It’s been a summer full of very hot advertising. From a HOTD (House Of The Dragon) girl summer to Brat, and a wild election season mixed with the Paris Olympics, this summer has been on fire with fast-moving marketing strategies. Now that autumn is on the horizon, we’re taking a moment to recap a few of Summer 2024’s best campaigns and what made these ads captivating and effective.
Brand Activations
Are you for #TeamGreen or #TeamBlack? (Personally, we’re Team Black.) Early in June MAX partnered with Giant Spoon, RQ, and Busterwood, to take over NYC before the season-two premiere of HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon. The weeks-long #RaiseYourBanner campaign consisted of real-life and digital takeover stunts and activations that asked fans, landmarks, institutions, brands, sports teams, and local businesses to choose a side, calling on the rest of the world to raise their banners. Landmarks raised CGI and physical banners, establishments offered custom food items and exclusive merchandise, and more. To finish the campaign, a 270-foot installation of Westeros’ largest dragon, Vhagar, was installed and wrapped around the Empire State Building via 153 connection points. Dracarys! House of the Dragon premiered to an audience of 7.8 million viewers on HBO, its biggest streaming day ever with the show’s return.
Rebranding
If you haven’t noticed, lime green has been having a moment. (Everyone say, “Thank You Charli XCX”!). Since her studio album’s release on June 7, the “brat” summer aesthetic—including its signature Arial font—is seemingly everywhere. From slime green rebrands to marketing copycats, Brat has generated $22.5 million in media impact value (MIV), and searches for items in Brat-style “slime green” surged 17%. Brands such as Area and retailers have quickly embraced the Brat Summer trend by creating shopping guides featuring products that are on-trend. Embracing social media and pop culture trends in an authentic way is the secret to securing fandom.
When Kamala Harris started her presidential campaign on July 21, Charli XCX tweeted “Kamala IS Brat”. In a matter of hours, Harris’ campaign added a new lime green photo and the rest is history. The “Brat” rebrand earned Harris $15.9 million in MIV. Charli’s tweet received almost nine million views in just four hours and the #BratSummer trend has passed a million posts on TikTok. The lime green theme has been used by thousands of individuals and businesses this summer.
Partnerships + Collaborations
Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine has proven to be the film of the summer, recently crossing $1 billion at the global box office. A huge factor in this success was their marketing partnerships. Before the film’s theatrical release on July 26, it was as if Deadpool & Wolverine were everywhere, toning down the film’s R-rated humor for brands. The anti-heroes, played by Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, respectively, appeared in comedic ads for condiments (Heinz Ketchup and Mustard), deodorant (Old Spice), fast food (Jack In The Box), beer (Heineken), and even reality TV (The Bachelorette). Oh, and we can’t forget about XBOX’s cheeky controller collab.
From a 270-foot dragon on the Empire State Building to the biggest of brands embracing their brat era, it’s clear that the magic lies in strategy. And if great campaigns have taught us anything, it’s that creative strategy is irreplaceable amid this ever-changing industry.
The King Agency is an award-winning marketing agency offering a full suite of communications services including advertising, branding, digital, and strategic marketing, at any scale. Based in Richmond, Virginia, with offices in Atlanta and Virginia Beach, The King Agency has been helping turn businesses into award-winning brands for more than 25 years. To learn more visit thekingagency.com or email hello@thekingagency.com