Campaigns for JetBlue in the US, Listerine in Malaysia and Burger King in Saudi Arabia are among the 21 that have been shortlisted for the Effective Social Strategy category in the 2020 WARC Awards.

The category recognises campaign strategies that relied on the benefits of particular social platforms – or a combination of platforms – to fulfil particular business objectives and the panel of 16 judges has chosen campaigns from a wide range of global brands as well as local brands such as German Rail, El Tiempo daily newspaper in Colombia and Yes on 3 Coalition in the US.

Lex Bradshaw-Zanger, CMO, L’Oréal UK & Ireland and chair of the jury, commented: “This year we have seen amazing work ranging from deep social engagement, to activating real (and fake) celebrities and always excellent creative execution.

“What we look for above all in this category is not simply the use of social media but true social engagement across the community and the participation of the consumer. More than ever, where the consumer has a deep connection with the brand, and therefore chooses to engage, with or without strong media budgets, we see business results.”

WARC subscribers can read all the shortlisted entries here.

Low-cost airline JetBlue launched a digital and social campaign – Go Get Gifted – offering travellers the chance to send themselves gift-wrapped to their families to improve the key metric of ‘first choice airline’ during the holiday season in the US. This led to a 22-ppt lift in non-customers making JetBlue their 'first choice' airline and drove an increase in bookings.

Mouthwash brand Listerine moved beyond functionality to position itself as an essential item during Ramadan in Malaysia, to not just avoid ‘fasting breath’ but to spread positivity and earn more ‘blessings’, especially on social media; a ‘Harum-meter’, which measured the positivity of social media accounts, was promoted via TV, paid social posts and a partnership with a local comedian. The campaign returned Listerine's market share to record high levels.

To win over young Saudis, QSR brand Burger King joined their conversation via a social stunt that trolled one of their most famous football icons. Despite being a well-established brand, When Burger King launched a totally renovated spicy menu to regain relevancy among Saudi youth, it publicised the launch among its key target audience on Twitter, where thinking outside the box saw it turn trolling into a fine art and a route to its new spicy menu. The activity saw the QSR brand break sales records, positioned its spicy menu as the hottest topic on the block and ultimately won the hearts of Saudi youth.

In terms of region, APAC leads the way, followed by the Americas, then Europe and the Middle East; MullenLowe US offices are the most represented on the list.

The WARC Awards has a $40,000 prize fund split equally across its four categories. The winners will be announced in late May.

Sourced from WARC