Brand Activation Campaigns: Awe-Inspiring Examples and Tips 

Imagine yourself walking into a party where you know nobody. How you speak, act, and engage with the people around you will shape their first impression of you. By making a memorable introduction – perhaps through a good joke, an interesting story, or thought-provoking questions – people are likely to remember you for future engagements.  

In the world of branding and marketing, this mirrors the concept of brand activation.

It’s a chance to build a strong brand, leave a memorable impression on your target audience, and generate a more significant interest in what the brand is all about. 

Officially, the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) defines brand activation as “...marketing that both builds a brand’s image and drives a specific consumer action through one or more of six identifiable disciplines (commerce marketing, content marketing, experiential marketing, influencer marketing, promotion marketing, and relationship marketing), which help bring a brand to life by connecting and interacting with the consumer on a personal level.”

Ultimately, brand activation aims to create a meaningful connection that can grow into brand loyalty and a sense of community.

Once again, picture yourself entering a party—but it's a networking event this time. As you enter, greet others with a warm smile and a firm handshake and perhaps share an exciting story about a project you're passionate about. Creating a positive impression increases the chances of future interactions and collaborations with the people you meet at the event. Let's apply this idea to brand activation. Using effective brand activation techniques can benefit your business.

1. Increased brand awareness and engagement

Brand activation can be an effective tool to enhance your brand image and establish brand recognition.  

In 2015, Airbnb launched its "Night At" campaign, allowing users to spend a night in iconic locations such as the LEGO House in Denmark or the Louvre Museum in France. 

This brand strategy generated a lot of buzz on social media, expanding brand reach and attracting more users to the platform. It also reinforced a positive brand image of valuing creativity and offering unique experiences to travelers.

2. Tangible impact and return on investment

When a brand gains more visibility and encourages positive brand engagement, it can increase sales. Case in point: in 2011, Coca-Cola launched its “Share a Coke” campaign, which featured personalized bottles and cans with names and phrases such as “Share a Coke with Your Mom” or “Share a Coke with Your Soulmate.” 

This initiative boosted brand engagement and resulted in a significant uptick in sales as consumers sought out bottles with their names or that they could share with their loved ones. We’ll tackle more of this example later. 

When creating brand campaigns, ensure they present relevant brand attributes, like color palettes, that your audience can quickly identify. Also, always double-check that collaterals follow brand guidelines.

3. Differentiation in the market

Promoting your brand in unique ways can showcase its values in ways that your competitors cannot replicate. 

Take Red Bull’s Stratos campaign, for example, which saw skydiver Felix Baumgartner do a freefall jump from space and break the record for the highest altitude skydive. The campaign effectively reflected Red Bull’s ethos of seeking adventure and pushing the limits, setting it apart from other energy drinks.

Leveraging brand activation allows companies to get noticed, make a lasting impression, and build a strong relationship with their customers. Check out some tools and strategies you can apply for a successful campaign.

Win Hearts with Free Trials

Everyone loves free stuff! 

Whether a brand is giving away samples, vouchers, etc., free trials are a great way to encourage potential customers to experience what you offer without committing.  

Look at subscription services such as Netflix and YouTube Premium. By offering a month-long free trial, their target audiences are more willing to try out their products because they can evaluate the brands without risks. 

This strategy increases the chance of membership renewal after the trial is over. Consider subscription services like Netflix and YouTube Premium, which offer a month-long free trial for their streaming services.

Challenge the Ordinary with Out-of-the-Box Events

Get the people talking with an out-of-the-box experiential marketing. It is an effective way of evoking emotions and making a memorable impact on your target audience. 

Think pop-up shops or kiosks at your favorite park. How about joining trade shows that promote brands like yours? It doesn’t always have to be transactional, too. You can run flash mobs or surprise concerts, encouraging customers to participate and have fun.

Be Omnipresent Online and Offline

Running campaigns online is often favored for their reach and cost-effectiveness. However, offline campaigns also offer a different and more personalized brand experience. Fortunately, you need not choose between the two. It is ideal to combine both activities if you want to optimize campaign results! 

You can do so many things online in conjunction with your offline campaign. Tap your followers and run social media competitions. Encourage customers to create content using branded hashtags in exchange for prizes—partner with influencers to amplify your campaign. 

Whatever creative online campaign idea you have in mind, make sure it motivates your customers to engage offline, too, and vice versa.

Surprise Your Customers with Guerrilla Marketing

What better way to capture your audience’s attention than with something bold, unconventional, and memorable? And that’s what guerrilla marketing does.

Guerrilla marketing is a non-traditional, fun, and sneaky way to surprise your target customers and pique their interests. 

But that's easier said than done. 

For starters, the success of a guerrilla campaign heavily depends on its innovativeness in convincing the public to participate. When it works, however, it can cement your brand or propel you to fame if it goes viral. 

Just take a look at this ad from Oldtimers Restaurant in Austria. The average time spent on billboards is about four seconds. But with its ridiculously witty and attention-grabbing guerrilla ad on a tunnel, drivers and passengers spent more time than that.

The process is not linear with brand activation campaigns. But there are fundamental tips and steps you must take advantage of.

Understand Your Target Audience

Formulating a strategic and effective brand activation campaign begins by understanding who it is for. Gather analytic data from social media and multiple websites. Track visitors and feedback online and offline. By learning what intrigues and excites your audience, you are more equipped to create an experience they will highly engage with.

Be Strategic with Your Marketing Budget 

Brand activations can be costly if you have several activities across different locations and marketing channels. This is especially true when you consider the amount of effort and time spent on events, from location rental and set design to talent fees and equipment. That said, it is essential to be strategic when allocating your budget. 

You can begin by prioritizing your goals. For instance, you can budget first for relevant advertisements and events that generate leads or boost sales. It helps to have a detailed campaign budget that covers all expenses so you can plan.  Another tip is to gauge your competitors’ and collect data on their spending for brand activation campaigns so you can have a benchmark.

Align Your Goals and Objectives 

Having realistic and achievable goals and objectives can prevent you from implementing brand campaigns that are just gimmicky but offer no results.  To do this, ensure your brand objectives align with your long-term business goals. It also helps to have a solid grasp of your brand health before creating brand activation campaigns. 

Another oldie-but-goodie rule is to apply the SMART formula when setting goals. These should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.  Finally, determine and set measurable KPIs to track your campaigns' performance. This will ensure timely intervention when challenges or development needs arise.

Choose the Right Brand Team Members

A reliable brand management team is vital to the success of your brand activation campaign. Look for individuals with diverse branding skills and experience. It is also crucial to find team players who are creative and detail-oriented. 

Communication is vital when running a team. Hence, run regular meetings, hold one-on-one sessions for feedback and performance reviews, and stimulate a collaborative and nurturing work environment.

We round up awe-inspiring examples of brand activation campaigns worldwide. Learn from some of the biggest and best brands in the market.

Red Bull Rampage

Red Bull is on a mission to create a culture of adventure and innovation in the world of sports. Among the many sports it brought to the mainstream is freeride mountain biking through Red Bull Rampage, also dubbed the Superbowl of Mountain Biking. 

Unlike traditional mountain biking, where the fastest gets to win, Red Bull Rampage is different. Riders can create lines or paths and showcase tricks as they tackle gnarly terrain on deserts and rocky mountainsides. 

The brand shares on its website, “The rules are pretty simple – ride down a mountain to the bottom of it, in one piece, in as spectacular a way as possible.” 

Twenty-three years after its launch, Red Bull Rampage has become an annual event. It catapulted Red Bull’s brand identity to its dare-devil status and continues to increase its brand equity. Most importantly, the campaign stimulates a growing community of hardcore bikers and global fans.

Coca-Cola: Share a Coke

While Australians recognized Coca-Cola's popularity, it was like any other big brand. The brand noticed the lack of genuine connection and addressed this by getting close and personal. In response, the Share a Coke campaign was born.

The brand scattered digital vending machines that allowed customers to print the names of people they wanted to share a Coke with. This simple yet endearing idea evoked heartwarming responses among customers, encouraging them to connect, have fun, and make memories. 

The bottles also served as souvenirs! 

The campaign was a spectacular success. Within a few months, the brand has sold over 250 million Coke bottles and cans all over Australia. It created a huge buzz online, so the brand launched the same brand activation campaign in 70 countries. 

Nike Air Max 3D OOH Billboard

Nike made waves among its Air Max fans with its 35th anniversary 3D billboard in Shinjuku. The carefully crafted digital ad featured a shoe unboxing with the help of Shinjuku’s iconic digital calico cat. 

But what made this advertising-based brand activation unique is how it leveraged advanced technology to its advantage. It has launched 3D OOH to the next level with its immersive capabilities, whether the ad is seen in person in Tokyo or on mobile screens across the globe. The campaign successfully encapsulated Nike’s commitment to creativity and innovation. 

See it for yourself!

Cosmic Playlists by Spotify

In a world of turmoil and economic collapse, more people are turning to cosmic powers to simplify things and provide comfort. It’s also an entertaining and whimsical way to learn about yourself. 

Using this trend, Spotify introduced Cosmic Playlists, a curation of songs that align with your zodiac sign. The streaming service aims to improve its game by offering a highly personalized experience. 

And it was a hit! Following its release in 2019, the playlists have drawn over half a million listeners across all signs.

IKEA’s Interactive Pregnancy Test Print Ad

You can count on IKEA for out-of-the-box and memorable campaigns. Take its pregnancy test ad. The brand was poised to launch its baby furniture line. And what better way to reach customers than targeting expectant? 

Together with a Swedish magazine, IKEA printed ads that can diagnose pregnancy when peed on. Those who tested positive were gifted with huge discounts.

The interactive print ad sparked a media frenzy. IKEA has proven that it’s more than just a gimmick. It’s a genius brand activation that effectively targeted potential buyers and is forever etched in the memories of its customers.

Immersing in Skater Culture at the House of Vans London

Wanting to break into the UK market, American skateboarding shoes and apparel brand Vans opened the House of Vans. Since skateboarding is prohibited in public spaces, the brand rented a space that houses an indoor skateboard park, a cinema, an events venue, and restaurants. 

The best part? Admission is free, including events! Famous artists, including Foo Fighters, Metallica, and Anderson, graced its stage. Paak. 

The brand would take advantage of its growing popularity by selling its products on-site. However, the brand shares that the House of Vans is, first and foremost, an immersive experience where participants can feel they are part of a skateboarding community. It also attracted artists and other creatives to the space. 

House of Vans London closed in 2022 after eight years. However, the brand continued to amass loyalists who became advocates and amplified brand recognition long after it closed.

If you’re wondering whether brand activation works, let’s examine product sampling, a popular brand activation strategy in which free product samples are given to consumers. This allows consumers to experience the product firsthand, potentially increasing their likelihood of purchasing.

According to statistical data from market research firm NPD Group, Inc., food tasting increases the likelihood of customers purchasing by 20% compared to when sampling is not allowed. The conversion rate is even higher when customers can test beauty products—at 30%.

With a brand strategy company on your team, you can optimize your brand activation campaigns to reach your goals and explore your full potential!