Our favourite marketing moments of 2017

By Woven Agency, Friday December 15, 2017

From #fooddancing to Fearless Girl, we round up what’s been ticking our marketing boxes in 2017

With the year coming to a close we naturally turn our thoughts to how many mince pies we can eat before the guilt kicks in, what gift to buy awkward aunty Irene (who offers no hints yet is highly judgemental), and, of course, what have been the most successful marketing moments of the year.

So we asked some of Woven’s movers and shakers (and Ben) to chat through their favourite 2017 campaigns.

Daniel Swepson, Marketing Campaign Manager – Top Pick: Sainsbury’s

Marketing Campaign Manager

My pick has to be Wieden & Kennedy’s first ever campaign with Sainsbury’s – #fooddancing.

The adverts show real people enjoying the everyday theatrics of cooking in the kitchen. The ads are genuinely exciting and actually make me want to go and cook something. I mean, I don’t, but I think about it for a few seconds…

The campaign has been run seamlessly across all their marketing channels. The hashtag has been widely used across social, the look and feel of the campaign has been partnered with related GIF content, and they’ve even released a Spotify Branded Moment in the form of the sponsored ‘UK Dinner Playlist.’ Brand ambassadors and celebrities have also joined in the fun on social.

Sainsbury's #fooddancing

And not forgetting the soundtrack! The song is so upbeat and feel-good, and was written for the ad by UK artist MysDiggi – who had his first job at Sainsbury’s and whose mum also works in store. The toe-tapping tune really brings the scenes to life.

All in all, #fooddancing has been an exciting, energetic, and relatable multi-platform campaign that’s gone a long way to helping Sainsbury’s reclaim at least some of its mojo.

What all the fuss is abouthttp://bit.ly/2IzoGLC

Helen Darlington, Head of Creative Strategy – Top Pick: BBC One

Head of Creative Strategy

I can’t help but go festive for my pick of the bunch!

BBC Creative have, with their first Christmas campaign, delivered an ad full of charm and heart that leaves you with that fuzzy feeling inside.

‘The Support Act’ is about a girl practising for her Christmas dance performance and being frustrated by her work-distracted dad. But when it comes to the big night and stage-fright strikes, it’s Dad who comes to the rescue…

BBC One The Support ActThe stop-motion animation is beautiful and the rousing song choice builds perfectly towards a real winter-warmer of a finale. It brilliantly gets across the importance of being together at Christmas, and gives attention to the underrepresented father-daughter relationship. It’s by far my favourite festive ad of the year!

What all the fuss is about: http://bbc.in/2BJhVm2

Rich Blyth, Head Developer – Top Pick: Paddy Power

Head Developer

Paddy Power have had another great year with their TV and radio ads, and their social media game is as strong as ever.

In recent years Paddy Power have carved themselves a brilliant niche as a gambling company with personality by using humour that all sports fans can empathise with. By poking fun at fans, sportsmen and women, pundits, and even themselves, they’ve become an integral part of the sporting scene. Their use of humour also helps defuse any potential problems associated with the wider industry.

Paddy Power David Moyes

Their recent advert perfectly sums them up. It depicts the problems a wheelchair-bound football supporter goes through on matchday, but it treats a potentially sensitive issue with an irreverence that’s not only funny but that helps normalise disability, reducing the stigma associated with it.

In the end, whatever you think about gambling, Paddy Power’s 2017 ads have reinforced them as the most in-touch, accessible and entertaining betting brand around.

What all the fuss is abouthttp://bit.ly/2k1m39D

Ben Fitton, Copywriter – Top Pick: Fearless Girl

Copywriter

The drive for greater gender equality has been a defining touchstone of 2017 and one of the most interesting interpretations of this ongoing redressing of the balance was McCann agency’s Fearless Girl.

In March, Manhattan residents woke up to a new piece of provocative artwork: a statue of a young girl, hands on her hips, chin out, and standing defiantly against the iconic Charging Bull of Wall Street.

Timed to coincide with International Women’s Day, Fearless Girl symbolised the power of women in leadership – a nod to research that shows companies with more women in top positions perform better financially. This despite 60% of Russell 3000 companies having boards made up of fewer than 15% women.

Fearless Girl

A simple idea beautifully executed, Fearless Girl is a metaphor for many things. The plight of women in business, of course, but also the heart and strength of both children and art in a world dominated by calculated fiscal decisions. Further, it can be viewed as a defiant action against the recent excesses of Wall St and the wider financial industry. That the girl is Latina also draws attention to the issues of immigration and the global disparity of wealth.

Fearless Girl was originally given a one-week residency permit, but this has been extended to February of 2018. Proof positive of its wide-ranging appeal and perfect cultural timing. And, like all great pieces of marketing, it’s not only added to the discussion, it’s become the discussion.

What all the fuss is about: http://bit.ly/2y8aOkJ