Published on
March 11, 2024
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Welcome to the Breakdown, a weekly roundup of the best real-life marketing examples, created for marketers and agency folk that want to create work that actually works.
Briefly is available to everyone - and all of these campaigns are live in Inspo, our own AI-powered case-study finder that adds some flair to every brief. Sign up to try it out.
Purpose has been dragged through the wringer - but 20 years of work isn't about to quietly fall away.
Dove's Self-Esteem Project has been going since 2004, on a mission to "help young people all around the world build positive body confidence and self-esteem." Their latest campaign focuses on the types of beauty content young people are exposed to, and the harm it can do. The posters ask "Is it even possible to look 10 years younger at 10?" - highlighting how ludicrous it is that young people are even seeing content aimed at adults. Firdaous El Honsali, global vice-president at Dove, said:
“When did 10-year-olds start worrying about wrinkles and getting older? It is time to speak up to highlight the absurdity and protect their self-esteem. Dove believes a 10-year old’s face should be a canvas for carefree fun, not anti-ageing products. For two decades, we have taken action to build confidence and self-esteem for millions of girls. Today, our girls are anti-ageing before they’ve even started to grow up and need us more than ever.”
The posters are incredibly simple. But the campaign extends largely to social media, where this harm is happening. Dove have partnered with Drew Barrymore, as well as creators, dermatologists, and self-esteem experts.
We like the straightforward copy writing that lives across this campaign. But we particularly like how focused it is on social media. It's such an obvious insight - but no less valid for it: if the potentially harmful content lives in girls' feeds, let's use our media budget to replace some of it with content that does the opposite.
Another long-lived campaign rears its head again.
Haribo's latest "Kids' Voices" iteration sees two fisherman on a boat in a loch discussing their favourite Haribos. One points out that a pair of green Goldbears looks like the Loch Ness monster, frightening the other fisherman. It's probably unintentional, as these campaigns have always lived by the (apparently) unscripted nature of kids' conversations - but I love the way this spot brings in that sense of childlike fun you can have with some plain old gummy sweets. There's something very "Lego" about having people play and create with your product in your ads.
As with Dove, there could be a worry that a creative vehicle as consistent as this could become pleasant-sounding background noise. But viewers are familiar enough with the Kids’ Voice concept that they recognise Haribo ads at once. The brand has carved out its own identity in a highly crowded category, and the format seems like it's endlessly flexible.
This is one of our favourite recent campaign ideas - and we're glad Flora are sticking with it.
The idea is about a year old now - and it asks a pretty simple question: "Isn't it weird that we use cows to process plants into dairy?" Resolving in the idea's tagline, "Skip the cow." It's thought-provoking, and funny enough to hold its own in a category that uses humour well:
Flora's latest execution leans in on the absurdity. From a shot of Flora Plant Butter and some 'buttery' mash the camera then swoops in one continuous shot over to someone playing the cello beside Susan the cow. We hear a VO: "Is it a bit weird we spent all those years pumping the plants through a cow?" Susan nods.
This is the youngest campaign of the three we've featured this week. But we like that Flora have stuck with it. The industry knows that consistency works, but many seem happy to switch and flit for a new flavour of the month. When you've got a good idea, milk it.