March Marketing Round Up

Welcome back to another edition of Moody’s Marketing Round Up! 

March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb. Or is that April? (Maybe May!) Regardless, we had some real roaring campaigns come across our social media feeds and televisions this month and we need to dissect them.

Go for the Gold!

(via Ikea Canada)

The gold medal this month is awarded to Ikea, for their unbelievably simple, but genius idea of direct marketing (the best ideas are always diabolically simple). The official Ikea Instagram account slid into the DMs of its Family Loyalty program members with a riskqué “u up?” message. Responders received discounts, and a few lucky individuals got new mattresses for FREE. 

“So u are up! Sounds like you might need a better mattress.” 

Incredibly clever, this playful campaign was a viral success through March.

The Death of Duo

In more tragic news, Duo the Owl, beloved and detested mascot of the language learning app Duolingo, DIED last month! This is another genius move. Duolingo got a streak of luck in 2017, when their green bird became a meme (thank you internet culture, you can’t buy or plan publicity like that). 

(Via duolingo)

So now they’ve killed him off, in a bold and SUCCESSFUL bid to break through ad clutter across social media and the internet at large. Plus, this move positively DRIPS with Duolingo's brand voice and personality. And we, the audience, remain transfixed on what will come next. A new product launch? A new mascot? A brand partnership with Dua Lipa? All we know for certain, is whatever comes next will in all likelihood blow up, because they've already got our attention. 

“In lieu of flowers, please complete your daily lesson.” LOL. 

Just Do It!

Following the success of Nike’s first Super Bowl ad in 27 years, they continue to build on their So Win Campaign. The brilliance of this marketing strategy is that featuring up-and-coming female athletes, positions Nike comfortably as the leader in women's professional sports marketing. You Can't Win, So Win has created a space for Nike to share extended features on each of the athletes in the initial Super Bowl ad spot (please read through their profiles on Nike’s official Instagram page). 

(Via Nike)

The omission of legendary, glass-ceiling shattering pioneers like Serena Williams is not a sign of disrespect, but rather exposes Nike’s goal of looking FORWARD rather than looking back. They will be the forerunner for sponsorships, uniform production, and merchandising, all on a global scale. Sorry Adidas, you might have missed the boat. 

Our only note, we need to see some PWHL players in the next instalment of this advertising epic! 

WHAT THE FU/LLY COVERED

And finally, turning our attention to our local markets, Wedgewood Insurance is setting itself apart from its competitors with some cheeky humour. Its running a series of paid ads featuring some situations where you might need insurance with an honest reaction from the clients ... swearing! This one features an SUV under a fallen tree branch, with a playful riff on one of OUR favourite curse words. You got us!

These ads, running parallel to similarly titled articles on their blog, including a personal fave, “Septic Systems: Avoid a Crappy Situation," is wonderfully clever. Leveraging their industry knowledge, with a pinch of foul-mouthed humour, in order to sell staple service is 10/10. 

Alas, we must leave it here for the month of March, although there were several more campings which moved us. The bar has been set pretty high for April. 

Want to run your own saucy ad campaign or have you come across a wicked ad you'd like us to share? Get in touch! We'd love to make your campaign April wrap-up worthy!