The launch of the hair removal brand Billie instantly comes to mind. It was 2017 and traditional razor brands were still perpetuating the idea that body hair on women is unhygienic or unsightly—commercials showed women "shaving" already-bare legs and armpits! Billie not only featured women removing real body hair, but also made it clear with their messaging that their products are all about choice: There when folks want to remove their hair, but also proudly pro-body hair. Any time a brand uses a campaign to challenge the status quo—especially when the status quo makes a group of people feel shame—is a win in my book.
As co-founder of Glow Therapy, I found Drunk Elephant's "Break the Cage" campaign particularly innovative. They built suspense for their product launch using cryptic social media posts with locked cages and keys, challenging followers to guess what was inside. This creative approach generated excitement and curiosity in a memoravle way. For example, as a D2C brand focused on light therapy masks, we launched our latest model with an unboxing campaign. We shipped masks early to select influencers and had them post reaction videos as they opened the new package for the first time. Their genuine surprise and delight upon seeing the product for the first time helped to convey its luxuriousness and premium quality to their audiences. As a brand in a niche space, using social media in creative ways is key. Finding opportunities for customers to experience and interact with your product through social campaigns or influencer partnerships helps to raise brand awareness and foster loyalty in memorable ways that traditional ads do not.
As a boudoir photographer, I found Benefit Cosmetics' 2016 "The Bold Is Beautiful Project" particularly innovative. They featured relatable role models of diverse ages, backgrounds and abilities in their ads to promote self-love and crush unrealistic societal beauty standards. The campaign featured women with cerebral palsy, prosthetic limbs, and albinism highlighting their stories of resilience and confidence. By using real women with inspirational stories instead of models, Benefit forged an authentic connection with customers and took a meaningful stance on inclusivity. The relatable messaging and empowering tone resonated deeply with their target audience and allowed Benefit to position themselves as a socially-conscious, purpose-driven brand. The social strategy was also smart. Benefit created the #TheBoldIsBeautiful hashtag to spread user-generated content and foster community. Followers shared photos of what made them feel bold and beautiful, allowing Benefit to strengthen brand loyalty by facilitating an important conversation. This campaign was memorable because it felt genuine. Benefit understood that women want to see realistic, inclusive representations of beauty. Featuring diverse, inspiring women in their marketing helped establish Benefit as a leader in empowering their customers.
I've always loved the Dove Beauty Campaign; it really stands out as an innovative force in the beauty world. The message of self-empowerment is so inspiring, reminding us all that we’re beautiful at every stage of life. It’s such a great reminder that true beauty comes from confidence!
Glossier's "Into The Gloss" blog is a standout example of innovative affiliate marketing in beauty. Launched in 2014, it blends influencer and content-driven strategies to engage users and drive sales. The blog features authentic beauty insights and advice, contributing to its loyal audience. User-generated content plays a key role, encouraging community involvement and establishing Glossier’s brand credibility and connection with consumers.
The recent beauty campaign by Glossier stood out to me as particularly inmovative. They launched a conversational chatbot on their website, giving visitors a fun way to explore products and get personalized recommendations. This leveraged cutting edge technology to provide an engaging customer experience, which is why I found it memorable. Another example is Drunk Elephant’s “Break the Cage” campaign on social media. They built hype for a new product launch by posting cryptic photos of keys and locks, urging followers to guess what was inside. This interactive teaser campaign created a sense of mystery and excitement, building more anticipation than a standard product announcement. These types of innovative and interactive campaigns create buzz around brands by giving customers a unique experience. For other businesses, I would recommend exploring new technologies or creative ways to engage your audience, rather than relying on traditional advertising methods alone. Keep things exciting and help people find your brand in an memorable way.
One campaign I recently fell quite hard for is Dove’s ‘Real Beauty Sketches’, which addressed self-esteem and the definition of beauty in an original way by using a forensic artist to sketch women as they described themselves and someone else described them – the difference drawing a sharp distinction between how women perceive themselves and how others perceive them. This was powerful because it went beyond beauty ads that focus on the external, to the psychological and emotional. This campaign transformed not only the social but also the commercial landscape. It spawned lots of discussions about beauty norms and self-esteem and reached the hearts of an international audience, who subsequently shared it like crazy on social media. Brands that want to blaze trails should design campaigns that either touch their audience’s hearts, or have a social topic at their core non-intrusively. A brand can gain relevance through meaningful messages that tie in with a broader social issue, making sure that consumers feel understood at a deeper level.
As someone focused on digital marketing and advertising, a recent campaign that stands out to me is Glossier’s “Body Care” launch. They built hype through an interactive social media campaign where followers commented with their skincare concerns, and Glossier responded with custom product recommendations from the new line. This personalized experience created a human connection and showcased how their products address real customer needs. The relatable content and conversational approach aligned perfectly with Glossier’s brand and resonated with their target audience. Another memorable campaign was M.A.C Cosmetics’ holiday collection reveal on social media. They posted a countdown to the launch date, with product photos and prices slowly unveiled over several days. This built anticipation and excitement, especially emphasizing the limited availability. When the collection dropped, many products sold out quickly. The suspense and sense of urgency were a clever strategy that translated into sales. As a digital marketer, I appreciate creativity that forges an emotional bond between brand and customer. Glossier and M.A.C. leveraged technology and social platforms in innovative ways to provide an interactive experience, not just push a product. Approaches like this that engage the audience and meet them where they are have a bigger impact than traditional advertising alone. For brands seeking to connect with customers in memorable ways, I would recommend exploring interactive and conversational strategies custom to your particular niche and audience.
One campaign that comes to mind was developing the microsite and integrated marketing efforts for SoftSheen-Carson’s national StyleTour. We created a dynamic flash microsite that combined video, an event calendar, and a contest to engage audiences. The results spoke for themselves, generating six times the leads the client expected in just two weeks. For another client, Focus Features, we managed their customer email communications. Working closely with their marketing team, we developed a personalized newsletter program providing exclusive content and updates. Handling the day-to-day efforts like template design, coding, QA, and analytics allowed the client to focus on higher-level strategy. When International Truck and Engine needed to market the world’s largest street-legal pickup, the CXT, to audiences that had seen everything, we created a fully integrated campaign. Custom 9’ folding rulers showed the CXT’s size compared to other vehicles. The program blew past goals, staying live for nearly two years and earning industry awards. Thinking outside the box and utilizing technology and unique experiences are key. SoftSheen-Carson and International Truck both saw huge success by crafting multimedia campaigns that gave audiences an interactive experience. And for Focus Features, employing our expertise in email marketing freed resources to develop the overarching strategy. The results prove taking calculated risks and engaging audiences in memorable ways pays off.
As a construction professional, I found GAF's recent "We've Got You Covered" campaign compelling in how it showcased their products. They created interactive shingle samples that demonstrated the durability and style of their Timberline shingles. People could see how the shingles would look on their home and feel the quality firsthand. An innovative digital element was their Design-a-Roof tool. Homeowners could upload a photo of their house and “try on” different shingle colors and styles to visualize the options. This blend of physical and digital experiences provided an immersive way for people to understand and connect with the brand. In my industry, interacting with materials is key. GAF crafted a memorable campaign by giving customers a chance to experience their products through engaging touchpoints. For companies looking to highlight their products, I’d suggest developing creative ways for people to find what makes you stand out. An interactive or hands-on component can form a lasting impression.
Here is my answer as Ross Plumer: The campaign that stuck with me recently was Glossier's use of an interactive chatbot on their website. They provided customers a new way to explore products through a conversational interface. This fun, cutting-edge experience showcased how technology can transform a brand's relationship with their audience. Another memorable example was Drunk Elephant's social media "Break the Cage" campaign. They built hype for a product launch by posting mysterious keys and locks, urging followers to guess what was inside. This teaser campaign crafted a sense of excitement and anticipation that's rare for many brands. For businesses, I'd suggest exploring technologies and creative engagement methods beyond traditional ads. Keep things exciting by helping people find your brand in memorable ways. Don't be afraid to take risks in giving customers a unique experience.