My 5 favourite campaigns of 2019

I’m exhilarated by so many of the marketing campaigns from around the world I saw in 2019. For me, it’s always about the idea and the quality of the storytelling. It’s exciting to see the way that new technology unlocks original ways to promote brands.

For good measure, I decided to whittle it down to my top five favourites – but, honestly, it was a tough job. There’s been some stunning imagination on display this year. And brilliant ideas like these light me up. 

If you’re like me, and you’re in the mood for some inspiring work, then this (slightly random) list is for you. So, without further ado, here’s my favourite creative campaigns of the year. 

1. A Michelin-star quest for the world’s most remote KFC

I love this campaign from Australia for its cheek. Sam Edleman is an Australian cook who owns a KFC franchise deep in the Outback in the town of Alice Springs, halfway between the two nearest major settlements, Darwin and Adelaide – both of which are 1,500km away. 

Apparently, it’s the most remote KFC in the world. 

His audacious campaign to earn his KFC restaurant a Michelin star is more than a clever PR stunt. Given what the esteemed French restaurant rating conjures – very high-end dining – the campaign demands we reconsider what ‘quality cuisine’ means. We all know take-away food is like a guilty sin, but that doesn’t stop people loving it. If we get rid of the snobbery, why can’t we recognise a restaurant that people love, seek-out and enjoy?

Edleman says people commonly drive a thousand miles for his Kentucky Fried Chicken. And, as the official criterion for a two-starred Michelin restaurant is “being worth a stop off and being excellent in your category”, he makes a better case than the Parisian headquarters is prepared to handle. 

Is it a bit ridiculous? Probably. Is it a smart campaign? Definitely. 

2. The new advances in candy gadgetry made by Twix

I grew up with Twix, a delicious British creation from the 1960s. I also think of biscuit dunking as a quintessentially British invention. In fact, Google tells me it was a Royal Navy tradition from the 16th Century involving beer! 

Dunking a Twix however has always been difficult because the chocolate and caramel protect the biscuit. You can imagine my joy then in discovering a tech solution to this everyday problem! The Twix Meltdown Device allows the chocolate and caramel to melt into your coffee whilst the brew soaks into the biscuit. A genius American tech solution to a very British problem that gives us better coffee and soggy biscuits in one deft move.   3. When IKEA took it to the street!

Grime is London’s sound: edgy, raw and street. Its abrasiveness style continues to feel refreshingly genuine – and this authenticity has likely led to its popularity. 

IKEA saw a type of music that was popular for scratching a contemporary itch and used it to fantastic effect in its Christmas campaign. We are all tired of perfected manicured images on social media and the craft of the artificial. We crave something that resonates as real – as grime undoubtedly does. IKEA positioning their brand alongside it shows their own authenticity.

But what I really like about this campaign is the risk IKEA took making it. Rap MC D-Double-E x IKEA is an unlikely mix, but it works brilliantly. I also love the insight: silence the critics about your home and freshen things up with IKEA. 

4. When Bombay Sapphire blended art, robots and everyone’s creativity 

I’m not one for tooting my own horn – but that’s exactly what I’m about to do. I’ve got to mention some work we did for Bombay Sapphire, a brand we’ve positioned to celebrate the creativity within all of us. 

 Called #FindYourCanvas, this social art experiment invited everyone to visit (the aptly named) paintedbyeveryone.com to contribute to an experimental art installation in downtown Los Angeles. Once submitted, their vision was remotely realised by a robotic arm, which they could watch via a life feed. And every person who painted was credited by name. 

A lot could have gone wrong with this very public execution, from the tech to people willingness to participate. I love the fearlessness of this work. Maybe I feel it so strongly because it’s closer to home.

5. Personalised posters for every pooch in New York City 

This is kinda reassuringly weird. This personalised Puppo Dog Food communication could have happened discretely online, but instead, they decided to go old skool.

I confess I am signed up to the cause of personalisation and 1-2-1 at scale. 

I can only imagine the delight for the dog-walkers of the more than 100,000 register pooches in New York seeing a public personalised poster on their regular dog walking route. The campaign for Puppo brilliantly communicates how they create a customised blend for each animal.

The act of doing this, and the way it was executed, perfectly reflects the ethos of the company. Congratulations!

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Looking back on 2019, I am even more excited about 2020. The bar for great work has been set high. But if this list proves anything, it’s that human creativity is endless. 

Of course, this list isn’t exhaustive. As I wrote it, there was a lot of great work vying for contention. Let me know your list of favourite campaigns, and why you love the work!