Advertising best practice, evidence and insights

The effects of communicating passion in advertising: How messages like “We Love What We Do!” shape people’s product and brand evaluations

Research Paper • Micael Dahlen, Helge Thorbjørnsen, Jonas Colliander, Sara Rosengren, Alice Gemvik, and Christian Thorwid, Journal of Advertising Research, Digital First, November 2019

In advertising, brands often communicate passion through statements such as, “We love what we do.” This study tests whether such communication of passion positively influences consumers’ product and brand evaluations.

Unilever/GB Glace/Olivia Nilsson: Swish Joy

Case Study • MMA Smarties, Silver, EMEA, 2019

GB Glace, an ice cream brand, launched a direct-to-purchase campaign that increased sales and brand engagement throughout Sweden.

Unilever: Love beauty and planet feat. Flarie

Case Study • MMA Smarties, Finalist, EMEA, 2019

Love Beauty and Planet (LPB), a cosmetics brand, partnered with a mobile gaming app in order to gamify Swedish consumers' first contact with the brand and thus grow its sales and brand awareness.

Absolut: Laying Bare the Best Dressed Brand Advertising

Case Study • Account Planning Group - (UK), Entrant, 2019

Absolut, a brand of vodka, created a viral video of its naked employees to rebuild trust in the brand in the US.

Readly and Apple do battle in Spotify model of publishing

News • 09 October 2019

Sweden’s Readly is ready to do battle with Apple as the US giant prepares to step into its territory, its chief executive says.

IKEA plans to democratise the smart home

News • 20 August 2019

Swedish retailer IKEA is formalising its smart home tech division, following involvement in the idea since 2012.

Libresse/Bodyform: Viva La Vulva

Case Study • Cannes Creative Lions, Gold, Creative Strategy Lion, 2019

Libresse, a brand of feminine hygiene products, increased market share in Scandinavia by launching Viva La Vulva, a lip sync video that encouraged women not to be ashamed and to love their vulvas.

Advertising “On the Go”: Are consumers in motion more influenced by ads? Why advertisers should consider consumers’ physical activity when planning ad campaigns

Research Paper • Micael Dahlen, John Karsberg, Sofie Sagfossen, Helge Thorbjornsen, and Fredrik Lange, Journal of Advertising Research, Digital First, June 2019

People increasingly are in motion when exposed to advertising, which begs the question, "Are moving consumers more influenced by advertising?" This article builds on grounded cognition–the premise that the body influences the brain–to show that physical activity has positive effects on attitudes and intentions toward an advertisement and a brand.

Oatly: a creative's dream?

News • 21 June 2019

Oatly doesn’t have a marketing department – its creative director thinks they’re stupid – but the plant-based milk company is nonetheless growing fast, expanding out of its native Sweden across Europe and into the US.

Why Oatly is against the marketing department

Article • Sam Peña-Taylor, Event Reports, Cannes Lions, June 2019

Oatly, the Swedish plant-based milk manufacturer, believes that marketing departments get in the way of the best advertising work.

Finavia Oyj: #Lifeinhel

Case Study • Cannes Creative Lions, Entrant, Creative Effectiveness Lions, 2019

Finavia, the Finnish airport operator, increased the number of Chinese passengers to Helsinki Airport by using a movie actor to show that the airport is so good that people wouldn’t want to leave.

Canon Vs Smartphone

Case Study • Cannes Creative Lions, Entrant, Creative Effectiveness Lions, 2019

Canon, a camera brand, launched a three phase campaign in the Nordics that smashed preconceptions and let people rent a Canon to prove its superiority over a smartphone camera.

Eleni & Chris Salon Signature Collection

Case Study • Design Business Association, Gold, 2019

Eleni & Chris, a haircare brand, launched its salon professional range of haircare in Norway and Sweden with a branding design that reflected the contrasting personalities of its creators and Scandinavian design.

Absolut: The Team With Nothing to Hide

Case Study • Marketing Society UK, The Brave Awards, Winner, Bravest Team, 2019

Absolut, a brand of vodka, created a viral video of its naked employees to rebuild trust in Sweden.

How consumers view ad creativity

News • 31 May 2019

Consumers and industry professionals rate advertising creativity in different ways, with potentially significant impacts on the power of these messages, according to a paper in the Journal of Advertising Research (JAR).

RFSU (the Swedish Association for Sexuality Education): Dear Condom

Case Study • SABRE Awards, EMEA, Marketing to Youth, Gold, 2019

RFSU, the Swedish Association for Sexuality Education, created a short film backed by digital content to boost condom use among young Scandinavians, aged 18 to 25.

Coop: Old Milk

Case Study • SABRE Awards, EMEA, Multi-Country Programme, Gold, 2019

Supermarket brand Coop created a ‘perfume’ that smelled like sour milk to raise awareness of food waste and reinforce its sustainability brand credentials in Sweden.

Carlsberg Sweden, IVL Swedish Environmental Institute & New Carnegie Brewery: Pu:rest - a waste water beer

Case Study • SABRE Awards, EMEA, Nordics, Gold, 2019

The IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute partnered with Carlsberg to create a beer made from sewage water in a PR-driven campaign to raise awareness of water shortages and recycling solutions in Sweden.

Svenska Spel: Home Swede Home

Case Study • SABRE Awards, EMEA, Sponsorship, Gold, 2019

State-owned gaming operator Svenska Spel ran a competition for a fan to live in a footballer’s real home to distinguish itself from gambling rivals in Sweden during the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Raoul Wallenberg Academy: The Raoul Wallenberg Algorithm

Case Study • SABRE Awards, EMEA, Digital Campaign, Gold, 2019

The Raoul Wallenberg Academy, a Swedish non-profit organisation, created an algorithm to show the compassion temperature of the world in real time online, raising awareness of its work and securing future funding.

Clear Channel: The Out of Home Project

Case Study • SABRE Awards, EMEA, Business-To-Business Marketing, Gold, 2019

Out-of-home operator Clear Channel showcased the real-time capabilities of its digital screens with a data-driven campaign to point homeless people towards shelters in Sweden.

Why Oatly's relaunch focused on environmental concerns

Article • Brian Carruthers, Event Reports, Retail Week Live, March 2019

Oatly, the Swedish plant-based milk company, has grown quickly following a rebrand that allowed it to talk about its broader values.

Managerial–consumer eco-harmful media perceptions and eco-conscious attitudes: understanding the context within green media

Research Paper • Claudia A. Rademaker, Marla B. Royne, and Mikael Andéhn, Journal of Advertising Research, Digital First, April 2019

This study underscores the importance of considering a medium's broader effects. Research demonstrates that a medium's perceived eco-harmful impact affects communication effectiveness because a medium itself can act as a constituent of the message.

Canon: Local Business Never Looked So Good

Case Study • Patrick Poulsen, Gabrielle Marcel, WARC Awards, Entrant, Effective Content Strategy, 2019

Camera company Canon ran a social campaign focusing on user generated content to drive sales and help local businesses in Scandinavia.

Canon: Rent a Canon

Case Study • Patrick Poulsen, Aneta Junkova, WARC Awards, Entrant, Effective Social Strategy, 2019

Camera brand Canon launched the world's first camera rental service on Instagram to show Nordic people how easy it is to use a Canon.