Where there is adversity there is creativity, and this year’s digital advertising campaigns prove that without a doubt. With an increased appetite for online content, marketers had to do more to stand out. In this two-part series, we’ll be looking at our favourite ad campaigns from what’s been a very strange year. Be warned: some will tug on heartstrings, while others will tickle your funny bone. In any case, you may end up with tears in your eyes. Here are our top five digital advertising campaigns. 

1. Match.com: Match Made in Hell

We love a comedic flip, and this Match.com campaign written by Ryan Reynolds executes it brilliantly. The ad features a unique match — the year 2020 and Satan — as they participate in a whirlwind romance complete with toilet paper raids, dumpster fires, and dates in empty stadiums and movie theatres. We give this team bonus points for having engaged Reynold’s close friend Taylor Swift for some musical support.

2. Volvo: A Million More

This touching Volvo ad by Forsman & Bodenfors tells a very important story. Often, when safety measures are introduced, they are considered to be a nuisance, a violation, a terrible idea. Sound familiar? 

Infusing reactions and stories from real-life people, Volvo harkens back to the time when they introduced the three-point seatbelt — a tool that we now take for granted to ensure our safety — and how many lives it has protected. More pointedly, the automobile manufacturer ended the ad by making clear commitments to creating future safety measures in their vehicles. They clearly understand that these purchasing decisions are deeply personal and that telling these stories would strike a chord with many.

3. Heineken: Back to the Bars

As we round out this remarkable year, we were bound to stumble upon ads that were focused on the new normal. Heineken delivered that and more in their most recent ad, reconceptualizing what a night out could look like as things reopen: 

• Fumbled through an initial greeting and landed on an elbow bump? Check.   
• Washed your hands, then turned off the faucet with your newly cleaned hands? Check.
• Come upon a seat to find it’s actually not available due to distancing? Check.
• Can’t share food? (honestly, sharing fries has always been criminal) Check.
• The awkward, you go! No, you go! Trying to pass someone in a tight hall? Check. 

Heineken has had a history of creating amazing ad campaigns and this one is no different.  We love the ending tagline “What’s better than a night out? Another night out.”

4. Nike: Play Inside

This Instagram Nike campaign is incredible. The message is to stay home and do your part, and Nike reinforces their position as a brand the world’s best athletes rely on. The company turns the opportunity over to the youth implying and underlining the message that COVID has been the great equalizer, and right now everyone can play on the same united team and do their own small part. 

5. Miller Lite: Farewell, Work Holiday Parties

Some ads make light of a bad situation, and some are strikingly beautiful and incredibly produced. This ad is both of those things. The premise:  WFH has canceled the Christmas Holiday Party. We’ve all been to holiday parties where someone drinks a bit too much, someone thinks they’re a DJ, someones crying, and someone’s fast asleep — and we’re sure there are many people relieved to be taking it down a notch this year. To top it off, the art direction is stellar for this piece. The co-worker tropes are actually statues created by artist Alex Prager!

These ads are world-class, and while you may not have the same ad budget as a Heineken, Match.com, or Nike, we can definitely still help your business stand out from the crowd. We’ve covered advertising extensively in the past, but our Top 4 paid advertising options for B2B is a great place to dip your toes in to find the perfect solution for you. 

We’ll be back next week for part two of our list of best digital advertising campaigns of 2020. Stay tuned!

Photo by Eleni Afiontzi on Unsplash