At Escapade, we love learning new skills that we can then apply to our day-to-day jobs. Marketing is a constantly changing field so we need to broaden our skill set so we can give our clients the best results.
After studying English at University, I learnt all about Semiotics, a concept which is transferable to multiple aspects of Marketing. In simple terms, Semiotics is the study of signs and symbols and how they create meaning.
Applying this into the field of marketing is so important especially when it comes to design within campaigns.
After all, the overall success of a campaign is largely dependent on how consumers react. I decided to take a look at some of the memorable campaigns that emerged throughout 2023 and how they created meaning through their creative choices and strategies.
McDonalds – Raise your Arches
In January, McDonald’s shared their Raise your Arches Campaign which was a great example of how brands can resonate with consumers. The TV advert was created to drive downloads of the McDonalds app alongside a two-week promotion scheme with discounts and offers.
The campaign encouraged consumers to get involved in the eyebrow-raising action, platforms like Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok were all creating features to support the campaign.
On their website, Marketing Beat took an in depth look at this campaign and why it was such a success. The campaign achieved nearly 5 million views on TikTok and 1,000 posts on Instagram and was certainly a social media spectacle.
The TV ad didn’t include a single McDonalds product or any obvious branding, instead it relied on the familiarity of the iconic arches from the M in McDonalds. Despite this, it achieved exceptional brand recognition and didn’t take long for viewers to identify the brand.
As Marketing Beat stated, “System 1 tested the ad with 150 consumers, with 98% recognising that the ad was McDonald’s before the end of the 60 seconds.” An impressive result if you ask me!
Connecting the recognisable “m” with the concept of raising your eyebrows was a clever device capturing that mutual moment between friends.
Tinder – World Romance Scam Prevention Day
Tinder shared their campaign on October 3rd to raise awareness for World Romance Scam Prevention Day. A date which will also resonate with fans of the popular film Mean Girls!
Actor Johanthan Bennet who is best known for playing heartthrob Aaron Samuels in the iconic film takes the lead in this advert.
Tinder took a playful approach whilst discussing an important issue experienced by those who date online.
The ad featured recognisable tropes from the film such as the high-school backdrop and the signature colour pink.
On their website, Marketing Dive states “for Tinder, aligning itself with “Mean Girls” could help the dating app strike a chord with millennial and Gen Z consumers who are fans of the movie.”
There’s no doubt that the use of a character who would be recognised by Tinder’s target market was a clever tactic. Capturing elements of the iconic film gives the ad familiarity and a playful spin on an important message.
Combining these aspects, Tinder created a very modern take on how the world of online dating can be complex and it needs to be used safely.
These are only a couple of examples of how ads can utilise subtle symbols to create meaning and how subtle approaches can be effective. If brands can allude to key messaging, it allows the audience to analyse and break apart what they are looking at which generates more excitement.
Want to read more from us? Why not take a look at The Best Halloween Consumer PR Campaigns for an insight into how creative seasonal focused campaigns can be!
If you need support for exciting campaigns, the Escapade team would love to hear from you. Please get in touch via our details on our contact page.
Sources
https://www.marketing-beat.co.uk/2023/03/02/mcdonalds-raiseyourarches-ad/
Blog Cover Photo: milindri/istock.com
