Marketing Magic

Best 2014 Campaigns

By Yardi Blog Staff on Dec 31, 2014 in Marketing

Congratulations: your attention span is now shorter than that of a goldfish…by one whole second. Recent studies show the average human attention span is now 8 seconds.  That means social marketers and digital advertisers have to hook you with compelling content within moments.  How much does that bait cost?  Advertisers spent an estimated $8.5 billion on social ads alone in 2014, all to keep your brain entertained long enough to get to the punchline.  And succeed they did.

Our Social Media Team kept a keen eye out for those creative and unusual marketing campaigns with solid storytelling and strong social presence. Here are a few of our favorite digital campaigns from the last year.

Mini Cooper 
Mini USA – Multiple Social Channels

Mini Cooper has created a world of engagement, and it’s truly an experience all of its own.  The iconic import has grasped attention and stolen the hearts of many motorists across the country, and to that end, they have established their own mini-nation: Mini USA.

Beyond the exclusivity of an owner’s only club, the camaraderie and fellowship between Mini drivers curves closer to extended family.  And what better way to spend time with your family than to be “couped” up with them on the greatest of American familial pastimes?  “Mini Takes the States” is a clash of Mini Cooper clans cruising on a 5,000 mile road trip from [#MTTS]San Francisco to [#MTTS]Boston.  Motorists can post to social networks during pit stops with a set of branded hashtags, photos and videos.  Along with crossing the continental US, Mini’s social presence spans across platforms: Facebook, YouTube, Tumblr, Instagram and Twitter.

Need some Mini maintenance? For continued care of your car, the company’s website features a downloadable PDF of your owner’s manuals, a roadside assistance app, how-to videos for connecting your Cooper to Bluetooth enabled devices and links for the “Mini Connected” app. Mini Cooper’s strategy excels in brand loyalty and engagement.

Apple 
Verse & Song Campaigns – YouTube

Apple is mistakenly perceived as an “anti-social” brand.  The company’s YouTube page has millions of hits and views daily.  The amazing storytelling depicted through this platform highlights Apple’s mobile solutions as an extension of everyday life.

“The Song” campaign focuses on a young woman recording her remix of “Our Love is Here to Stay” and combining it with a Voice-o-Graph recorded by her grandmother.  We see how the young woman uses a MacBookPro and GarageBand to record a vocal overlay for the track.  At the end of the short film, grandma plays the recording and opens an envelope with photographs of her younger self.  We also see a snapshot of her sweetheart, decked in military garb.  Apple’s “making-of” featurette reveals this man to be her late husband, and the Voice-o-Graph was a gift for him before he went to war. (We’re teary-eyed just thinking about it!)

In the “Jason’s Verse” and “Jason Hall – Slow Roll” campaigns, Apple found a way to marry smart marketing tactics to community activism.  The video portrays the renaissance movement in Detroit, and Slow Roll cofounder Jason Hall as the man with a mission to shed a positive light on his community.  We watch Jason organize a bike ride with his iPad and iPhone while demonstrating the apps available for the devices.  But at its core, the message of activism, community, and diversity shines through.

Collier’s International
Insights – Blog, LinkedIn, Instagram

Collier’s International is one of the most recognized names in the real estate industry. Full disclosure—they give us a little blog envy.  From the “Insights” landing page, it’s easy to see why.  Colliers selects beautiful, vibrant graphics for their corporate blog.  The design is clean and easily navigated.  Select the “Authors” tab and you can see the collaborative approach to content curation; Colliers has 20 authors contributing thought leadership on all things real estate and more.  These articles are then posted to the corporate LinkedIn page, boasting over 50 thousand followers.  The blog also features some dynamite photos shared with the company’s Instagram handle.  Each photo matches the tone and hues of the pictures from Collier’s website.

Corcoran Group & Annie Leibovitz 

Live Who You Are – Digital & Print Advertising

Manhattan-based Corcoran Group Real Estate has a philosophy that sells: Live Who You Are. This campaign series features glamour shots of famous socialites photographed by renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz, best known for her extraordinary portraits of celebrities and musicians gracing the covers of Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair.  The posh real estate campaign for luxury living emphasizes that a home or apartment is not just a home, but an expression and visual definition of who you are.  Each photo is introduced by a single thesis statement that Corcoran Group expands on to relate their mission and convey their understanding of client needs.

Intel
Jobs at Intel – Facebook

Intel knows how to market itself by showcasing its corporate culture and attracting new employees on social media.  The company’s Facebook page—Jobs at Intel—is a prime example of how social recruiting should work.  Jobs at Intel has a job search app embedded in the page, making it easy for applicants to search for and apply to positions.  Page updates containing graphics and photos have the Intel logo in nearly every post to the timeline presenting a unified, cohesive look.  The content also speaks to job seekers in the forms of career advice, motivational quotes, recruiting events and company news.  Intel’s message of diversity and international outreach is reflected in their recruiting pitches written in various languages, including Hebrew, Spanish, and Binary .. making it a truly inclusive site.

Intel also finds an admirable balance between reputation management and responding to applicant questions.  Their social media moderators are tactful in their approach to negative comments and offer candidates solutions or contact information for a more in-depth response.

Honorable Mention: John Lewis 
Monty the Penguin – YouTube

Chilly Willy, The Penguins of Madagascar, March of the Penguins, Happy Feet… Deny it all you want, but the truth remains: penguins are marketing gold.  Still not convinced?  The only way we can explain this one is to show you the very video that made us weep.  If your marketing strategy can convey this much adorableness and emotion within 5 minutes…we’re hiring…

Which marketing campaigns of 2014 make your top 5 list?