Advertising best practice, evidence and insights

Article • WARC Best Practice, August 2019

This article provides marketers with information and guidance on generating earned media.

How to use influencers to drive a word-of-mouth strategy

Article • Ed Keller and Brad Fay, WARC Best Practice, April 2016

This article offers best practice advice on engaging influencers - defined as consumers who are much more likely than the average to seek out and share information - for campaigns based around word-of-mouth strategies.

YouGov Ad of the Month – UK: McDonald’s

Opinion • BrandIndex, July 2020

During June, McDonald’s achieved the highest uplift in Ad Awareness of any brand in the UK with a +9.4 point rise.

Bozoma Saint John seeks to make sure Black voices are heard in new places

Article • Geoffrey Precourt, Event Reports, Lions Live, June 2020

Bozoma Saint John, the CMO of Endeavor, has invaluable advice for marketers that are seeking to advance the cause of racial equality.

The effectiveness code

Article • James Hurman with Peter Field, WARC Exclusive, June 2020

This whitepaper presents the results of a major new study of creative effectiveness which has analysed and compared a total of 4,863 effectiveness award entrants and winners from 2011 through 2019, from every major market in the world.

The anatomy of a TikTok meme

Article • Alex Brownsell, WARC Exclusive, June 2020

How a single post on TikTok can inspire millions of videos and create buzz across other online platforms.

What we know about Super Bowl advertising

Article • WARC Best Practice, June 2020

The current thinking and reading on Super Bowl advertising, an event for which the advertising has become as important as the sport, but the way in which people watch is changing – brands must be ready.

What we know about marketing on Facebook

Article • WARC Best Practice, June 2020

Explores the current reading on the topic of marketing on Facebook – the best used social network in the world, reaching over two billion users every month.

Audi South Africa: #LiveInTheNow

Case Study • SABRE Awards, Gold, Africa, 2020

Audi, a car brand, increased car sales in South Africa by launching a video campaign that featured key influencers that aligned with the campaign tagline of living in the now.

East African Breweries Limited: Launch of White Walker by Johnnie Walker

Case Study • SABRE Awards, Gold, Africa, 2020

East African Breweries Limited, a beverage company, partnered with HBO Network to produce a limited-edition whisky in Kenya, inspired by the critically acclaimed TV series, Game of Thrones.

Band-Aid (J&J): #BandTogether & End AIDS with (Band-Aid)RED

Case Study • SABRE Awards, Gold, North America, 2020

Band-Aid, a brand of adhesive bandages produced by Johnson & Johnson, created bandages that contribute a percentage of sales to the fight against HIV/AIDS, acting as a badge of honour for supporters in the US.

Borrow from Barnum: why ‘truthiness’ is the cornerstone of effective campaigns

Opinion • Will Humphrey, May 2020

What can today’s marketers learn from a 19th century American showman? Will Humphrey has some ideas. The year is 1860.

The ‘new normal’: Online video comes of age and how brands can benefit

Article • Jennifer Quigley-Jones, WARC COVID-19 Series, May 2020

Offers advice on how to work with influencers on online video platforms like YouTube and TikTok during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Burger King: Twitter Bait

Case Study • Jimmy George, Annabelle Butler, WARC Awards, Gold, Effective Social Strategy, 2020

Quick-Service Restaurant chain Burger King created an online campaign based on 'creeping' on social media influencers' pages to launch a new dessert product to young millennials in the US.

KFC: How KFC's #1 fan charmed millions

Case Study • Hajar Yusof, WARC Awards, Grand Prix, Effective Social Strategy, 2020

KFC the fast food brand used a comedic take on a social influencer to drive affinity with millennials in Malaysia.

KFC: Embracing the Tunisian Youthfulness

Case Study • Selim Bdioui, WARC Awards, Entrant, Effective Innovation, 2020

KFC, the global fast-food brand, launched in a challenging market in Tunisia by embracing the wants and needs of local young people.

Olivoila: The Battle

Case Study • Suzzane Zhang, Yao Wu, WARC Awards, Entrant, Effective Content Strategy, 2020

Olive oil brand Olivoila cooked up an innovative idea to grow its sales while also expanding the market share for olive oil in China.

Santoor: Beauty Spot

Case Study • Siju RS, Sonia Bhatnagar, Kedarnath Gupta, WARC Awards, Entrant, Effective Social Strategy, 2020

Santoor, India's leading beauty brand, rolled out its Beauty Spot campaign to connect with young voters during the recent elections.

Samsung Tablets: Anti-Bullying Skin

Case Study • Paula Queiroz, Claudio Lima, WARC Awards, Entrant, Effective Innovation, 2020

Electronics brand Samsung developed a special free 'Glow' skin for players in the online game Fortnite to show support for bullied players and reinforce its tablet superiority, globally.

Maybelline: The foundation of fairness

Case Study • Rajesh Sharma, Neerja Goswami, Kanika Saxena, WARC Awards, Entrant, Effective Content Strategy, 2020

Makeup brand Maybelline looked to an integrated campaign to reinforce its position in the booming Indian beauty market and become default choice for millennial and Gen Z women.

Comfort: Megatron 2019

Case Study • Amanda Guida, Igor Iida, Daniela Barbieri, Carolina Buzetto, WARC Awards, Entrant, Effective Content Strategy, 2020

Fabric-softener brand Comfort took an emotional approach to launch its new product line in Brazil.

Burger King’s ‘Moldy Whopper’ hits campaign objectives

News • 13 March 2020

Burger King’s controversial Moldy Whopper campaign was certainly eye-catching and received a mixed reception from industry observers, but the company’s CMO has unveiled some hard statistics to highlight the campaign’s success.

Fernando Machado: Why Burger King’s “Moldy Whopper” is a strategy, not a stunt

Article • Stephen Whiteside, WARC Exclusive, February 2020

Burger King, the quick-service restaurant chain, caused an instant marketing sensation with its “Moldy Whopper” campaign.

A guide to TikTok for brands

Article • Frances Sinclair, WARC Best Practice, February 2020

A guide to using social video app TikTok as a marketing platform, including its organic and paid advertising opportunities, working with TikTok influencers, and how to measure performance.

The power pair: how couples are shaping influencer marketing

Opinion • Amelia Neate, February 2020

On Valentine’s Day, Amelia Neate, from Influencer Matchmaker, notes how couples are driving a new wave of influencer marketing It’s Valentine’s Day, love is in the air.

PR, WOM & earned media