This summer, brands like Coca Cola, Malibu and Dior continue to build on previous successful campaigns, some even partnering with influential artists to reach new target audiences, such as A$AP Rocky and Snakehips. These audiences are young, fun loving consumers who have a large impact on trends that resonate in the media.
Coca-Cola
We are absolutely loving Coca Cola’s new Share a Coke summer campaign which involves printing summer holiday destinations on their labels, featuring places such as ‘Barbados’, ‘Miami’ and ‘Hawaii’. Fittingly, the label could also be your free ticket to one of these luxury holiday destinations if used to enter their competition. Not only does this make Coke a more appealing refreshing summer drink, but it's also in keeping with other past Coca-Cola campaigns. In Romania this summer, Coca Cola featured detachable labels which could act as wristbands allowing entry to a few lucky winners. No wonder the campaign reached 75% of teens in Romania!
The Share a Coke campaign is an attempt to bring the brand into the summer season, and is part of a larger trend to increase sales after making large changes to its drinks. One of these is the reduction of sugar in one of its key brands, Fanta; in May, the level of sugar was reduced by a third. This comes soon after news that the UK government would push ahead with its tax on drinks with over 5g of sugar per 100ml. With the recent change, Fanta now has 4.6g of sugar per 100ml and just escapes the tax. Not only does the campaign invite its participants to join in but it also ensures the public that the brand continues to be involved in its customers’ wellbeing.
Dior
This year, Dior has turned 70 years old, and marked the occasion with the release of Dior VIII Montaigne Tissage Precieux – a set of watches with the signature couture textile weave. However, more exciting and relevant to us, is the partnership between Dior and the US rapper A$AP Rocky.
It was over a year ago that he was named the face of Dior and the rapper continues to promote the fashion label in his campaigns. This January he starred in Dior Homme’s SS17 Ad Campaign alongside Boy George. The partnership between the two shows the diversity of the brand while also reinforcing the importance of high fashion. Rocky has been a budding fashion icon in hip-hop world and the campaign has attracted new audiences to the brand.
Malibu - #BecauseSummer
This summer, Malibu is relying on their audiences’ free spirit and love for all things fun by promoting their ‘101 Days of Summer’ campaign. Their TV campaign is set on the beach and features ‘The Fat Jewish’, an American pop culture commentator, again, getting the attention of younger audiences who follow comedies such as Rude Tube and Zoolander 2, or artists such as The Chainsmokers and DNCE. The website reinforces the carefree nature of their target audience and their venture into technology. With the site boasting a local weather forceast, cocktail recipe suggestions and the ability for user's to generate their own summer inspired gif, there is plenty to keep Malibu lovers ammused.
The ‘101 Days of Summer’ campaign promises to upload new content every day via their digital and social channels, effort which is sure to pay off considering the summer-centric theme was responsible for significant growth in its US and UK markets. This summer is certainly the brand’s time to shine and promises some exciting explosions of creativity, especially as they are starting to use increasingly popular 'how to' videos to increase brand awareness.
This summer has several brands strengthening their hold on their target audience with continued campaigning aimed at their core audience as well as a focus on the younger viewers of their TV ads and websites. Let us know if you have any other summer campaigns we can keep an eye out for!
