A new report has found that purpose and innovative use of technology are key to campaign success and that food, drink and quick-service restaurant brands are leading the industry.
Part of the WARC Rankings, the Effective 100 features the most awarded campaigns and companies in the world based on their performance at the most important global and regional effectiveness shows as determined by the industry.
It found that half of the campaigns — the highest number recorded in the Effective 100 to date — have a purpose element behind them with brands trying to make a difference.
However, while there are still campaigns that might be seen as purely brand purpose work, more brands are investing in initiatives that support audiences while also growing the bottom line.
The number one ranked “Contract for Change” by FCB Chicago / FCB New York for Michelob Ultra was designed to assist farmers in switching to organic, by doing so they ensured the supply chain for their Pure Gold beer.
“Not Just A Cadbury Ad” by Ogilvy Mumbai / Wavemaker Mumbai for Cadbury’s Celebrations supported small business stockists resulting in sales.
Technology also played a big role in helping grow campaign effectiveness. The number 30 ranked campaign, “Lu From Magalu: The Biggest Virtual Influencer in the World” by Ogilvy São Paulo for Magazine Luiza, used Lu, a virtual influencer to increase brand awareness and drive sales. Activations across all major social channels turned Lu into a pop culture celebrity with TikTok videos surpassing one billion views and she even had appearances with brands such as Apple and McDonald’s, and a Vogue front cover.
Other campaigns bridging virtual and real worlds included the “Meet Frank” campaign for Pringles by Grey London, which ranked number 40 and “The Growth of Colonel KI” campaign, by Mindshare Shanghai / KEYI Media Shanghai, which ranked 56th.
Food, drink and quick-service restaurant categories made up more than a third of the top 100 campaigns, including four of the top five campaigns – Michelob Ultra (number one), Cadbury (number two ), McDonald’s (number three) and Jif (number five).
WARC said that “innovation and versatility” within the category was “evident” and that the use of creativity is pushing the boundaries of category norms to gain attention, as well as purpose and celebrity/influencer partnerships which have proven to be effective strategies.
