28 Oct 2025
3 Social Media Marketing Campaigns in 2018 that Took the Internet by Storm
We’re beginning 2019 with a look back on the most notable social media marketing campaigns from last year. Making marketing campaigns creative without sacrificing or losing sight of its intended goal is no easy feat. However, wise and bold brands are always up for a great challenge! Since there are so many ways to butcher a campaign, you’d do well to learn a thing or two about those that actually did it right. 2018’s contenders did good and the best came out pretty solid, much to the viewers’ delight.
So here are three social media campaigns that rocked 2018!
When Alexa Lost Her Voice—And Hilarious Celebrities Filled In For Her
Amazon found a clever way to debut Alexa’s new voice last year with the effective “Alexa Lost Her Voice” ad. The ad shows a hilarious ensemble of celebrities filling-in for the smart-voice assistant. Not only was it a funny sketch that did the use of influencers justice, but the ad also won the hearts of many because it was a perfect nod to the market’s rising interest in artificial intelligence.
While it’s really for the Superbowl, the 30-second Facebook teaser ad was well-received by engagers impressed not only by the ad itself but by their own Amazon Echo devices. The Facebook teaser came out strong as people took to the comment section and praised their Amazon Echo devices, stirring additional buzz for the product and keeping curiosity high for the full ad itself.
Moreover, the ad was the product of interesting customer insight. The Amazon team started with a hunch corroborated by real-time social listening data, which was that people are drawn to the “personality” of Alexa. Therefore, Amazon pounded that information to conceptualise the ad. Talk about effective social media listening!
Amazon’s executive creative director Michael Boychuk spoke about the ad and nailed the company’s goal with releasing it: “I think we’ve proved conclusively that nobody could ever replace Alexa,” Not an irate Gordon Ramsay or an overly sensual Rebel Wilson. To conclude the mess? Alexa finally says, “Thanks, guys. But I’ll take it from here.” Now that’s one effective reveal!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNxvsxU2rJE
Do it Like the Champ:
Social listening goes a long way as you can’t expect to go blindly when creating campaigns and expect to get great, data-driven results. The online chatter can help you strategise for campaigns, as it clarifies exactly what the people directly affected by your brand say about it. So, pair off this real-time data from social listening with your creative team’s ingenuity and you’d be good to go.
When ASOS’ Contest Made for a Very Engaging Social Media Campaign
Brands often establish their niches by focusing their marketing efforts on loyal communities who have proven to contribute greatly to brands. For 2018, we take ASOS’ #AsSeenOnMe campaign on Instagram, which used a contest to get the desired engagement.
The contest is simple: use the hashtag #AsSeenOnMe on your branded ASOS content on IG and you might just get a chance to be featured on the official ASOS Instagram account for their 7.9M followers to see!
ASOS has been at it for years now. Every year they successfully manage to generate engagement for their brand. The content for this year paired a user-generated content strategy with its influencer marketing program (ASOS Insiders), rolled out in 2016. Just like ASOS Insiders (social media fashion influencers from around the globe who promote ASOS products), participants not only have a chance to be featured and promote the brand on their respective accounts but also be a part of the exclusive Insider list! Talk about nurturing loyal brand advocates!
Do it Like the Champ:
The community you build around your brand is crucial to its development, and ASOS made sure to pair their sales strategies with audience engagement. Focus your efforts on nurturing your community’s growth with effective community marketing strategies to keep them engaged. Also do keep in mind one of the most appealing things to your social media audience—rewards! Make the reward appealing and worth their time to inspire serious engagement from your audience.
When Skittles Released a Secret Ad That You Probably Won’t See
Want to make people excited about your product? Here’s how to do it according to Skittles. First, make people curious with a bunch of teaser videos, throw in irresistible personalities like F.R.I.E.N.D.S alum David Schwimmer into the equation, and you’re good to go! But here’s another aspect you probably would not expect to do the magic—release the ad to only one single person. That’s right, just a pair of eyes. And for Skittles, that’s their superfan Marcos Menendez, a boy from California.
Skittles’ Exclusive the Rainbow ad for the 2018 Superbowl has been pegged as the most exclusive ad ever. What people do get is the ad viewing broadcasted from Skittles’ Facebook page showing Menendez enjoying his exclusive rights.
The approach was clever enough to light up the internet. Four teaser ads headlined the private viewing with Menendez, which were marked with the familiar oddity known to Skittles’ advertisements. These were enough to stir conversation for the brand, up their sales by 7%, and make people really, really excited for something they can’t really have (I know we were and still are!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSiWkVE2_zc
Do it Like the Champ:
A little teasing in social media campaigns can keep people buzzed about your product; Skittles followed an unorthodox way to reach this unexpected yet widely popular social media impact. While we’re not suggesting you go full exclusive on your campaigns, we do encourage you to consider the unlikely route. Sometimes, it really just takes guts to amp your brand.
Conclusion
There is no “one size fits all” approach to creating social media campaigns. If there’s any takeaway from last year’s tightest bunch, it’s that fortune does favour the bold! Fortunately, you are never short of creative minds to tap on for your next big campaign. Big or small, the ensemble of creative geniuses available to you can help translate your vision—and maybe even help you form and challenge advertising norms while you’re at it.
Creating the best doesn’t have to be a solo endeavour. Need a team to help you craft your own winning social media ads? Give our friendly team a call or drop us an email today!