Case Study Analysis: Levi’s – “Go Forth” Brand Campaign
Levi Strauss & Co. conceived “Go Forth” as a bold brand relaunch to reconnect its heritage of American pioneering with a new generation. The campaign (first unveiled July 4, 2009) was developed with agency Wieden+Kennedy (Portland) and aimed to cast Levi’s as the jeans of youthful optimism and self‑reliance. Levi’s executives described Go Forth as […]
Case Study Analysis: Coca-Cola’s “The Polar Bears” Campaign
In 1993, The Coca-Cola Company launched one of its most iconic advertising campaigns – “The Polar Bears” – as part of the new “Always Coca-Cola” marketing push. This campaign introduced the world to animated polar bear characters that would become a beloved symbol of Coca-Cola’s brand, especially during the holiday season. The following case study […]
Case Study Analysis: Burger King’s “Have It Your Way” Campaign
Burger King’s famous tagline “Have It Your Way” is one of the most iconic campaigns in fast-food history, encapsulating the brand’s promise of personalized service and customer empowerment. Launched in the 1970s, this slogan has endured – evolving through decades of marketing shifts and even inspiring Burger King’s modern rebranding efforts. In this case study, […]
Case Study Analysis: GoPro’s “Be a Hero” Campaign
GoPro launched in 2002 to let everyday athletes film their own adventures. Its first camera was aptly named the HERO, and the slogan “Be a HERO” followed naturally – the camera was meant to make ordinary users look heroic in their action footage. In practice, GoPro’s marketing positions every customer as the hero of their […]
Case Study: Adidas’ “Impossible is Nothing” Campaign
The “Impossible is Nothing” campaign is a landmark in Adidas’s branding history. Launched in 2004 and revived in 2021, the slogan encapsulates the brand’s inspirational ethos. It was conceived to motivate athletes and consumers to push beyond their limits and to reassert Adidas’s competitive position, especially against rivals like Nike. Drawing on the legendary Muhammad […]
Case Study Analysis: McDonald’s “You Deserve a Break Today”
In 1971, McDonald’s was a successful, rapidly expanding burger chain, but it lacked a cohesive national identity. It was seen as a convenient stop for cheap food, but not necessarily a “destination.” Enter Needham, Harper & Steers (now DDB) and their legendary campaign: “You Deserve a Break Today.” This was not just a jingle; it […]
Case Study Analysis: Puma’s “Forever Faster” Campaign
In a global sportswear market dominated by titans like Nike and Adidas, PUMA faced a critical identity crisis in the early 2010s. The brand had drifted too far into “lifestyle,” diluting its performance credibility. In 2014, PUMA launched “Forever Faster,” a daring strategic platform designed not just as a marketing tagline, but as a corporate […]
Case Study Analysis: Coca-Cola’s “Taste the Feeling” Campaign
Coca-Cola’s “Taste the Feeling” campaign, launched in January 2016, marked a pivotal shift in the beverage giant’s marketing strategy. This was more than just a new tagline – it was Coca-Cola’s first unified global campaign across all its product variants (Coca-Cola Classic, Diet Coke/Light, Coke Zero, and Coca-Cola Life). Replacing the seven-year-old “Open Happiness” slogan, […]
Case Study Analysis: Volkswagen “The Force” Campaign
Volkswagen’s 2011 Super Bowl commercial “The Force” became one of the most iconic automotive ads of all time, blending nostalgia, humor, and heart to deliver a powerful brand message. The ad features a pint-sized Darth Vader attempting to wield the Force around his home, only to be astonished when he seemingly starts his dad’s Volkswagen […]
Case Study Analysis: Apple’s “Welcome Home” Campaign
Apple’s 2018 “Welcome Home” campaign – a four-minute spot for the new HomePod speaker – represents a landmark in the brand’s advertising. Instead of a typical product demo, Apple enlisted Oscar-winning director Spike Jonze to create a surreal, cinematic story. The ad stars a tired city worker who says “Hey Siri, play me something I’d […]
Case Study Analysis: Coca-Cola’s “Open Happiness” Campaign
Coca-Cola’s Open Happiness was a bold global brand campaign launched in January 2009. It built on the earlier “Coke Side of Life” platform and invited people worldwide to “pause and refresh themselves with a Coke, to ‘open happiness’ and enjoy life’s simple pleasures.”. The tagline Enjoy life’s simple pleasures became the campaign slogan. Designed by […]
Case Study Analysis: Pepsi’s “The Choice of a New Generation”
In the early 1980s, Pepsi was locked in a fierce “cola war” with Coca-Cola, striving to capture the youth market and shake its image as the perennial runner-up. Pepsi had a history of targeting younger consumers – most famously with its 1960s “Pepsi Generation” campaign that aligned the brand with the youthful, upbeat lifestyle of […]
Case Study Analysis: McDonalds “I’m Loving It” Campaign
Campaign Background and Objectives In the early 2000s, McDonald’s – the world’s largest fast-food chain – was facing serious challenges that threatened its dominance. By late 2002, the company’s performance had faltered: it posted its first-ever quarterly loss amid slumping sales, a declining share price, and growing consumer discontent. McDonald’s was being criticized for slow […]
Case Study Analysis: Always “Like A Girl” Campaign
Always is Procter & Gamble’s flagship feminine hygiene brand. Since the 1980s it has focused on puberty education and empowering girls – reaching over 17 million girls in 65+ countries through programs on confidence and menstruation. However, by 2013 Always’s purpose (supporting girls at puberty) was not evident to Millennials, and its communications had become […]
Case Study: Guinness’ ‘Good Things Come to Those Who Wait’ Campaign
By the 1990s, Guinness was a well-known global stout brand, but it faced new challenges: stout was seen as heavy and time-consuming to pour, especially compared to quick-pouring lagers. In fact, market research had found many consumers viewed the famous 119.5-second pour as a drawback. Andy Fennell (Guinness marketing director, 1997–2001) later recalled that the […]
Case Study: Google’s “Year in Search” Annual Campaign
Google’s “Year in Search” is an annual reflection of the top global search trends, capturing key events, cultural movements, and collective societal emotions. It started in 2010 as Google’s “Zeitgeist” report and evolved into a highly anticipated year-end campaign showcasing the world’s most popular search queries. The campaign centers around an emotive short video, produced […]
Case Study: Metro Trains’ “Dumb Ways to Die” Campaign
In late 2011, Metro Trains Melbourne faced a growing crisis: an alarming rise in “unsafe behaviour” incidents at train stations—running across platforms, hopping boom gates, standing too close to tracks—particularly among young people disengaged by traditional fear-based public service announcements. The challenge was clear yet daunting: how do you reach a generation that simply “tunes out” […]
Case Study: Chipotle’s “Cultivate a Better World” Campaign
Chipotle’s brand purpose has long centered on sustainable, high-quality food – a mission summarized by its mantra “Food With Integrity” and the stated goal “to cultivate a better world.” This purpose-driven vision underpinned the global Cultivate a Better World marketing campaign, launched in 2011 and evolving through films, games, events and promotions worldwide. The campaign […]
Case Study: IKEA’s “The Wonderful Everyday” Campaign
IKEA’s “The Wonderful Everyday” has been a flagship global brand campaign, built around celebrating small moments at home. Rooted in IKEA’s vision “to create a better everyday life for the many people,” it shifted focus away from one-off sales pushes and highlights how everyday experiences – cooking, sleeping, playing – are made more joyful and […]
A Case Study on Spotify Wrapped: The Storytelling Phenomenon
Every December, millions of Spotify users eagerly await Spotify Wrapped, the streaming service’s annual personalized recap of their year in music. Wrapped takes users’ listening data – favorite tracks, top artists, genres, total minutes streamed, and more – and transforms it into vivid, shareable cards and playlists. Launched in 2015 (initially called “Year in Music”), […]