What is it that makes a successful summer ad strategy?
With the warm weather creeping in, campaigns are spilling onto screens and billboards, clamouring to be the most refreshing ad of the summer, so that means it’s the ideal time to look into what summer ad strategies are the most effective and why.
Each summer television, streaming services, and sign posts everywhere become home to some of the most creative ad campaigns of the year, looking to get the most out of their ad spend.
Hot weather also brings with it good moods and vacation days. As students leave school for a couple months, families take as much time off as possible to enjoy the sun and each others company. This means that spending is up – while it is a great time to get people’s attention, your competition is some of the best ad creatives in the business.
Ads to keep you cool for the summer
When the sun is beaming down, one of the first things on people’s minds is cooling off. This might mean a trip to the beach, a new outfit, or a cool beverage. Drink companies are some of the top advertisers every summer. From cola to beer the summer is an ideal time to kick back and have a cold one.
The question is, how do you convey temperature in ad creatives? The answer: imagery. A splash of water is one (albeit sometimes cliche) way to visually create a sense of cool that audiences love when the weather gets a little too warm.
Some top ads from summer’s past
These are some of the most effective summer campaigns from the past few years to help get you thinking about the sunny season of advertising ahead.
Coca-Cola – Share a Coke
Coca-cola’s “Share a Coke” campaign has run for several years now and its success is no surprise. The personal touch of having your name on a bottle of Coke is irresistible. Not only that, but the campaign encourages sharing, so many customers end up buying one or two extra bottles for their friends.
By adding 250 regionally common names to one side of their iconic bottles, Coca-cola has turned their packaging into an addictive, collectors item that makes for the perfect summer ad strategy.
Britain’s Beer Alliance – That Special Feeling
While this ad takes a more serious turn, its message is incredibly powerful. The heart-warming and familiar pub scenes make the thought of going down to a local and grabbing a pint nearly impossible to ignore. Grabbing a cool one on a hot summer day is already an enticing opportunity, but the added nostalgia makes this ad that much more effective.
It makes sense too, as Britain’s Beer Alliance takes aim at legislation in order to preserve local pubs across the United Kingdom.
McDonalds – Summer Drink Days
Nothing looks quite as quenching as the drinks in this summer ad from McDonalds. Not only do the beverage look irresistible, so do the prices. This campaign is impactful because the burger giant knows that people may come in for a simple, one dollar drink, but they are likely to buy more while they are there.
Summer Drink Days are memorable, and year after year they have made McDonalds synonymous with keeping cool in the summer heat.
Key Takeaways from these summer ad strategies
There are several ways to standout in the summertime, but some of the most impactful ways are to target the strongest desires of your audience.
- “Cool” imagery – Using strong imagery is an excellent way to entice customers into your store on a hot summer day. By engaging your audience’s desires with your summer ad strategies, you’re going to snag their attention.
- A steal of a deal – People always want to save, and that’s no different in the summer. By opening the season with a strong deal, you’re going to grab your audience’s attention.
- A personal touch – Personal touches never go unnoticed. By ensuring your product offering has that certain special something, you’re ensuring you stay ahead of the competition.
Want to read more on summer advertising, check out our post on the Most Viewed Summer Ads of 2022.
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