Top 5 ads of 2019 that swept all the awards, and hearts.

A good commercial has the power to increase your brand value, new customers and generate sales. Catchy phrases, jingles, creative taglines and more can draw mass attention and become history when done right, bring the companies higher returns. 

2019 saw some of the most interesting and brilliant concepts and with digital media growing, we are likely to see even more fantastic campaigns in 2020.

With digital and online consumption growing, Hubspot research states,  “Turn your Customers into your biggest advocates and promoters.”

Image Credit: Hubspot

Still, wondering or creating a plan for your 2020 campaigns to reach the goal and get the ROI?

We have gathered a few of the best ads of 2019, take a look and get which may get you inspired for your next. It can be helpful to learn from these award-winning, revenue-generating campaigns and implement a few strategies or elements in your next ad campaign.

In the world full of competition and ads literally everywhere, let us delve into the details of the finest campaigns and embark on your creativity for 2020.

 

1. IKEA: Real Life Series

Image Credit: The Drum

A brilliant concept of cross-referencing and recreating the living rooms of iconic TV shows to capture the cultural imagination of the United Arab  Emirates (UAE). Unlike the U.S and U.K, where the brand has a strong presence and is a retail novelty, gaining mass attention and relevance in UAE is a little difficult.

The brand selected Publicis Spain to recreate the set of living rooms of the classics ‘The Simpsons’ or  ‘Friends’ and ‘Stranger Things’. The print ads show real furniture from the store’s inventory, modelled and edited using 3D software to give the real effect. 

The project ‘Real Life Series’ is on IKEA’s social media and catalogues and even appears in stores in the Middle East. It has launched a website that offers exact iconic decorating pieces from the shows.

The tagline ‘For Real families’ highlights the diversity in Ikea’s products among the diverse population of the UAE. As per the press release, it aims to prove it can provide relevant solutions to all cultures.

2. Tetley -Now We’re Talking

Case Study

A classic example of Rebranding and Brand Positioning. 

To help the brand target a wider and more diverse audience, the tea brand decided to create a mire meaningful positioning, fresh identity and a creative campaign that would win the hearts and minds of the nation.

The concept of the ad campaign was developed on the premise of the emotional territory of ‘togetherness’ with a strategy around conversations flowing. The idea is Tetley Tea can get anyone talking even, an unlikely friendship of a dog and cat.  As soon as the owners leave the house, the dog puts on the kettle. He and the cat enjoy a cup of Tetley over everyday conversations that people have on the sofa.  

While the Tetley Folk represented the brand, the new brand assets cat and dog represent regular people and their conversations. The brand wants to remind us of this campaign that it feels good to have a face to face conversation over a cuppa. 

The mission is to rebrand Tetley Tea more modern and for everyone by implementing an emotionally engaging idea that can connect everyone and anyone. As soon as the ad went on air, the brand’s social page was filled by the people with love for the furry twosome.

Here is a small selection of comments on the Sparks 44 website.

 

3. Casper, Sleep Puzzle

 

Image Credit: Adweek

Don’t be surprised if mattress brand Casper is a part of your subway commute. Confused? No trendy campaign or strategy to sell mattresses but PUZZLES at subways stations. 

The answer to the above is SN +Booze -B =Snooze and F+Vest-V =is Fest. Snooze Fest. These puzzles with many more are strategically being placed in trams and stations. This has caught the attention of many bored, idle or tired travellers.

What makes this idea brilliant is the simplicity and curiosity of people. Casper encourages the audience to crack the puzzle and when searching for the answer, hover to the website for the right answer. This lands them in the market for a new mattress.

Another highlighting point is the placement and timing of ads. Who better to market than the people waiting around and searching for the answer. It might seem like a short span to grab attention but has a long term effect than any typical ad. It’s more fun and interactive where Casper is giving them a direct path to a quality product that solves sleep puzzles and sleep problems.

4. Wistia, Brandwagon 

Wistia, a video software company launched its marketing show “Brandwagon” instead of parking their funds in different types of ads.

A glimpse of the show to give you an idea about it.

This video series shows interviews with Wistia’s experts and other companies as well about marketing campaigns and strategies. This content enables us to keep viewers on the Wistia’s website, display its marketing credibility and inform marketers about different techniques.

Video series is a long format compared to blog posts and there is a growing trend of online series. Many brands like Mailchimp and Uber have started their own series, talk shows, and documentaries. This binge-worthy content enables marketers to re-purpose episodes into micro-content.

Hubspot survey says, 83% of marketers prefer video as it gives them a good ROI and more than 50% of consumers want to see video content more than any other type of content from brands.

5. Microsoft, We all Win

In Microsoft’s emotional Super Bowl campaign, the mission is to show how Microsoft Xbox Adaptive Controller to help gamers with limited mobility. 

When it came to the attention of Microsoft that people with limited mobility are having trouble pressing buttons or trouble holding the remote of video game controllers, the company built a controller with touchpads rather than buttons.

The Gold-Clio winning commercial shows how Microsoft interviewed children with missing limbs on their love for video games, troubles and difficulties with controllers due to their disabilities. Parents and children featured in the campaign and explained how gaming helps them to connect with friends in ways which they might not be able to do otherwise. 

The most engaging part of the commercial is the contrast before and after Xbox Adaptive Controller and made a big change. Before the new controller, the kids thought that’s the way of life but the new technology and controller allows them to play games fairly.

An emotional and heartwarming campaign with in-depth content shows how Microsoft took time to develop a product that solved problems of a unique set of customers. It makes you feel that Microsoft as a brand truly takes care of its customers and takes extra effort to make a smooth experience with their products.

It has more than 29 million views and 25k likes on YouTube. It has the highest Unruly EQ score of 7.5.

Wrapping Up for 2020 Campaigns

The above list of campaigns shows the creativity of expert marketers that win attention with deep content. Brands have found a unique way to educate their customers or competitors with out-of-the-box thinking like puzzles or fun activities generating revenues.  

Get ready to launch campaigns in 2020 as the stage is set for new ideas and thoughts.