7 AWESOME EXAMPLES OF SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN IDEAS TO INSPIRE YOUR NEXT ONE

What do ice cream, kittens, and high diving all have in common? We love to be inspired by best-in-class social media campaigns from around the world. Our team has cherry-picked our top 7 examples to help inspire your next one.    

1. Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream activism

Ben & Jerry is known for turning its customers into activators, leading the way with motivational social activism and content to drive the point home. 

The ice-cream maker does not shy away from controversial subjects and emphasises education and action make a difference in the world. 

In one particular campaign, Ben & Jerry debuted “Save our Swirled,” a flavour advocating for climate change reform, in 2015. To launch the flavour, Ben & Jerry partnered with Tesla Motors, a clean-energy vehicle producer, launching a U.S. tour to bring climate action to people’s doorsteps.

2. The “Curry Comeback” – Kingfisher social campaign 

Beer brand Kingfisher is running a social media campaign to encourage consumers back into restaurants. The “Curry Comeback” campaign includes a competition for one consumer and 50 of their friends to receive a reunion party at a local curry house with free food, entertainment, and of course, a Kingfisher beer. 

3. Always #LikeAGirl Campaign

They started by asking ‘people’ what it means to them to “run like a girl” and what we saw was a stereotype response… 

Now for the clever part: They then asked the same question to young girls – who showed what it really means to run like a girl! The strength in this campaign is the truth & insight that it strikes back to the audience, a powerful message that was deserving of a viral social impact. ​

4. Jeni’s – Everything Bagel ice cream

This small independent ice-cream business launched ‘Jeni’s Everything Bagel ice cream’ via https://jenis.com/ 

What’s better than a food item that sounds gross but actually tastes delicious? 

Jeni’s Everything Bagel ice cream was delivered in the brand’s creative campaign to launch the unique flavour, sending pints to top social media influencers and every news outlet going. The flavour plays off the current popularity of Trader Joe’s “Everything but the Bagel” seasoning, which is a staple in many millennial and Gen Z kitchens. 

Consumers could watch their favourite food influencers try the sweet treat, but they had to wait to get their own hands on the ice cream which sold out in mins.  

5. Red Bull – Cliff diving 

Red Bull is a masterful brand when it comes to social activation. The cliff diving initiative is one to be admired when it comes to generating rich content for the brand to associate with.  

It hosts a variety of events for extreme athletes across the world, including skydivers, skiers, snowboarders, cyclists, and climbers. However, unique to the brand are its cliff-diving competitions. The event’s Instagram account, which boasts over 100k followers, is dedicated to reposting content from Red Bull athletes and original coverage of competitions. Each post receives thousands of views and likes.

Getting the sporting heroes to post via their own channels continues to grow their exposure. Well played Red Bull! 

6. Starbucks – #WhatsYourName

Another powerful insight baked into a topical and truthful campaign idea.      

Starbucks welcomes you, whoever you are and whomever you want to be. Starbucks #whatsyourname campaign celebrates this signature act and the significance it can have for some transgender and gender-diverse people as they use their new name in public.

​The advert was inspired by real-life experiences of people who were transitioning. We discovered that they found Starbucks stores to be a safe space, where their new name was accepted, and they could be recognised as who they are.

7. Friskies and BuzzFeed: Dear Kitten

There is one thing the internet loves more than anything… cats! 
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This campaign captures the audience into an older cat mentoring a younger kitten. The original 3min video was broken down into bite-size social content, shared, and loved by thousands of internet cat lovers! 

So there you have it. In conclusion to what this tells us about how to launch a successful social media campaign:

  • Be topical and culturally sensitive
  • Consider your audience and what inspires and engages them
  • Empathy carries an idea a long way
  • Be bold
  • Don’t be afraid to stand out

​If you like this article, you might be interested in HOW TO PLAN A SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING CAMPAIGN, STEP BY STEP.