How 2024’s Top Campaigns Are Teaching Marketers to Create Lasting Impressions

In a recent LinkedIn post, Matt Swain highlighted some of the best marketing campaigns of 2024. Each campaign captured audience attention and left a strong impression. Inspired by these, I wanted to look at the strategies behind them and share some practical ideas marketers can use to get similar results. Let’s go through the key elements that helped these campaigns stand out and what makes them valuable for brand awareness and engagement.

1. Emotional Resonance and Nostalgia

British Airways’ “A British Original” campaign connects with the familiar feeling of wonder in air travel, using simple visuals like a baby’s joyful gaze out the airplane window. This kind of emotional pull resonates with people’s memories, sparking a personal connection. Research shows that campaigns with an emotional touch can increase sales by a notable margin because they’re more memorable.

Nike’s “Dream Crazy” campaign also comes to mind, where its message on courage and equality struck a chord with audiences and led to a notable bump in online sales. Emotional resonance like this doesn’t just leave an impression; it gives people a reason to connect with the brand.

What to Consider: An emotional theme that feels relatable can make a lasting impact. Think about familiar feelings tied to your brand’s purpose and bring them forward in your message. Emotions like joy, nostalgia, or pride are especially strong and can help your brand stick in people’s minds.

2. Humor and Clever Twists

Surreal Cereal’s campaign, which claimed to be “Dwayne Johnson’s favourite cereal” with a playful asterisk, uses humor to disrupt the usual expectations around celebrity endorsements. Humor works because it’s unexpected and makes ads stick. People are more likely to remember and share ads that make them laugh, and Old Spice’s classic “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” is a well-known example. With a witty twist, Old Spice refreshed its brand and saw a surge in sales.

What to Consider: Humor, when done well, adds a memorable layer to your campaign. Playfulness or a clever twist can help people remember the brand and share the ad. Just keep it simple and aligned with the brand’s style.

3. Consistency and Simplicity in Visuals

BIC’s campaign, which featured its iconic pen design unchanged over the years, taps into the value of reliability and timelessness. People trust brands that stick to a consistent look. Research supports this, showing that consistent branding across channels builds trust and can increase revenue. Apple also follows this approach, sticking to a simple and recognizable design that gives its products an unmistakable identity.

What to Consider: Simple and consistent visuals make brands easier to recognize. When a brand has a long history or a distinctive design, bringing this forward can help build trust. Even for newer brands, a clean and cohesive look can create the same kind of reliability in people’s minds.

4. Staying Relevant Through Trends

Pantone’s Color of the Year campaign, which featured “Peach Fuzz” in various contexts, highlights how the brand stays current by tapping into design trends. By presenting the color in relatable settings, Pantone keeps its message relevant to both professionals and everyday consumers. Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke” campaign also took a cue from the personalization trend, featuring names on bottles and inviting people to feel more connected to the brand.

What to Consider: Bringing relevant trends into a campaign can keep your brand top-of-mind. Showing products in modern settings or within popular trends makes them feel timely and appealing. This approach positions your brand as tuned in to what’s current, drawing the attention of consumers who look for fresh ideas.

5. Creating Moments People Want to Share

Specsavers’ guerrilla stunt, which involved parking a car askew with a slogan nearby, turned a common sight into something that catches the eye. People naturally shared the scene, giving the campaign reach beyond its physical space. Real-world campaigns like Coca-Cola’s “Happiness Machine,” which delivered surprise gifts through vending machines, have a similar impact. These experiences are not only memorable in person but often gain traction on social media as people share them.

What to Consider: Adding a real-world element can give people something to talk about. When an experience is unique or engaging, people are likely to share it. This approach gives the brand more visibility and can extend reach as people spread the word.

Conclusion

The campaigns from British Airways, Surreal Cereal, BIC, Pantone, and Specsavers show that a mix of emotional appeal, humor, simple visuals, trend relevance, and shareable moments can build strong connections with audiences. For marketers, these elements offer ways to create campaigns that go beyond grabbing attention—they can help build lasting relationships with consumers. Embracing these ideas can help brands create a presence that feels memorable and relevant, standing out in today’s busy market.