6 Stand-Out

Summer Marketing

Campaigns

With summer on the horizon, thoughts of

sunshine and warmer weather fill the heads of

consumers, creating an opportunity for you to

place your brand or products in their heads as

well!

You need to create a

plan that will keep your

customers engaged,

interested, and excited

about the warmer

weather, the outdoors,

and their favorite

summer activities.

Check out these stand-out

summer marketing

campaigns to get inspired

for one of your own!

IKEA’s Books on the Beach (2013)

To promote and celebrate the Billy

bookshelf’s 30th birthday, IKEA placed a

number of their Billy bookshelves, filled

with books, on Bondi Beach in Australia

Beach-goers and book lovers were able

to take home a book in exchange for a

donation to the Australian Literacy and

Numeracy Foundation

Instead of playing it safe, IKEA took a risk

and successfully combined their product

with a summer location and activity

enjoyed by summer-lovers

By placing their best-selling product on

the beach filled with books, IKEA took

summer reading to a whole new level

They used what usually would be a slow

season to promote a cause and turn an

ordinary product into summer fun

Why it Worked:

To launch their new flavors, Snapple White

Teas, Snapple hit the road for the “High

Tea” Tour

They visited nine different cities in the U.S.

From June to August, taking tea lovers to

the sky

Snapple consumers were lifted 1,500 feet

up off the ground in personal helium

balloons making both the tea and the

customer light than air

Snapple’s “High Tea” Tour (2006)

By combining a little adventure and giving

away samples along the tour, Snapple

was able to introduce their product to a

larger audience

They delighted their current customers

and new customers, providing and

exciting, interactive experience they’ll

never forget

Why it Worked:

Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke” (2014)

For the summer of 2014, Coca-Cola

launched the “Share a Coke” campaign

which capitalized on the idea that people

love to see their names on anything

According to Coca-Cola, “the campaign

capitalized on the global trend of self-

expression and sharing, but in an

emotional way…”

Coca-Cola appreciates its audience and

how it can play a role in their lives

When you know your customer and your

customer know you, your brand is able to

communicate through a unique voice

with a distinct personality and established

values

Why it Worked:

In an attempt to reach a global market,

Sprite used an experimental marketing

campaign in Brazil – free Sprite Showers

They really just installed a giant shower on

the beach, an no, it did not cover you in

Sprite – it was just water

The showers served as a hub where

beach-goes could cool off as well as

receive free samples of Sprite

Sprite’s Soda Machine Shower (2012)

It made people associate the flavor of

Sprite with the refreshing effects of a cool

shower in sweltering heat

This campaign was fun and it truly

encouraged consumers to take part in a

refreshing, engaging experience

Why it Worked:

Pixar & Disney’s Monsters University Experience (2012)

Pixar took a unique approach to promote

their new movie by creating a functional

Monsters University (MU) website

This site felt like a real university website

and allowed potential movie-goers to feel

like they were spending time with the

characters

Why it Worked:

The ad to direct people to the website

began in January during the Rose Bowl,

which was a perfect placement

considering the title of the film

The authentic, user-friendly appeal of the

website generated a buzz to excite

audience while also keeping them

engaged until the release of the film

“DO AC” Tourism Campaign (2014)

The campaign titled, “Do Anything. Do

Everything. Do AC.” was designed to take

Atlantic City from a gaming destination to

a more family-friendly, leisurely vacation

destination

The ACA (Atlantic City Alliance)

encouraged visitors to post pictures and

tell their stories. In doing so, Atlantic City

began to be seen as something more

than just a gambling hot spot

They presented potential users to the city

with a unique proposition and invited

them to be a part of the change

The ACA capitalized on the idea that

people would want to be “seen” in

Atlantic City enjoying all the attractions,

not just gambling

Why it Worked:

Now, it’s your turn…These are just a few

unique and creative

ideas that used summer

in a way to help sales

sizzle for these brands

during a season when

sales can fall flat.

The possibilities are

endless, just like you

wish those summer

nights could be. Who

knows? Maybe your

next summer

campaign will end up

sizzling for years to

come!