What makes an ad truly effective?
Can it drive sales, change behavior, or create lasting brand recognition? Maybe it’s about touching universal truths, using data insights, or simply making people feel something.
Campaign brought together industry leaders to uncover which ads they consider the most effective – to find the secret ingredient needed for a breakthrough.
Catherine Kehoe, Chief Customer Officer at Nationwide, says: “Effectiveness is about creating a recognizable, visible, much larger, trusted brand in markets, supported by a consistent message. What you stand for and being at the top of mind and market.”
- Amazon’s ‘Priest and Imam’ Ad
Chandreyi Davis, Global Vice President of Brand Marketing at Expedia, highlighted Amazon’s ‘Priest and Imam’ ad (2016), where a priest gives an imam knee pads for prayer, as a prime example of compelling storytelling that keeps the product at the center.
“The ad shows how people of different cultures share common ground. The product is a key character in the ad, while also allowing it to be emotionally driven. That balance between creating a long-term emotional connection while effectively integrating the product represents the key construct for great, effective advertising.”
- Unilever/Dove ‘Real Beauty’ Sketches
Anna Forbes, RVP for Northern Europe at DoubleVerify, highlighted Unilever’s Dove ad, which explores how women see themselves compared to how others see them. The ad generated over 160 million views and was translated into 25 languages on 46 Dove YouTube channels.
“It’s about marketing that does good. The Unilever campaign, which asked women to draw and describe themselves, and show how others see them, was incredibly powerful. It changes the way people perceive your products due to the positive association you’ve developed. It’s an incredible thing to see and makes for a truly effective ad.”
- Nike’s Campaigns for Women’s Sports
Melissa Wildermuth, Creative Director at General Mills, praised Nike’s approach to women’s sports. She highlighted their recent campaign with professional basketball player Caitlin Clark, which placed two billboards on opposite ends of a street in the USA to create the illusion that Clark is shooting over a busy road with the caption: “This was never a long shot.”
“I love what Nike does for women’s sports. The beauty of what they can still do with one line and one photograph is extraordinary. In life, you remember brands that make you feel something. And when you make people feel something, you can actually change behavior. I love their work.”
- Compare The Market’s Meerkat Ads
Rachel Kerrone, Brand and Marketing Director at Starling Bank, spoke about the enduring appeal of Compare The Market’s campaign focused on the meerkat family.
“We all recognize how effective ads from Guinness, Nike, Apple, and others are. But given my banking experience, I greatly appreciate what Compare The Market has done with Compare The Meerkat. Take a category that’s not the most interesting and inject humor into it. They’ve been running those ads with the same types of characters for over 15 years. Everyone knows what it is and the characters. It’s a campaign that has given Compare The Market real longevity.”
- Old Spice’s 2010 Rebranding
Keyhoe cited the famous Old Spice rebranding from 2010, which began with the ad The Man Your Man Could Smell Like. It dramatically changed the brand’s perception, shedding its outdated image and massively boosting sales. Old Spice continues to release similar, humorous ads to this day.
“It was a shift towards humor, from a serious, purposeful era in advertising. Using humor is highly underrated but it breaks through. The Old Spice campaign was brilliant because it was built using insights and driven by outcomes. They doubled sales in four months and, most importantly, revived and refreshed an outdated brand in a way that created huge recognition and love.”
- Budweiser’s ‘Whassup’ Campaign
Matt Stone, Marketing Director at Kimberly-Clark, emphasized the lasting impact of Budweiser’s Whassup ad, which first aired in 1999.
“I think of effectiveness as something that goes far beyond what was originally intended and paid for. The Budweiser Whassup campaign was one ad, but it’s still widely recognized today. Even after 25 years, I still have that feeling because it relies on memory and has become part of popular culture. The Whassup ad delivered much more impact than what they paid for in media, making it incredibly effective.”
- De Beers’ ‘A Diamond is Forever’ Campaign
Elise Burditt, Senior Director for Confectionery UK at Mondelēz International, recalled the lasting impact of De Beers’ 1940s slogan ‘A Diamond is Forever.’
“When I think about effectiveness and how an ad can transform not just a brand but an entire category, the ‘A Diamond is Forever’ campaign stands out. It would be hard to find someone who doesn’t know that phrase. They’ve been using it since the late 1940s, so the consistency is incredible and admirable. It truly transformed not just the brand but the entire diamond category.”
The Building Blocks of Effective Advertising
Total Recall: Simon Sikorski, President of Global Operations at Extreme Reach, explained what effective advertising means to him. “Effective advertising is something that leaves a lasting impression and memory of the ad. For me, it’s the iconic Guinness Surfer ad from 1999. It’s crucial for brands to understand the creative anatomy of an ad that produces such recall. Not only did the spot receive wide acclaim, but it also helped increase sales for Guinness.”
Effectiveness Everywhere: Campaigns that effectively use multiple channels can create a more comprehensive and powerful brand presence. Luke Willbourn, General Manager, UK, Talon, says: “PaddyPower is a really good example. They use effective space to create buzz, not just to reach people in specific locations, but also to fill their social channels.” This approach allows brands to expand their reach and engage audiences at various touchpoints.
From Expertise to Trust: Establishing a brand as an authority in its field can significantly increase effectiveness. Marco Ricci, Global CEO at TAKUMI, says:
“Trust is now of paramount importance. Consumers look to the brand and the creators of those brands as ‘proven’ product testers, which in turn develops trust and confidence in the purchase. On the other hand, brands are turning to influencer platforms like TAKUMI to offer more than just a group of creators. They seek continuous measurement.”
Roundtable Panelists:
- Efrain Ayala, Global Creativity Effectiveness and DE&I Director, Reckitt
- Elise Burditt, Senior Director, Confectionery UK, Mondelēz International
- Chandreyi Davis, Global Vice President of Brand Marketing, Expedia
- Jasmine Dawson, Senior Vice President, Digital, BBC Studios
- Jean-Paul Jansen, Chief Marketing Officer, Mars Pet Nutrition North America
- Rachel Kerrone, Brand & Marketing Director, Starling Bank
- Catherine Kehoe, Chief Customer Officer, Nationwide
- Marco Ricci, Global CEO, TAKUMI
- Anna Forbes, RVP Northern Europe, DoubleVerify
- Simon Sikorski, President, Global Operations, XR Extreme Reach
- Michelle Spillane, MD of Marketing Paddy Power and UKI Brand Orchestration, Paddy Power
- Matt Stone, Marketing Director, Kimberly-Clark
- Melissa Wildermuth, Creative Director, General Mills
- Luke Willbourn, Managing Director, UK, Talon
