Here at DGT, we really do love August. The sun is shining, the days are long, and – most importantly – the marketing campaigns we’ve seen this month have been particularly strong!
From marketing giants like McDonald’s going post-verbal with their branding, to advertising modern rock-and-roll with Swedish tongue-in-cheek humour, to the increasingly popular revival of the 2000’s – DGT Loves August isn’t one to miss!
If you have supreme music taste, you’ve probably heard of Swedish rock band The Hives. If not, we strongly advise you give them a little listen if you enjoy fast-paced, energetic punk rock. Their latest album, The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons, was released earlier this month and has been advertised in a particularly humorous, tongue-in-cheek manner by the band on their social media accounts. The band’s self-promotion efforts have centred around one phrase – that The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons is ‘soon to be award winning’. Of course The Hives have no crystal ball to predict whether their album will indeed win awards, but their self-confidence is the perfect form of promotion. It makes people scrolling through their Instagram feed pause and think “is this really that good? Maybe I should give it a listen”…
And that’s not all. The Hives have made impressive, hilarious efforts to grab the attention of new and existing fans by referencing popular culture whenever possible to boost their appeal. Just look at this string of hashtags attached to one of their recent posts, blatantly designed to make fans and scrollers pause for a giggle. From referencing Barbenheimer to the British cost of living crisis, The Hives are using the zeitgeist of modern Britain to their advantage. Maybe The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons will be award winning after all…
How do you know that a brand has achieved unsurpassable recognition? When it doesn’t even need to show its name or logo for consumers to know exactly what you’re promoting. This is a level of success achieved by McDonalds, who have drawn a clever parallel between the famous arches of their logo with the raising of eyebrows. Just one eyebrow wiggle has now become synonymous with making a diversion to your nearest McDonald’s drive through. What other brands can certify themselves as kings of the fast food circuit without so much as speaking a word?
This campaign forms part of a follow up to the ‘Raise Your Arches’ campaign that was released at the start of 2023, which took a more overt approach in connecting the dots between the fast food chain’s logo and the raising of eyebrows. However, in McDonald’s latest August campaign, such signalling is no longer necessary – just one twitch of an eyebrow is now a direct message to whoever is nearby that you want a large Big Mac with a Galaxy McFlurry. It’s an absolute masterclass in brand recognition.
One trend we’ve spotted over the past month is the resurgence of the Noughties. From Calvin Klein’s use of Lady Gaga’s 2008 hit Just Dance, to Samsung’s reference to the Pussycat Doll’s 2005 hit Don’t Cha, big brands are keen to utilise the nostalgia factor to sell their products this month. The choice of these songs is far from coincidental – both Calvin Klein and Samsung are selling products that are associated with the 2000’s, with Samsung selling an updated flip-phone, and Calvin Klein selling the same core basics that made them so popular in the noughties. Whilst you may not have the budget of Samsung or Calvin Klein it’s always worth considering your soundtrack – especially on social platforms so be sure to keep your ear to the ground for trending sounds.
This loosely coincides with the huge outburst of nostalgia triggered by the Barbie movie which has encouraged consumers in their 20’s and 30’s to reflect on their childhood and begin purchasing and enjoying nostalgic products. From Y2K fashion to daring noughties makeup trends, the 2000’s are making a revival.
Here at DGT, we always have our collective fingers on the pulse when it comes to marketing trends and innovations. We don’t believe in skipping the adverts when we scroll through Instagram, or when our favourite television show goes on a break – those are opportunities to witness feats of marketing genius that inspire us!
From game-changing SEO strategies, to innovative social media campaigns, and slick, streamlined marketing automation, we’re here to help your business reach new heights. Simply put, nobody does it like DGT. Did you enjoy DGT Loves August and want to find out more about our team? Fill out the form below to speak to us – we’d love to hear from you!
Posted by Jenna C on Thursday 24th August 2023
