Forget the year of the tiger, 2023 belonged to the masters of reinvention and unexpected collaborations. This year, brands traded tired scripts for viral gold, leaving audiences giggling, gasping and reaching for their wallets. Here’s a look at four 2023 marketing campaigns that took the marketing world by storm:
Barbie’s big screen rebrand
Mattel didn’t just greenlight the live-action “Barbie” movie – they embraced it, and the internet rejoiced. The July release served as a refreshingly nuanced take on the iconic doll, proving even plastic hearts can have
layers. This wasn’t your grandma’s Barbie ad; it was a cinematic event with a feminist twist, and audiences ate it up, proving there’s still life in even the oldest toys.
The Taylor Swift Effect
2023 was all about Taylor Swift. The “Eras Tour” shattered attendance records, her relationship with football star, Travis Kelce, made headlines. Following this, her mere presence launched countless marketing ploys. The NFL became Swiftie heaven, Heinz dipped into “ketchup and seemingly ranch,” and brands everywhere learned the power of the Taylor Swift Effect. Even if you are not a Swiftie yourself, it was impossible to ignore the cultural force she is.
McDonald’s Grimace’s birthday shake
Remember Grimace, the purple resident of McDonaldland? Turns out, he throws one heck of a birthday bash. This 2023 marketing campaign revived the McDonald’s character with a Grimace Shake, sparking a bizarrely entertaining TikTok trend. As a result, users documented their first sips, often ending with a purple-stained demise – dark humor at its finest. The “Grimace Shake” proved earned media doesn’t need to be squeaky clean, just wildly creative.
Dunkin’ Donuts and Ben Affleck
Affleck and Dunkin’? It was a match made in Boston. The Massachusetts native, known for his Dunkin’ runs during lockdown, took his love for the brand to the Super Bowl stage. In a hilarious undercover operation, Affleck donned a headset and served coffee, charming customers and reminding everyone why local loyalty fuels empires. Therefore, this wasn’t just a celebrity endorsement; it was a love letter to a hometown hero and his favorite brew.
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From childhood icons to internet memes and pop culture darlings, 2023’s marketing landscape was anything but predictable. These campaigns showed brands embracing risk, courting controversy, and tapping into cultural currents. In a year of uncertainty, one thing was clear: creativity held the keys to marketing magic.