2023 has provided some amazing marketing campaigns that will be remembered for years to come. From Barbie’s takeover, British Airways out of office replies, to Heinz and Absolut mixing ketchup and vodka, here are three excellent marketing campaigns that stood out this year.
Barbie Live-action Movie
From a marketing and cinematic perspective, 2023 will be remembered as the year of Barbie. The marketing for the Barbie movie is a brilliant example of how to create a successful and viral campaign that appeals to a wide and diverse audience. The campaign used various strategies and platforms to generate buzz and engagement, such as:
- Creating a social media presence that features behind-the-scenes content, interviews, fan art, memes, and challenges, such as the #BarbieChallenge, where users are encouraged to dress up as their favourite Barbie or Ken.
- Hosting a glamorous and pink-themed premiere at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, where the cast and crew arrived in Barbie cars and wore Barbie-inspired outfits.
- Encouraging the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon, where audiences were invited to watch the film as a double feature with Universal’s Oppenheimer, a biopic of the physicist who led the Manhattan Project, as a contrast of genres and tones.
The marketing for the movie is a creative and effective way to generate interest and excitement for the film, and to showcase its unique and original vision. Check out our previous blog “It’s a Barbie World. We’re living in it!” to read more about the marketing behind the movie.
Heinz and Absolute: The Art of Ketchup
Heinz and Absolut teamed up to create a unique and eye-catching campaign that combined two iconic products: ketchup and vodka. The campaign featured a series of posters that showcased different ways of using ketchup as a creative medium, such as painting, sculpting, splashing, and dripping. The posters also included witty slogans that played on the words “ketchup” and “catch up”, such as “Ketchup with old friends” and “Ketchup on the latest gossip”. The campaign aimed to celebrate the versatility and fun of ketchup, as well as to promote Absolut’s new limited-edition bottle that was inspired by Heinz ketchup.
British Airways Out of Office
British Airways launched a creative and humorous campaign in 2023 to encourage people to take their holidays seriously and to switch off from work when they travel. The campaign, called “Out of Office”, featured a series of outdoor display ads that showed different locations around the UK, such as a beach, a forest, a lake, and a castle, with witty and unconventional out-of-office messages written on them. Some of the messages included:
- “0% chance of work”
- “Hi, I have received your email. I’m currently on holiday and will not be checking it. Ever.”
- “I’m out of office. And out of my mind with happiness.”
- “I’m away until further notice. Or until I get bored of this view. Whichever comes first.”
The campaign reminds people of the importance of taking a break from work and enjoying their holidays, as well as promoting the services and offers of British Airways Holidays, such as their 24-hour helpline, carefully chosen hotels and generous baggage allowance. The campaign was a clever and playful way to capture the attention and interest of consumers and to showcase the personality and humour of British Airways.
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Written by Gourav Kumar who is an Account Executive at Whistle PR which offers a range of integrated communications services including strategic consultancy, PR, digital and internal communications. For further information, email info@whistlepr.co.uk or contact us here.
