So that was September. Maybe it’s just ever-tightening marketing budgets being focused towards a Christmas push, but to us, this felt like a fairly lacklustre month in the marketing world. While we had some gripes, we also managed to uncover a couple of gems, some of them right here in Glasgow!
Ben
Senior Search Executive
Another day, another campaign that involves Beetlejuice.
This time around though, I wasn’t sure that the collaboration between Google and Beetlejuice worked. Featuring the franchise’s zombie character Bob, it showcases the benefits that Google’s new AI programmes can bring. I didn’t really see the connection – Google is always looking for ways to entice mainstream audiences with their AI Overview feature on Search (which we all hate, by the way), but this didn’t click for me.
If their target audience is of an older generation, do they care? Beetlejuice might have been the biggest film in the cinemas this month, but to me, this isn’t an IP enough people are familiar with to work on this level. I don’t think the partnership is likely to make any real impact on changing the negative opinions held toward the controversial AI.
Caitlin
Social Media & Content Marketing Assistant
Pizza Hut has thought outside of the box (pun unintended) with their recent campaign and I am completely here for it!
We all know that the job market is super competitive right now, with newly released data showing that 75% of job applicants’ CVs aren’t even looked at by the employer. As a result, the Hut have taken matters into their own hands, launching their new “ResZAmes” campaign, where Pizza Hut stores will print customer CVs on pizza boxes and deliver them directly to employers in the competitive job market of New York City.
To get involved, applicants must visit the ResZAmes website and enter the postal code of their dream employer’s office to check if they fall within the eligible delivery zones in New York City. Pizza Hut will then look at the submissions and select 25 winners whose CVs will be hand-delivered via a custom Pizza Hut ResZAme pizza box to their desired employers.
For me, this is an incredible collaboration – it’s a creative, innovative and attention-grabbing way to reinforce Pizza Hut’s brand reputation. I love the balance of creativity and strategic marketing that went into this campaign and would love to see a UK-based brand jump on this in a similar fashion.
Jemma
Director
I want to talk about this campaign for all the wrong reasons!I was recently hit (hit being the operative word!) by these ads from Trainline who I actually think are a great brand, both from a UX/UI point of view on their app/website and from a sustainability point of view however I was totally underwhelmed by the creative used in their most recent campaign.
After I had been served this ad a massive 15 times (yes 15 times!) only then did I flick back the browsing of my Instagram stories and think ‘Who is that brand and what are they trying to say so desperately to me’. When I did flick back, I was disappointed to learn that it was Trainline with a rather weak concept and even weaker execution.
A bland and insipid choice of colour and an image & message that bear no relation to each other. Robot? Plant? Cheaper Tickets? Green Travel? Silly!
Josh
Senior Digital Marketing Executive
I seem to always have a really long answer for these, so this month I’m glad to be talking about a no-frills activation that gets the job done while putting a smile on my face.
If you’re not from Glasgow, you might not be aware of the fact that despite being packed with beautiful historical buildings, a lot of them are covered in smoggy muck from fumes. This is because we have a busy, loud motorway that cuts through the heart of the city instead of a traditional ring road. Obviously, we all think this is brilliant.
It was to my surprise then when I saw that Listerine of all brands/people had decided to take it upon themselves to give Glasgow’s iconic Mitchell Library – just around the corner from our office – a good old scrub.
The idea pretty much writes itself. People love ‘satisfying’ cleaning videos. Listerine are a brand known for being really good at giving your mouth a good clean. So they gave something else that needed a good clean a good clean to remind you that they are in fact good at giving things a good clean. Simple as.
All of this is done in a way that’s timely and relevant to the audience being targeted while doing them and the place they live an honest-to-god favour. How often does that happen? Also, I believe they’re doing it up and down the UK so keep an eye out!
If you want to see what else we’ve loved in 2024, check out our other Water Cooler Conversations and more here.
