The best creative campaigns from 2016

December 22, 2016

Content , Social Media ,

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We take a look back on the best creative campaigns from 2016, focusing on all the best bits… innovation, concept, social and video.

It’s been one crazy year with Brexit, Trump and not to mention the Kimye shakedowns (obviously). But as 2016 draws to a close, it’s time to give credit where credit is due.

We are always finding new ways to digest content and to find a moment of peace within a chaotic digital world. So, I’ve caught up with the Harvester’s to gather together our favourite campaigns that have stuck with us through a hectic 2016.

Go Pro: Spherical Video

Admittedly, GoPro started rolling out 360-degree videos in late November 2015. However, I will argue that their ‘Spherical Video’ campaign is definitely one to be recognised. I first became aware of the campaign when Mark Zuckerberg shared GoPro’s Tahiti Surf VR video and it blew my mind! Since then GoPro have released 360-degree videos of skiing, motocross and swimming with sharks.

Unsurprisingly the 360-degree Facebook videos pushed the boundaries of social media, in total generating a whopping 9.7 million video views and over 3 million engagements. This is a great example of shareable and interactive content that social users want to engage with, and I am so excited to see what GoPro do next!

 

Time May Change Me

2016 has been a rollercoaster and unfortunately is going to be remembered by many of us for the loss of so many much loved musical and theatrical legends. Throughout the last 12 months people have flocked to social media on mass to mourn the passing of many stars.  It was evident the year was off to a bad start when in January we lost the Starman himself.

During this time, there was one very significant GIF that became a mark of mourning for many Bowie fans. The immensely talented Helen Green’s Time May Change Me GIF was shared thousands of times all over the world as a mark of love and respect for the Brixton born sensation.

The best creative campaigns 2016

Time May Change Me by Helen Green

Harvest were lucky enough to work with Helen on a fantastic not-for-profit exhibition in aid of Cancer Research UK in June, Bowie FFP. Helen’s work contributed immensely to the success of the campaign – and what a pleasure she was to work with too!

 

WWF UK: #EarthHour

Earth Hour has been around since 2007 with the aim to encourage the world to turn off its lights for one hour to raise awareness of climate change. Over the years social media has become a key tool to promote #EarthHourUK. Elements have included adding filters to profile pictures and donating feeds to the charity.

As a SOOH campaign, Earth Hour uses TINT boards – interactive boards which curate and display social media feeds across websites, event walls and outdoor display space such as in the London Underground. These TINT boards hugely benefit the campaign as they encourage passers-by to engage and include #EarthHourUK in social posts.

Last year in the UK, over 10 million of us took part including 200 landmarks such as Buckingham Palace and Big Ben. The campaign has thrived off the development of technology as social media has encouraged a connected global community, inspiring individuals to start conversations and acknowledge the need for climate change.

Click here to take part in Earth Hour 2017.

 

Give Blood: The Missing Type Campaign #missingtype

The best creative campaigns 2016

 The Missing Type campaign puzzled the public by removing letters from well-known brands in a bid to draw attention to the need for blood donors. Brands involved included the Post Office, Microsoft, Google, Coca-Cola and O2.

By the end of the two week campaign over 24,000 people in England had registered. #missingtype also had huge success on social with over 50k mentions on Twitter, highlighting how the campaign really had caught the imagination of the public.

This campaign hits the spot on the emotional front, with the creative designs representing the need to give blood so significantly if you consider each letter within the brand name as an individual who you know. Due to the success of #missingtype in 2015, it was developed globally in 2016, and I hope to see it again for many years to come.

Feeling inspired? Give blood and you will be helping to save lives.

 

Spotify: Thanks 2016, it’s been weird #itsbeenweird

The best creative campaigns 2016

Spotify have summed up the year perfectly with their latest outdoor ad campaign. Combining milestone events from 2016 and hyper-localised data to create bizarre and amusing display ads. You may have seen them on the tube, next to bus stops or on billboards i.e. supposedly someone made a playlist called “sorry I lost your cat” when they could have been making flyers.

the best creative campaigns 2016

Although it’s not a social campaign, the creative concept is certainly something to be noted. A clever use of hyper-localised data that also reflects cultural behaviour – something the anthropologist in me absolutely loves. This campaign is a great way of bringing different groups of people together and sparking a conversation.

Spotify are also rolling out social and email marketing campaigns to their users, highlighting individual listening habits. I don’t know about you but my top songs of 2016 included some absolute shockers, and embarrassingly a fair amount of Justin Bieber (I know, I know).

So there they are, our favourite campaigns from the year. Creative and innovative as ever, we are all looking forward to what 2017 will bring.

What are your favourite campaigns from the year? Did we make the right call? Sound off in the comments below, or let us know @HarvestDigital.

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