5 Great Marketing Campaigns and what you can learn from them

Great campaigns don’t try to talk to everyone. They speak directly to someone. That might be a specific generation, a subculture, a niche audience, or even a moment in time.

Duolingo built one of the most recognizable brand personalities on TikTok by going all-in on Gen Z humor, internet chaos, and a completely unhinged mascot. Their content felt like it belonged on the platform: organic, funny, often bizarre skits that blurred the line between brand and meme.

It worked because they knew exactly who they were talking to: a younger audience fluent in irony, internet culture, and with short attention spans.

But in 2025, that same audience turned on them.

When Duolingo announced a shift toward an “AI-first” strategy (including replacing many of their language experts), fans felt betrayed. The backlash wasn’t just about internal decisions, it was about audience alignment. The brand had built its identity around being quirky, human, and inclusive. And suddenly, it felt corporate.

💡 The takeaway?
Knowing your audience isn’t just about nailing tone, it’s about staying consistent with your values. Trust is part of the brand too. 

✅ How to apply this in your work:

• Define your primary audience segment clearly (age, culture, values).

• Audit your messaging for consistency: does your brand voice align with your values?

• Test content natively on one platform instead of copy-pasting across channels.

Some of the most impactful campaigns recently didn’t shy away from intricate or abstract ideas, they embraced them and made them feel personal.

Spotify Wrapped transforms years of cold, numeric listening data into a deeply personal story. Each year, users receive bite-sized summaries “your soundtrack,” “your anthem,” “tempo ranges,” and more, packaged in vibrant visuals and lighthearted language.

This simple act turns raw data into moments of joy hidden in everyday listening habits.

The campaign thrives because it feels custom-made for each user, triggering FOMO, nostalgia, and social sharing. In 2021, over 60 million people shared Wrapped stories; by 2023, monthly active user views jumped 40%, thanks to the wrap's viral mechanics. Spotify didn’t just report data, they told your story, and made you want to share it.

It created a cultural moment rooted in simple truths: people love seeing themselves reflected back at them in clever, visual form.

💡 The takeaway?
When you’re working with complex or dry data, don’t just simplify: personalize. Present it in a way that tells a story, feels intimate, and encourages sharing. That’s where clarity meets resonance.

✅ How to apply this in your work:

• Turn customer data (usage, behavior, feedback) into digestible stories.

• Use personalized visuals or summaries that invite sharing.

• Create a recurring annual/seasonal campaign that audiences anticipate.

Instead of sanding down their tone to fit into industry norms, some brands double down on what makes them different. They committed to a point of view, and it paid off.

Liquid Death shouldn’t work on paper. It’s water, in a can, with branding that borrows from death metal, punk zines, and B-movie horror. But that’s exactly why it does work.

From its name to its ads (“Murder Your Thirst”) to its merch (everything from skateboards to voodoo dolls), every touchpoint feels like a chaotic middle finger to traditional wellness marketing. Instead of clean, serene, and safe, it’s loud, irreverent, and absurd. And that contradiction is the point.

What makes it successful isn’t just the aesthetic, it’s the coherence. Liquid Death commits 100% to the bit. The humor is consistent. The tone doesn’t shift just because they’re launching in Whole Foods or running a Super Bowl ad. They know who they are, and they act like it.

That kind of clarity builds trust, especially among younger consumers who can spot inauthenticity a mile away. It also invites participation, because fans don’t just drink the product, they wear the merch, follow the stunts, and spread the gospel. In doing so, they become part of the brand’s larger anti-brand narrative.

💡 The takeaway?
Brand personality isn’t seasoning: it’s the main dish. The more clearly and consistently you show up, the more room your audience has to connect (or react). If your tone makes sense in every touchpoint - from packaging to TikTok - you’re doing it right.

✅ How to apply this in your work:

• Identify your brand’s personality traits (rebellious? playful? authoritative?).

• Stress-test your tone across platforms: does it hold up everywhere?

• Encourage fans to co-create with your brand (user-generated content, merch, stunts).

Some of the most unforgettable campaigns didn’t invent cultural moments, they aligned with them, amplifying their reach by being in the right place, at the right time, with the right tone.

Warner Bros didn’t create the “Barbenheimer” meme, but they didn’t fight it either. When Barbie and Oppenheimer were slated to release on the same day, fans turned the contrast between them into a viral phenomenon. Instead of trying to steer the narrative, both studios leaned in. Barbie doubled down on playfulness, Oppenheimer embraced cinematic gravitas, and the internet did the rest.

By not overengineering their response, the studios let the cultural wave build organically. And it paid off: the combined double-feature frenzy drove massive box office numbers, cross-audience buzz, and weeks of free press.

💡 The takeaway?
Sometimes your biggest impact comes from timing, not planning. Stay nimble, read the room, and don’t be afraid to follow your audience’s lead when the moment strikes.

✅ How to apply this in your work:

• Monitor cultural conversations (social listening, trend analysis).

• Identify overlaps between your brand and trending topics.

• Stay flexible: don’t overengineer responses, let them feel organic.

Some of the most effective campaigns didn’t rely on going viral, they relied on making a statement. These brands earned attention by taking creative risks in unexpected places, often using discomfort or contrast to challenge the norm and provoke conversation.

In 2020, Burger King did something completely counterintuitive: they showed their flagship product growing mold. A time-lapse campaign followed a Whopper over 34 days as it decomposed in full, high-resolution detail. It was unappetizing. It was bold. And it was everywhere: from billboards to YouTube pre-rolls to print ads.

Why? Because that was the point.

For decades, fast food marketing has relied on perfection. Glossy buns. Melting cheese. Steam effects. Food that doesn’t just look tasty, it looks perfect. Burger King flipped that entirely. Their message was simple but disruptive: “This is what happens when food is real.”

They were announcing the removal of artificial preservatives, but instead of stating it in fine print or with a corporate press release, they showed it viscerally. The mold became proof of freshness. And the discomfort it triggered? That became attention. The campaign didn’t just run online; it showed up in unexpected, very public places, like ads on street corners, subway walls, and buses. 

The risk worked because it matched the message. It wasn’t just shocking for the sake of it. It was a bold visual metaphor that told the truth in a way people couldn’t ignore.

💡 The takeaway?
You don’t always need a trending sound or a social-first hook. Sometimes, showing up offline with a clear, unexpected image can be just as powerful, especially when it challenges how people normally see your category. Real impact often starts by breaking the rules of how things are supposed to look.

✅ How to apply this in your work:

• Look at category conventions: what do all competitors do the same way?

• Flip the script: present your truth in a visually unexpected format.

• Use shock or discomfort only when it reinforces your core message.

After looking at these campaigns, a pattern starts to emerge. The most memorable ones didn’t just chase trends or polish their visuals, they made sharp choices. About who they were speaking to. About how they wanted to show up. And about when to break the rules.

What made them work wasn’t luck or budget. It was clarity, consistency, and guts:

• Clarity about the audience.
• Consistency in the voice.
• And the guts to bend expectations when it mattered most.

Whether you’re looking to design your next big idea or simply sharpen your marketing campaign strategy, use these lessons to cut through noise and earns lasting attention.