Advertising best practice, evidence and insights

What we know about celebrity endorsements

Article • WARC Best Practice, August 2019

Provides guidance and best practice on using a celebrity to communicate a brand in the age of social media, where a move to engaged experts and stars-of-the-people can connect with consumers through digital in an effective and authentic way.

H&M/Billie Eilish venture is not just about the youth market, but the sustainability market

Opinion • Cathy Taylor, January 2020

As environmental sustainability becomes more of a consumer concern, brands are taking major steps to build sustainable practices into their organizations – from recycling to packaging, Catharine P.

How to make short-form video resonate

Article • Mihkel Jäätma, WARC Best Practice, January 2020

With short-form video advertising becoming more popular, marketers need to better understand how to make shorter formats engaging.

'KFC Delivery By The God Of Rain': Celebrity namesake is a herald for inclement-weather discounts

Case Study • Jenny Chan, Case Studies on WARC, ROI Festival, October 2019

Rainy days are made fun by KFC China offering automatic discounts triggered by the weather and directing bookings towards its own app instead of third-party platforms.

Rohit Sharma named La Liga’s brand ambassador in India

News • 16 December 2019

La Liga, the top football league in Spain, has a long-standing ambition to grow the sport in India and now it has named Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma, one of the top batsmen in the world, to be its brand ambassador in the country.

‘Keep kissing, we can win!’ MAC Cosmetics game-themed lipsticks turn consumers into would-be Chinese heroines

Article • Jenny Chan, Case Studies on WARC, October 2019

MAC (魅可) revised its brand appeal in the China market in an exemplary cross-industry collaboration example by simultaneously tying in with a Tencent-owned game and using celebrity pull to draw in young consumers.

How Procter & Gamble identified (and filled) the “gaps” in its multicultural advertising

Article • Geoffrey Precourt, Event Reports, ANA Multicultural Marketing & Diversity Conference, November 2019

Procter & Gamble, the consumer packaged goods manufacturer, conducted rigorous analysis of its multicultural marketing to ensure it was excelling in this area.

The perceived fit between Instagram influencers and the endorsed brand: How influencer–brand fit affects source credibility and persuasive effectiveness

Research Paper • Priska Linda Breves, Nicole Liebers, Marina Abt, and Annika Kunze, Journal of Advertising Research, Vol. 59, No. 4, 2019, pp. 440-454

Two online studies analyzed the impact of the fit between Instagram influencers and the endorsed brand.

ŠKODA UK: #ThisIsOurTime

Case Study • Susie Milburn, WARC Media Awards, Shortlisted, Effective Use of Partnerships and Sponsorships, 2019

Volkswagen-owned auto brand ŠKODA leveraged its cycling heritage and sponsorship of the Tour de France to provoke conversations about gender inequality in the sport.

Pond's X Maudy Ayunda

Case Study • Avitasya Febryani, Fadila Hafsah, Mikhal Anindita, WARC Media Awards, Entrant, Best Use of Data, 2019

Skincare brand Pond's took a precision-marketing approach to support an influencer partnership, in a bid to revamp its image to halt declining market share among young women in Indonesia.

Volkswagen: Bye Bye Beetle

Case Study • Eliza Poor, Jordan Heathfield, Delinda Pu, WARC Media Awards, Shortlisted, Effective Use of Partnerships and Sponsorships, 2019

Volkswagen announced it would be retiring its much-loved VW Beetle, so it launched a farewell event in China to give the Bug one last sales push.

The United Nations: The People's Seat

Case Study • Emma Bowers, WARC Media Awards, Shortlisted, Effective Use of Tech, 2019

The United Nations launched The People's Seat campaign as a way to shift perceptions of the UN, deliver broad awareness of important issues such as climate change, and, importantly, inspire direct action from the global population.

Taylor Swift added to Alibaba’s stickiness strategy

News • 18 November 2019

E-commerce is all about creating a frictionless experience to help ease shoppers in and out of the platform, but Alibaba turned that approach on its head for Singles Day, with a “stickiness strategy” to keep people on its sites for longer.

Paneton D'Onofrio: Spreading the Christmas spirit

Case Study • WARC Media Awards, Entrant, Effective Channel Integration, 2019

Peruvian fruitcake brand Paneton D'Onofrio took a multi-platform approach to transform its Christmas relationship with Peruvians and secure sales growth.

Can-Am Ryker: A ride like no other

Case Study • Touché!, WARC Media Awards, Entrant, Effective Channel Integration, 2019

Vehicle brand BRP took an unconventional approach to publicise the launch of its latest model to a younger target audience, teaming up with pop culture icons to increase awareness and drive trial.

Nike: Kyrie5 – Reinventing the Sneakerdrop

Case Study • Benjamin Condit, Matthew Nolan, Chaojie Miao, Sienna Zhang, WARC Media Awards, Shortlisted, Effective Channel Integration, 2019

Sportswear brand Nike achieved an unprecedentedly successful launch of its Kyrie5 sneaker in China by taking the offline 'sneakerdrop' to the virtual world.

H&M: Opening H&M Colombia

Case Study • UM, WARC Media Awards, Entrant, Effective Channel Integration, 2019

H&M focused on digital to raise awareness of its brand and attract footfall for the opening of its first store in Colombia.

Sunlight: Men Can Too

Case Study • Soumya Ranjan Panda, Nguyen Bao Tran, WARC Media Awards, Entrant, Effective Channel Integration, 2019

Sunlight, Vietnam's leading washing-up liquid, launched a campaign centred around gender equality that increased sales and positioned washing dishes as a 'manly man's' chore.

Skittles: The Broadway Musical

Case Study • James Barnett, WARC Media Awards, Shortlisted, Effective Channel Integration, 2019

Confectionery brand Skittles reached a Super Bowl-sized audience by appearing on Broadway with a bespoke new production.

Shell Advance: Forever Outriders

Case Study • Anupama Jha Kumar, WARC Media Awards, Entrant, Effective Channel Integration, 2019

Oil brand Shell used the power of influencers and online content in Vietnam to increase awareness and preference among a young target audience.

Lay's: Crunchy Sounds Challenge

Case Study • Benjamin Condit, Jerry Perez, WARC Media Awards, Shortlisted, Effective Channel Integration, 2019

Potato-chip brand Lay's used short-video platform Douyin and the sound of chips being eaten to drive e-commerce impulse purchase in China.

Colors: Kesari Nandan

Case Study • Brian Sequeira, WARC Media Awards, Entrant, Effective Channel Integration, 2019

To create buzz ahead of the launch of Kesari Nandan, a fictional show based on the struggles of a young Indian girl who dreams of being a wrestler, India's Colors TV teamed up with champion boxer Mary Kom and champion wrestler Geeta Phogat to promote the show's message of girl empowerment.

Sunlight: The Mekong Connection

Case Study • Soumya Ranjan Panda, Nguyen Bao Tran, WARC Media Awards, Bronze, Effective Channel Integration, 2019

Dishwashing detergent brand Sunlight used a multi-pronged campaign to encourage reappraisal and win over rural consumers from the local brand in Vietnam.

Corona: Wave of Waste

Case Study • Jeremy Lewington, WARC Media Awards, Bronze, Effective Channel Integration, 2019

Beer brand Corona aligned with non-profit organisation Parley to protect the world's oceans and increase its relevance to young Australians.

Standard Chartered Bank: The Algorithm Agent

Case Study • Tangrams Strategy & Effectiveness Awards, Bronze, 2019

Standard Chartered Bank, a banking brand, increased applications for its Simply Cash Visa Card in Hong Kong by launching an algorithm agent that provides personalised, targeted content based on the viewing habits of young consumers.

Celebrities & endorsement