3 Creative Ideas We Saw in 2016 for 2017 Inspiration
In the every-changing world of marketing, it seems like each new campaign is crazier and more creative than the last. In 2016, we saw hundreds of amazing campaigns from some of the world’s top brands. Some of the creative ideas launched by these companies were truly astounding – and, no doubt, expensive. We understand that not everyone has a million dollar budget, which is why we want to tell you about the 3 creative ideas that will inspire your small business marketing in 2017.
The 3 Creative Ideas We’re Totally Using for Inspiration in 2017
Snap Spectacles
Our #1 favorite marketing campaign of the year was launched by social media mogul Snapchat to promote the release of their new product, Snap Spectacles. We’re sure that you already know all about this campaign, but let’s recap anyway:
This year, Snapchat rolled out their new Snap Spectacles – smart glasses that allow the wearer to capture and stream their perspective, wherever they are. To promote this product, Snapchat dropped off super-cute vending machines, called Snapbots, in various cities around the U.S. Wherever these Snapbots appeared, huge lines appeared to buy the products. While they waited in line, people were tweeting, streaming, and sharing the experience with their own social networks. Talk about free press!
What We Can Learn From It: Never underestimate the importance of creating hype around your products. There are plenty of creative ways to engage and excite your audience about what you’re selling without a Snapchat-sized budget!
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H&M’s Christmas Ad
This year for Christmas, H&M gave us a beautiful new commercial directed by Wes Anderson. But the superstar director isn’t the reason that the commercial is on our list of creative ideas we’re stealing in 2017 – we’re adapting this idea because the actual story of the short has nothing to do with H&M. Instead, it feels like a warm, wonderful Christmas film – complete with Wes Anderson’s famous aesthetic, of course.
What We Can Learn From It: In 2017, we’re predicting that creative ideas like this will be huge for businesses regardless of industry or marketing budget. We should be telling our customers stories that delight and entertain them, rather than spending all of our time pushing sales. Your interpretation of this lesson doesn’t have to include an Oscar-nominated director to be effective (though it would be pretty awesome if it did).
Robin Wood
In an increasingly digital age, print advertisements don’t always get the attention that they deserve. And to be honest, most print campaigns are an afterthought for marketers, anyway. So when is done well, we like to point it out. Which is why our last creative idea is for marketers looking to capitalize on the print world. It comes from Robin Wood, an environmental NGO in Germany. They put together this incredibly beautiful, poignant print campaign to show people exactly how environmental destruction is harming wildlife.
What We Can Learn From It: An effective marketing campaign has to creatively target the consumer’s wants, fears, or desires. What makes the Robin Wood campaign so creative is that it makes us feel something. That’s why it is our biggest inspiration for 2017. In the new year, let’s all strive to help our customers connect to us emotionally, and to solve their problems however we can.
