Video marketing is a powerful tool to effectively communicate with customers. Because it’s a multisensory medium, a good script is just the beginning when it comes to crafting a truly great video.
Below are 5 successful video marketing campaigns that have driven conversation, social shares, emotional reactions and some really great brand messaging. We take a closer look at what’s working within each video campaign and why.
5 Succeful Video Marketing Campaigns
1. Lyft’s “Undercover Lyft” Video Marketing Campaign
“Undercover Lyft” proves that video concepts don’t need to be complex in order to be effective. In fact, the success of the campaign lies in its simplicity. The gimmick of celebrities fooling strangers is hardly revolutionary, and yet the campaign still feels fresh. Yes, it’s fun, lighthearted and silly, and that’s exactly what makes it incredibly compelling and shareable.
With a diverse roster of participating celebrities including Demi Lovato, Shaquille O’Neal, Danica Patrick and DJ Khaled, each video feels more like a mini-TV episode than an advertisement. And the allure of celebrity hijinks caused this campaign to be organically shared across news outlets and social media, and become a top-watched ad on YouTube.
2. Knorr’s “#LoveAtFirstTaste” Video Campaign with Personalised Social Crossover
Food brand Knorr, owned by Unilever, hit a homerun with their #LoveAtFirstTaste video marketing campaign. By leveraging the intrigue of strangers in candid situations, emotional storytelling and a simple question, “Can flavor help you find love,” they found a whimsical way to sell bouillon and beef stock.
The video unfolds as charming singles are paired up based on their favourite flavors and proceed to feed each other, making for some funny and downright adorable moments. Knorr anticipated people would be invested in these couples’ budding relationships and would want to see more content. They channeled viewers’ attention by simultaneously launching an extended edit video, a video date diary from one of the campaign’s most well-matched duos and a personalised Flavor Profile app hosted on the Knorr website that anyone could engage with. A CTA to create your own Flavor Profile is incorporated at the end of the #LoveAtFirstTaste anchor video.
The app guides you through a series of questions about your favourite flavors and feels a bit nostalgic, like taking a magazine quiz. After completing the questionnaire, you’re given your personal Flavor Profile, a prompt to share your results on social media and a list of Knorr recipes you’d enjoy. The whole campaign skillfully guides consumers through a series of behaviors and never once feels salesy about it – a major success.
3. O2’s “O2 Refresh” Personalised Video Campaign
To promote their Refresh program, where customers can easily trade in a device after it’s been paid off, O2 created a short Personalised Video for every single viewer. Yup, thousands of HD videos were instantly generated to engage customers in one-to-one communication which directly drove an 11% increase in conversion.
How did they do it? Customer data was used to reflect which phone O2 plan holders currently had, how it affected their bill and which model they could upgrade to. Individualised prices and the address of the closest O2 location were also seamlessly integrated.
Through O2’s use of Personalised Video, viewers received clear, relevant information in 30 seconds as opposed to waiting on hold after calling a 1-800 number or standing in line at a store. Not only does the Refresh campaign implement personalisation to target up-selling, it’s being used as a way to improve customers’ overall brand experience.
Information people actually care about and an approach that saves time and headaches? Talk about a winning campaign across the board, just ask the 72% of viewers who loved their Personalised Video and clicked the Call To Action.
4. American Family Insurance’s “Dad Insurance for Fearless Dreams” Campaign
For Father’s Day 2016, American Family Insurance released a video campaign that tugged on just about every heartstring possible. Telling the story of a little boy who wants to learn to dance and a father who insists he take judo lessons, the two-and-a-half-minute video is a tour de force in storytelling and emotional engagement — an impressive feat in an industry where messaging can frequently come off cold or impersonal.
By the time this video reaches its climax, it’s impossible not to be invested in the relationship between this father and child. The campaign’s tagline, “When you’re pursuing a dream, it helps to have the right insurance first,” flashes on the screen at the very end, along with AmFam’s logo, and the whole story snaps powerfully into place.
For added value, the hashtags #DadInsurance and #DreamFearlessly were incorporated in the campaign prompting viewers to share on social media with inspirational dads everywhere.
5. Apple’s “Practically Magic” Campaign for the iPhone 7
Following the release of the iPhone 7, Apple released a video marketing campaign that focused on a few of the phone’s very practical new features presented in a magical way. We see what you did there, Apple.
The campaign works because it very gently advertises solutions to weaknesses in previous iPhone models, namely water resistance, an improved low-light camera and more dynamic iMessages. Viewers wouldn’t watch these videos and immediately feel like their old iPhone was a piece of junk. Quite the opposite, you need the phone because it’s a really incredible piece of technology, not because it solves Apple’s earlier oversights. The thoughtfully selected music and ethereal imagery of the ads drive excitement and a sense that really anything is possible with the iPhone 7.
In Summary
The video marketing campaigns above all have one or two successful elements within them, whether they use emotional storytelling, side by side testing or tried and true humor.
Now imagine taking it all a step further with personalisation, like O2 did. By looking at your audience as individuals who each have different motives and needs, you can fine tune your messaging for maximum relevance.
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