When Social Becomes the Creative

In an attempt to “speak the language” of their consumers, brands are utilizing different forms of creative to market their products. The popularity of streaming services like Hulu, Netflix and Amazon Prime and social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat, have made it difficult for brands to reach their consumers with stereotypical, “product heavy” creative, especially in television ads. To reach their audiences, brands are slowly integrating the popularity of digital culture, social media platforms, and social influencers, into their creative strategy. The “look and feel” of the ads are moving from highly produced, to the look and feel of the digital platforms we know and use in our daily lives. That is not to say, these “new” ads are not highly produced, they however, use a different aesthetic, and follow the snackable or micro-content format that consumers gravitate towards. Although using celebrities isn’t new in advertising, partnering with social media influencers, who are not your typical celebrity or “expert” is a different approach and risk that brands are willing to take. 

ADIDAS

Most recently, Adidas rolled out several of their “Here to Create” ads featuring celebrities, athletes, and social influencers to market their products. The ads give viewers a glimpse into the lives of these influencers through pictures and videos on their Instragram feeds. Below you’ll find fitness artist, Nicole Winhoffer and supermodel Karlie Kloss.

COLGATE

Colgate partnered with Youtube Influencers Blair Fowler and Andre Brooks to advertise their latest Colgate “Optic White, Express White Toothpaste.” The ad matched the influencers’ video content, and was filmed similarly to other Youtube influencer formats, where influencers “speak” directly with their audience in a conversational tone and review their favorite products.

DISNEY PIXAR

Disney & Pixar took a similar approach, but used their new animated characters to market the film, Zootopia. The creative strategy was heavily based on the popular culture of social media platforms and sharing. Almost all of the advertising, both traditional and digital, were designed in the “selfie” format, making the animated characters relatable to our current digital culture.  

I wonder how many more ads we will be seeing in the near future that will integrate digital platforms into the creative.  

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