Our Favourite Digital Campaigns in 2021

Despite COVID-19 nearing its third year since its first outbreak, businesses and consumers alike have been kept on their toes in the past year. From COVID-19’s various mutations to the hither and thither of regulations, “Change is the only constant” could not be a better phrase for the year 2021.

Brands who are still earnestly waiting for the situation to tide over, which isn’t going to happen any time soon, are likely to experience a loss in brand engagement and loyalty. As digitalisation is becoming the norm, there is an immediate need to pivot and meet the already changed behaviours and expectations of consumers.

Nonetheless, there are some campaigns deserving of recognition and modelling after, for having demonstrated commendable efforts in tackling this challenge. By tapping on interactive digital media, they have successfully built a strong brand presence and engaged their audiences.

A Review of Interactive Digital Campaigns in 2021

1. Kate Spade's Spring Summer 21 (SS21) Summer Buzz Campaign

The New York designer brand did not shy away from digitalising, instead it collaborated with Conten.T, an immersive production agency, to employ a fully immersive digital approach to introduce its SS21 collection. Using a flappy bird themed web-based mini game, Kate Spade took its own unique twist on the iconic game by replacing the “bird” with the star of the SS21 season - Bee Bag. To further incentivise participants and increase play time, in-store vouchers and mystery prizes were offered as rewards at the end of the game. 

Its success was not only predicated on its ideation but also its meticulous execution. Engaging in ad buys across platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Grab, TikTok, and Shopback, Kate Spade had driven 53% of its target audience to its microsite and garnered a total of more than 169,000 unique visitors and 160,000 new consumers from Singapore and Malaysia. 

What We Liked

Its simplicity and accessibility

Hosting its campaign on a webpage was a deliberate yet genius decision. From a marketing standpoint, it made sense. As opposed to creating a mobile app, a web-based game enhances a brand’s discoverability, accessibility and shareability through the Internet. Participants need not waste additional time downloading the app or what not.

The simplicity of the game is a crucial aspect that Kate Spade absolutely nailed. Fortunately, the mechanics of the game was something that everyone was already familiar with. This reduces any “fatigue”and confusion that participants have in understanding the game, which may result in an unpleasant customer experience. The effectiveness of this simple, yet iconic game mechanics led to a 2.5x longer play time than an average mini-game.

Brand recognition
Rather than being an imitator of sorts, the Kate Spade insignia was tightly incorporated into the game. The use of audio and graphics was aligned with its brand identity and campaign messaging which amplifies Kate Spade’s whimsical style and summer-inspired collection. This campaign was not only synonymous with the Kate Spade brand but also provided a positive, immersive customer experience.

 

2. Disney+ Singapore Launch Campaign: Interactive Newsfeed SmartApp 360 Game

Leading up to the highly anticipated launch of Disney+ Singapore, in addition to its slew of marketing and promotional activities, Disney+ kept the hype going with its interactive 360 catch-them-all game. Accessible and optimised for all devices, participants had a total of 30 seconds to find and collect all the Disney+ characters scattered around the living room.

Upon sharing their scores on Disney+ Singapore’s Facebook home page, coupled with a short answer to a question, participants stand a chance to win 12 months worth of free subscription and an exclusive gift set. 

What we liked

Interactive gameplay
Including characters from shows across its 6 channels— Marvel, Disney, Star Wars, National Geographic, Pixar studios and Star, participants were teased with characters that they love and know. What makes this experience all the more engaging, as one navigates their way across the room, your familiarity with these characters and quick reflexes are put to the test. 

Strong resonance
As part of its launch campaign, this mini-game stuck true to its promise of delivering powerful stories with heart to consumers. With work-from-home as a default, there was undoubtedly an entertainment drought. The interactive game that is “situated in a living room” emphasised that the best-in-class and heartwarming entertainment is indeed within your reach. That definitely hit home for many.

3. Foot Locker’s Home Game

In celebration of NBA All-Star 2021 being held in Atlanta, Foot Locker turned up the heat and launched a campaign on its interactive microsite. Its objective was to generate awareness and drive visitors to participate in Foot Locker’s virtual basketball and sneaker contest on Twitter, where they can enter challenges and win exclusive early drops, sneakers and merch. 

What we liked

Eye-catching website design and graphics

Encapsulating a vibrant, retro and pop art theme that is reminiscent of the “Who’s That Pokémon” design, Foot Locker had successfully captured the attention of its visitors and eggs them on to interact with all elements of the website.

Strong, Consistent Call-to-Actions (CTA)

Scrolling through the website, various “Follow Along” CTA buttons can be spotted. Each of which has a small animation and changes colour when there is a hover over them. This drives traffic to Foot Locker’s Twitter page, serving as a constant reminder for visitors to take action at different sections of the website. 

A different take on “Interactive”

Although it’s not your typical interactive marketing campaign, where there is a lack of gamification features, it leads us to reframe the meaning of interactive marketing. Leveraging an existing channel to engage your audiences could be an alternative option to foster two-way organic interactions and build a lasting community.

 

Final Thoughts

For us, these campaigns are exemplary of what it’s like to push the boundaries of digital media and tap on interactive marketing to generate buzz and engagement. Challenging the difficulties of interactive marketing is no easy feat, but at Start Something Studios, we love challenges. Bring us your greatest marketing challenge!