Save These Ideas for Your Next Big Marketing Campaign

Fabric conditioner brand Downy is used to softening clothes, but it added another layer of comfort to August with its Spotify audiobook series. Named “Almost Scandalously Soft Stories,” the series featured four romance stories for audiences to indulge in during a quiet evening wrapped up in a duvet. The campaign cleverly coincided with Downy’s latest product release. 

What Did Downy Achieve?

For the campaign, Downy capitalized on the popularity of #BookTok and its fascination with romance novels. This popularity continues to grow, with romance book sales increasing by 30% in 2024 according to the Audio Publishers Association. By hopping onto this trend, Downy could present its fabric softener products in a new context and attract fresh customers through Spotify with an indulgent sensory experience.

Key Takeaway for Your Business

Always keep on top of the latest trends and see where they might intersect with your target audience. One of these trends could inspire your next marketing campaign, helping you promote your brand and products from an unexpected angle.

In the world of sensory marketing, Korean skincare brand Laneige caught my eye (and my taste buds) with a sweet-toothed campaign promoting its strawberry lip sleeping mask. Across its Instagram feed, I found pretty-in-pink product photos featuring delectable desserts, alongside influencers proudly using the new product.

What Did Laneige Achieve?

As a beauty brand, Laneige is all about the aesthetics — and this campaign was no different. Laneige used a video close-up of a delicious sponge cake in the product’s colors to tease the release, and held an exclusive giveaway where someone could win the “Strawberry Shortcake PR Mailer.” Overall, the campaign made audiences crave something sweet and inspired them to give the brand’s latest mask a go.

Key Takeaway for Your Business

Sensory marketing can enhance the appeal of your products, but it must fit in with your brand identity first and foremost. If you’re using food motifs in your content, make sure that it’s consistent with your visual style and features colors and textures reflecting your business.

Nostalgia-based marketing might not be a new tactic, but it’s still as effective as ever. For Jägermeister’s “Call of the Cold” campaign, the brand unveiled a 16-bit arcade fighting game that audiences could play on its website. The game’s narrative follows a group of friends enjoying ice-cold Jägermeister shots, but then encountering a group of killjoys determined to ruin their fun.

What Did Jägermeister Achieve?

Jägermeister took the button-mashing arcade game one step further by adding a leaderboard. This encourages audiences to fight for the top spot and stand a chance of winning physical prizes, be it a gaming console or a custom cornhole set. By encouraging players to come back weekly and try to win a prize, Jägermeister increases brand loyalty within its customer base.

Key Takeaway for Your Business

When crafting a nostalgic marketing campaign, think carefully about your target audience and what they might’ve grown up with. By researching key demographics like age, lifestyle, and gender, you can create marketing content that hits the mark and actually takes them back to the “good old days.”

Now that I’ve wrapped up August’s best marketing campaigns, you may feel ready to come up with your own ideas. But before you begin ideating for September and beyond, keep these top tips in mind:

• Know what’s trending – Remember to use tools like Google Trends and social media platforms to see what audiences are talking about, since it could inspire your next big marketing idea!
• Try sensory marketing where applicable – If you want to add some flair to your visual content, you could give sensory marketing a go. By engaging your customers’ senses, your brand can remain in their minds for longer.
• Nostalgia still works – Nostalgia-based marketing can make your audience feel good by reminding them of a simpler time, so don’t rule it out for your next campaign.

Do you have a favorite marketing campaign from August? Let us know about the brand that impressed you in the comments below.