What makes an ad truly effective? Can it drive sales, change behaviour, or create lasting brand recognition? Perhaps it's about tapping into universal truths, leveraging data insights, or simply making people feel something.
Campaign brought together industry leaders to discover which ads they consider the most effective – to find out the secret sauce needed to cut through. Catherine Kehoe, chief customer officer at Nationwide, says: "Effectiveness is about creating that standout, recognisable, salient, much larger, trusted brand in markets, supported by a consistent message. What you stand for – and being top of mind and market."
- Amazon's ‘Priest and Imam’ ad
Chandreyi Davis, global vice president of brand marketing at Expedia, highlighted Amazon's ‘Priest and Imam’ ad (2016), in which the Priest gifts the Imam kneepads to use while praying, as a true example of compelling storytelling that keeps the product at its heart.
"The ad shows how people of different cultures share common ground. The product is a key character in the advert, while also enabling it to be emotionally driven. That balance of driving long-term emotional connection while impactfully integrating the product is a construct view for great, effective advertising."
- Unilever/Dove’s ‘Real Beauty’ sketches
Anna Forbes, RVP Northern Europe at DoubleVerify, highlighted Unilever's Dove advert, which explored how women view themselves compared to what others see. The advert has amassed more than 160m views and was uploaded in 25 languages to 46 Dove YouTube channels.
"It's about marketing that does good. The Unilever campaign, which asked women to draw and describe themselves – and show how other people see them – was incredibly powerful. It changes how people perceive your products because of the positive association you have developed. That is an awesome thing to see and makes for a genuinely effective ad."
- Nike's female sports’ campaigns
Melissa Wildermuth, creative director at General Mills, praised Nike's approach to women's sports. She highlighted its recent campaign with professional basketball player Caitlin Clark, which placed two billboards on opposite ends of a U.S. street to give the illusion of Clark making a shot across a busy road with the tagline: ‘This was never a long shot’.
"I love what Nike is doing for female sports. The beauty of what they can still do with one line and one photo is extraordinary. In life, you remember the brands that make you feel something. And when you make people feel something, that's when you can actually change behaviour. I love their work.”
- Compare The Market's Meerkat ads
Rachel Kerrone, brand & marketing director at Starling Bank, spoke about the enduring appeal of Compare The Market's campaign centred around a family of Meerkats.
"We all recognise how effective ads from Guinness, Nike, Apple and others are. But given my banking background, I hugely admire what Compare The Market has done with Compare The Meerkat. They've taken a category that isn't the most interesting and injected humour into it. They've been running those ads with the same kind of characters for more than 15 years. Everybody knows what it is and the characters. It's a campaign that has given Compare The Market real longevity."
- Old Spice's 2010 rebrand
Keyhoe cited Old Spice's famous 2010 rebrand, which began with the ‘The Man Your Man Could Smell Like’ advert. It dramatically changed the brand's perception, removing its outdated image and supercharging sales. Old Spice continues to adopt similar, tongue-in-cheek advertising to this day.
"It was a shift towards humour, from a serious, purpose-led era in advertising. The use of humour is much underrated and undervalued, and it cuts through. The Old Spice campaign was brilliant because it was built using insight and driven by outcomes. They doubled sales in four months and, most importantly, it reinvigorated and refreshed a tired brand in a way that created enormous salience, recognition and love."
- Budweiser's ‘Whassup’ campaign
Matt Stone, marketing director at Kimberly-Clark, emphasised the enduring impact of Budweiser's ‘Whassup’ advert, which first aired in 1999.
"I think of effectiveness as something that goes well beyond what was originally conceived and paid for. The Budweiser Whassup campaign was one ad, but it is still widely recognised today. It still has an impact 25 years on because it is tapped into this memory and has become part of popular culture. The Whassup ad has delivered so much more impact beyond what they paid for in media, making it incredibly effective."
- De Beers’ ‘A Diamond is Forever’ campaign
Elise Burditt, senior director of confectionary UK at Mondelēz International, recalled the 1940s and the lasting impact of De Beers' ‘A Diamond is Forever’ slogan.
"When I think about effectiveness and how an ad can transform not just the brand but also the entire category, the 'Diamonds Are Forever' campaign stands out. You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who didn't know that line. They've used it since the late 1940s, so the consistency is incredible and admirable. It really did transform not just the brand but also the entire category of diamonds."
The building blocks of effective advertising
Total recall Simon Sikorski, president of global operations at Extreme Reach, explained what effective advertising means to him. "Effective advertising is something that leaves a lasting impression and ad recall. For me, it's the iconic 1999 Guiness Surfer ad. It's so important for brands to understand the creative anatomy of an ad that produces such memorability. Not only did the spot win widespread acclaim, but it helped increase sales for Guiness."
Jasmine Dawson, senior vice president of digital at BBC Studios, praised Bodyform for its powerful brand messaging. "The Bodyform adverts have great recall and have truth at their heart. Its Viva La Vulva ad, in particular, was excellent."
Everywhere effectiveness Campaigns that use multiple channels well can create a more comprehensive and impactful brand presence. Luke Willbourn, managing director, UK, Talon, says: "PaddyPower is a really good example. It uses effective space to create noise, not just to reach people at specific locations, but to fuel their social channels." This approach allows brands to extend their reach and engage audiences across various touchpoints.
From expertise to trust Establishing a brand as an authority in its field can significantly boost effectiveness. Marco Ricci, global CEO at TAKUMI, says: “Trust is now of paramount importance. Customers look to the brand and the creators of those Brands as ‘proven’ testers of the product, which in turn breeds trust and confidence to buy. On the flip side, brands are looking to influencer platforms like TAKUMI, to offer more than just a group of creators. They’re asking for always-on measurement and technology to inform the creator economy. They’re right to ask. If they can see the data, they can trust it.” By showcasing expertise and leveraging credible voices, brands can build trust and loyalty among consumers.
Roundtable panellists:
Campaign partners in bold
- Efrain Ayala, global creativity effectiveness and DE&I director, Reckitt
- Elise Burditt, senior director, confectionary UK, Mondelēz International
- Chandreyi Davis, global vice president of brand marketing, Expedia
- Jasmine Dawson, senior vice president, digital, BBC Studios
- Jean-Paul Jansen, chief marketing officer, Mars Pet Nutrition North America
- Rachel Kerrone, brand & marketing director, Starling Bank
- Catherine Kehoe, chief customer officer, Nationwide
- Marco Ricci, global CEO, TAKUMI
- Anna Forbes, RVP Northern Europe, DoubleVerify
- Simon Sikorski, president, global operations, XR Extreme Reach
- Michelle Spillane, MD of marketing Paddy Power and UKI brand orchestration, Paddy Power
- Matt Stone, marketing director, Kimberly-Clark
- Melissa Wildermuth, creative director, General Mills
- Luke Willbourn, managing director, UK, Talon