Many companies have been adopting new messaging strategies in response to the Coronavirus pandemic. Dealing with this crisis is one thing that we all now have in common, and we've been reminded of that in nearly every recent advertising campaign. Here is a collection of some of our favorites ads:
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL_UDABXLX8[/embed]This Nike campaign was created by Portland ad agency Wieden+Kennedy, and is accompanied by a variety of social media posts urging consumers to stay indoors to reduce the spread of COVID-19. In the commercial, the line about "playing for our countries" is a nod to the Olympics, which would've taken place this summer in Tokyo, but has been postponed until next year. Nike was a sponsor of the 2020 Olympics.Nike also exhibits the ways it's helping athletes adjust to sports indoors. On its website, Nike has provided workouts, tips, and advice for training during quarantine. It also outlines resources for kids to stay healthy and fit, including Nike’s partnership with Discovery Education in the U.K. On YouTube and the Nike app, the company has been live-streaming workout sessions with master trainers and has also introduced the Living Room Cup competition to keep people active and engaged.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zg0Hei0cjl0&feature=youtu.be[/embed]Ikea Spain pays tribute to our homes through its "I Stay Home" campaign. This commercial portrays home as a place with many fond memories and feelings that'll last a lifetime. This timely ad campaign in partnership with McCann Spain, is a reminder of what home means to us. It’s where we've celebrated the good things in life and where we can be ourselves. With the #YoMeQuedoEnCasa(#StayHome) hashtag, this minimalistic yet meaningful video invites us to see our homes from a new perspective and make it a place where we can enjoy new experiences during this time.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kl1NW7h7lrY[/embed]This commercial is a part of Apple's ongoing "Behind the Mac" campaign. The video pulls together scenes of people both famous and unknown creating stuff—really cool and interesting stuff—while they’re in quarantine. In the ad, actor John Kransinski produces an episode of his YouTube hit series #SomeGoodNews on his Mac while dance companies like the New York Ballet and the American Ballet Theater train together online. Actress Lily James reads Charlie Mackesy’s “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse” for the “#SaveWithStories” children’s book initiative while Oprah delivers words of support on her #OprahTalks series on Apple TV. Filmmaker Tee Ken Ng makes a dazzling zoetrope creation and Pro-surfer Yadin Nicol finds a way to bring the waves to his kids at home.
Many companies have also been tapping into the effect that this pandemic is having on the environment, producing different Earth day ads.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INA79P_b5nQ[/embed]PepsiCo’s SodaStream factory produces over 30 million plastic bottles a year. To reduce plastic waste, the sparkling-water brand is making an impactful change by changing its bottle construction from all plastic to all metal. According to the EPA, 70% of metals are fully recycled in the US, compared to only 15% of plastics. The change will prevent over 200 million more single-use plastic bottles from entering the environment over the next five years, according to the company. SodaStream is also installing solar panels on its production plant and plans to shift to natural gas, eliminating the use of fossil fuels.“Environmental protection and preservation has always been a pillar of SodaStream’s larger mission as a company. Earth Day this year is different. Given that it falls amidst the COVID-19 outbreak as shelter-in-place ordinances have gone into effect across the globe, we have seen the impact of our actions on the environment,” said Karin Schifter-Maor, global chief marketing officer of SodaStream, in a statement. “It was important for SodaStream to share this message on Earth Day this year to remind everyone that their actions do make a difference.”
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KYQQNZavk0[/embed]This Timberland ad campaign was produced by New York-based studio Small. In conjunction with the campaign, Timberland has pledged to plant 50 million trees by 2025, and will host 50 service events to better the Earth once the pandemic is over.“Nature is at the core of who we are, not only as a brand, but as a global community of citizens. We feel this now more than ever,” said Argu Secilmis, vice president of global marketing for Timberland, in a statement. “With this video, we hope to inspire people around the world to be heroes for nature and protect what we love.”
This list wouldn't be complete without a little bit of internet humor. On social media, many people have been creating fake Coronavirus-related ads with a more fearless sense of humor. A lot of these fake ads have been going viral across the internet, and providing much-needed comic relief during this uncertain time. Here are a few of our favorites:[caption id="attachment_3104" align="aligncenter" width="530"]
Fake Charmin Lionel Richie ad via Facebook[/caption][caption id="attachment_3105" align="aligncenter" width="535"]
Fake Extra garlic gum ad via Twitter[/caption][caption id="attachment_3106" align="aligncenter" width="538"]
HandyHand ad, actually a real product[/caption][caption id="attachment_3107" align="aligncenter" width="557"]
Fake Twister social distancing game via Instagram[/caption]To stay up to date with the latest from Embee Media, be sure to check out our other shower thoughts and subscribe to our newsletter!