkers. In 2016, Coca-Cola took the message a step further with its “Share a Coke and a Song'' campaign, which featured printed song lyrics on soda bottles.

5. Airbnb: Made Possible by Hosts

In early 2021, Airbnb launched its first global ad campaign in five years. At the time, there was still a lot of uncertainty in the world because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and the vacation rental platform used the campaign to tap into people’s pent-up desire to travel and see new places.

This brand development campaign, called “Made Possible by Hosts,” reminded people of the magic of travel and the unique experiences to be had when staying with Airbnb hosts. People are ready to explore the world again, the company said. (Find out more about the campaign.)

With more than 17 million views, the user-generated content at the core of Made Possible by Hosts helped Airbnb reconnect with a struggling target audience, leading to 10x more engagement on Facebook compared to their usual marketing fare.

It worked, as the company reported record earnings for 2021, with CEO Brian Chesky calling it the “best year in Airbnb history.”

6. Dove: Real Beauty

The goal of this worldwide marketing campaign from Dove is to instill confidence in women and to share the company’s vision of beauty equality—that women’s unique differences should be celebrated.

The company adopted this awareness campaign in 2004. Not only did it share the company’s social movement and goal of improving women’s self-esteem across the globe, but it also boosted Dove’s sales. In its first 10 years, Dove’s sales increased from $2.5 billion to $4 billion, and it became the top preferred soap brand in the United States.

7. Proctor & Gamble Always: Like A Girl

This empowering awareness campaign, launched in 2014, turned a common childhood insult on its head. Always took the phrase “Like A Girl” and made it something to be proud of, using the marketing campaign to instill confidence in women of all ages, but especially young women. The goal of this content-driven campaign was to promote Always products while showing girls that there are no limits to what they can do.

In a short video created by a documentary filmmaker, Always asked girls what it means to do something “like a girl.” To accompany the video, the company pushed the social media hashtag #LikeAGirl. The video had more than 85 million views globally on YouTube before being privatized.

It also changed the perception of young girls. In a survey, only 19% of 16- to 24-year-olds had a positive association with the phrase “like a girl.” This number jumped to 76% after watching the Always video.

8. Red Bull: Stratos

With its marketing stunt, the Stratos Mission, Red Bull sought to raise brand awareness while inspiring viewers worldwide to transcend limitations. In this 2012 campaign, Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner flew 128,000 feet into the stratosphere over New Mexico in a helium balloon. Then, he free-fell while wearing a pressure suit and parachuted the remaining distance to Earth. (Watch his free-fall jump.)

This staggering feat, shared across social media, generated more than 60 million impressions for Red Bull. About 82% of these interactions with the company expressed a positive sentiment about Baumgartner’s record-breaking jump.

9. Pepsi: The Pepsi Challenge

This ongoing marketing campaign started in the 1970s, with Pepsi going into malls and other public spaces and asking them to do a blind taste test between Coke and Pepsi. (Watch a vintage commercial.) The soda giant raised brand awareness through this fun, offbeat marketing campaign and also obtained important user feedback along the way.

By 1985, Pepsi had carved away 25.6% of the soda market and become a significant challenger to Coke (36.4%). They doubled down, pouring millions of dollars into a television campaign with celebrities like Lionel Ritchie, Dan Marino, and Joe Montana.

Since then, the product marketing campaign has been revamped for a digital world. It’s been redeveloped into a user-generated content campaign using the social media hashtag #PepsiChallenge. It’s also an awareness campaign—Pepsi donated $1 to the Liter of Light organization every time the hashtag was used over the course of one year.

10. California Milk Processor Board: Got Milk? campaign

Back in the 1990s, the California Milk Processor Board launched an iconic marketing campaign known simply as “Got Milk?”—that ran for two decades. With the goal of boosting milk consumption after two decades of decline, they were able to give milk consumption a bump up—a 6% hike in milk sales.

Revolving around the tagline “Got Milk?”, this campaign tapped into the universal experience of running out of milk. Life without milk was made to seem bland, and this all shifted the way people perceived milk. In fact, the campaign was so successful that it became licensed for use by milk processors and dairy farmers.

Celebrities and athletes were pictured in ads and commercials sporting a milk mustache and conveying the message about milk’s health benefits. From Whoopi Goldberg to Kermit the Frog, the campaign tapped into celebrity influence—which was at an all-time high during that era. Over 70 commercials ran on television in the state of California alone, and around 350 milk mustache ads ran nationally in print and on TV.

11. Google Android: Friends Furever

The winning recipe used by Google Android in their video marketing campaign “Friends Furever” was the concept of improbable friendships. And not just the kind between two people, but between furry, feathered, and even scaly creatures.

Launched in 2015, the main theme revolved around the most unlikely animal friendships. A kitty snuggling with a chick, a rhino trotting along with a goat, and an elephant enjoying playtime with a lamb, to name a few.

The idea was to draw a parallel between these unlikely yet lovable friendships and the central ethos of the Android brand: “Be together. Not the same.” Much of Android’s advertising centers around the idea that no matter how diverse we might be, we can still get along.

The video campaign went beyond the usual tech jargon you’d expect from a brand in their industry and connected with the audience emotionally. It was a lighthearted, adorable ad that was titled the most shared ad of 2015, with 6.4 million shares.

12. GoPro: GoPro Awards

The GoPro Awards is a campaign that truly broke the mold. It wasn’t a run-of-the-mill project but rather a user-generated content (UGC) campaign that let GoPro users around the globe contribute their personal content created using their own GoPros.

The campaign became an annual event that has created buzz around the brand. Their 2019 campaign alone resulted in over 77 million impressions. That’s big exposure, which is why the initiative became the cornerstone of GoPro’s overarching UGC marketing strategy. Since the launch, GoPro Awards has gotten nearly 1 million photo and video submissions from 180 countries. With all the individual content footage they receive, a lot of it gets handpicked, polished up, and presented in other marketing material.

All those trying for their slice of the $1-million top prize need to shoot footage on the latest camera model, driving sales conversions better than any previous campaign.

The 2023 contest, which used the HERO11 Black and HERO11 Black Mini, garnered more than 42,000 submissions, a 66% increase year-over-year. The prize was split between 55 creators, each receiving a little over $18,000.

In short, GoPro has created a marketing initiative that’s engaging, thrilling, and interactive. It roped in the essence of user engagement and allowed their fans to be part of the inspiring campaign.

Common themes that made these marketing campaigns successful

What is a marketing campaign?

A marketing campaign is a strategy adopted by a business to promote its products and services. You can use a diverse range of media to connect with consumers, including TV, radio, print, and digital platforms. The goal is to create messaging that reaches your company’s target audience—including both current and potential customers—and drives their interest in your brand.

Key elements of a marketing campaign

As you build a marketing strategy for your business, here are some key elements to consider—from the planning stage to the execution of your campaign to evaluating your results and metrics.

Define your goals

Before launching a campaign, it’s important for your team to discuss the company’s marketing goals and key performance indicators (KPIs). By establishing objectives in advance, you can help keep your marketing campaign focused and moving in the right direction. Ultimately, your marketing strategy will be more effective and more successful if you have goals in place.

Just remember to use the SMART system as your framework for setting goals. That acronym stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound—which is what your goals should be.

Understand your audience

Now that you understand your business’s marketing goals, define your target audience. Truly understanding your customer (such as what drives them to make a purchase or inspires their loyalty to a brand) can help you create purposeful messaging for specific audiences. If you know what problems they want to solve, their needs, and their interests, you can better realize how your brand might speak to them.

The best way to understand your consumers is through market research. Look at the customer data you have available to determine the demographics you want to target. Also, take a good look at your competitors to better understand your own audience. You can also get information directly from consumers, either by monitoring their feedback on social media or by asking them directly through surveys.

Identify your offer

Once you’ve set your goals, consider what your offer—also known as your call to action (CTA)—will be. This offer should be enticing and grab the attention of consumers.

Your offer might be focused on driving sales through special discounts and deals.

However, marketing campaigns are also often about engaging customers in some way (e.g., capturing their emails, driving traffic to landing pages, forming some kind of relationship with them) rather than hard sales.

Before crafting your campaign, decide what your CTA will be based on your brand messaging goals. Ask yourself, “What do I want my customer to do after engaging with this marketing campaign?” This can help determine the direction of your marketing strategy.

‍Design your campaign

The design of your marketing campaign is how you communicate and promote your brand image. It’s an essential component of your company’s advertising strategy.

You might offer an amazing product and have a brilliant message to share with the world, but if it isn’t done in an appealing and easily understood way, then your campaign could fail.

Your campaign’s design is essential to the success of your business’s marketing strategy. Depending on the medium you’re using—such as print, radio and podcasts, TV, or online platforms—some brand design elements to consider include:

• Colors
• Tone
• Specific people and items
• Sounds
• Fonts
• Perspective

Establish your budget

Finally, make sure to set a marketing budget for your company. Small businesses may have much smaller budgets than large corporations. Determine how much you can afford to spend on marketing. You can set a budget annually, monthly, or for specific campaigns.

Once you know how much you can spend on marketing, determine where your dollars will be most effectively used. For example, if your customers are more likely to use Facebook than listen to the radio, then you’re better off focusing your funds on a social media campaign than taking out a radio ad.

Types of marketing campaigns

As you create a marketing strategy or public relations plan for your company, here are 10 popular types of campaigns to consider. In certain cases, marketing campaign strategies might embody several types. For instance, a product campaign could rely heavily on both email and social media advertising.

Product marketing campaign

Product marketing focuses on promoting specific products to a company’s existing customer base.

For example, tech giant Apple consistently launches successful product marketing campaigns with their iconic, straightforward advertisements for each new iPhone model. In the food industry, McDonald’s frequently appeals to its established customer base with campaigns spotlighted on new menu items, such as the McRib or the Travis Scott Meal.

Brand development campaign

A company that’s rebranding or just starting out might launch a brand campaign as a strategic effort to build its image, raise brand awareness, and evolve into a household name.

Old Spice is a notable example of a company that successfully launched a brand development campaign. They transitioned their image from a traditional, somewhat dated brand into a hip, modern one through a series of funny viral video campaigns.

Email marketing campaign

Email marketing campaigns rely on coordinated emails sent with purpose to a company’s email subscribers at a specific time. Each email could have any number of desired effects—from promoting a new product to encouraging customers to sign up for rewards programs to addressing cart abandonment—and may feature uniquely crafted content with that specific outcome in mind.

Starbucks is well-known for its effective email marketing campaigns, sending emails to customers to inform them about new drinks, promotions, or their highly successful rewards program. The emails always pair engaging visuals with clear calls to action.

Amazon is another big company that uses email marketing effectively. They’re particularly skilled at sending targeted emails based on browsing or purchasing behavior, alerting customers about similar or related items. They offer this service to sellers on the Amazon platform so they can also reach tailored audiences.

Content marketing campaign

With an advertising approach that relies on a content marketing strategy, a company creates and distributes interesting, useful, consistent, and high-quality content designed with a specific goal in mind.

HubSpot is a recognized content market leader that regularly posts engaging blogs, webinars, and ebooks to equip businesses with marketing tools and knowledge. In a similar vein, the “Microsoft Stories” series stands out by conveying the company’s tech advances and impacts within diverse human stories.

User-generated content campaign

This engaging marketing approach builds trust and relationships with consumers as companies ask them to submit user-generated content—anything from personal photos to testimonials—usually on social media or apps.

Let’s revisit Starbucks for an example. Their infamous “White Cup Contest” encouraged customers to draw on their cups and share their personalized artworks on social media with the hashtag. It created immense brand engagement, got people talking, and highlighted the creativity of the Starbucks community.

Advertising campaign

Advertising campaigns focus on a series of messages that share a single idea, each one targeting different demographics and audience segments and using various media (print, TV, radio, or digital). The primary goal is conversions or sales.

Two original and standout advertising campaigns are McDonald’s “I’m Lovin’ It” campaign and Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign. McDonald’s was able to reach out to a younger, trendier demographic with its catchy jingle, bringing a cool, upbeat image to the brand in over 120 countries. Nike paired their inspirational slogan with multiple touchpoints, spanning TV commercials, print ads, and digital media.

Brand awareness campaign

This marketing strategy is less about hard sales and more about boosting brand recognition. These are often used by nonprofit organizations.

One of the most recognized nonprofit organizations that leveraged awareness campaigns is (RED). The organization partners with big brands like Apple to raise awareness and funds to fight HIV/AIDS. They aim to increase public knowledge about the disease and focus more on the shared mission.

Affiliate marketing campaign

Performance-driven affiliate marketing strategies rely on others to boost the brand. Affiliates who promote products or services may earn a commission for every sale made through their links or promotions.

Amazon has a notable example of affiliate marketing as one of the first major companies to have an affiliate marketing program. It’s one of the world’s largest and most successful, as they have such a large and diverse range of products.

Social media campaign

Social media marketing uses social media platforms, like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, to promote products and services to members of these platforms.

Global fast-food chain Wendy’s is famously known for its witty one-liners and sharp comebacks on X (formerly Twitter). Their mastery of social media comes from their fearlessness to adopt the humorous language of the platform and give the brand a distinctive voice.

Acquisition marketing campaign

This type of marketing promotes products and services to new customers, building brand awareness with a new audience.

Spotify’s “Premium Student” offer targets college students, providing them with a discounted Premium subscription. Students get to enjoy ad-free music at a lower rate, and Spotify then acquires new long-term customers who might continue with the Premium service past graduation.

Start building a successful marketing campaign

If you want to develop a successful marketing campaign for your business, consider hiring an expert who can help you determine your company’s goals and audience to then craft a strategy and set of messages that make a real impact. Upwork can help you find a talented, independent marketing strategist who can take your company to the next level.