Photo credit: instagram.com/ford
Instagram has quickly become a key platform in a marketer’s arsenal. The mobile-based social media app has exponentially grown since its launch in 2010. In fact, photo-and-video sharing network has more than 500,000 monthly active users!
We at Pepper love Instagram. Our virtual assistants love using the platform to share moments and experiences while some manage client accounts. Today, we’ll be looking into some of the best and most powerful Instagram campaigns of 2016. Let’s take a look.
Give Me a Heart – Donate Life America
In the US, there are over 4,000 people on the heart transplant waiting list. Sadly, there aren’t enough donors and registering to be one is seen as too much trouble.
In an effort to raise awareness for both donor registration and those on the waiting list, Donate Life America launched a campaign that leveraged Instagram’s heart icon as a simple way to get users to sign up. The campaign featured portraits of actual waitlisted patients and captions sharing their individual story including how long they’ve been waiting for a donor. Prompted posts also directed users to registerme.org where signing up to be a donor took less than one minute.
Square Shakes – Sonic Drive-In
Sonic Drive-In is one of America’s most popular drive-in restaurants. However, the food company hasn’t made its mark on Instagram yet. Thus, they launched the Square Shakes campaign, the world’s first product specially designed to be Instagrammed.
Much to everyone’s surprise, Square Shakes were not only designed for Instagram but also ordered through the app! Sonic Drive-In operated through geo-fenced Instagram ads during Coachella where people could order the shakes through the Shop Now button that was made available to Instagram advertisers. About 78% of Square Shakes served resulted in Instagram posts from customers which earned over 650,000 impressions!
Bufferface – Verizon
Wireless service providers are often ignored by its customers until there’s a problem. Verizon aimed to increase positive statement and build brand affinity among its millennial users by launching the #BetterMatters campaign.
For the brand, Instagram stood out as the key platform for the campaign. This was primarily because of the app’s deep roots in mobile, visual nature, and active millennials population. Bufferface featured relatable video buffering scenarios in a humorous way by capturing the exact moment when videos get stuck which are often the most unflattering moments.
Photo credit: facebook.com
Don’t Like and Drive – Ford
Road safety is a common topic that automobile companies address in their campaigns. However, Ford zeroed in on another rising and worrying statistic: 4 in 10 drivers are using social media while driving.
Ford’s Don’t Like and Drive Instagram campaign was specially designed to remind drivers of the dangers of distracted driving. They created a series of posts wherein the app’s staple heart was already in the picture. It was strategically positioned to cover children, pedestrians, and other road users to remind drivers of what they are missing when they’re on social media while behind the wheel.
Instagram Your Fridge – Smirnoff
Smirnoff has a target audience of 18-25-year-olds who are increasingly becoming resistant to traditional advertising. So how did they start engagement with their customers? They asked them to Instagram their fridges.
The campaign was all about getting people to send in photos of what’s inside their fridge. Smirnoff’s online bartenders then surveyed the pictures and created cocktails with whatever was available. Each person received a personalized Instagram video teaching them how to make a cocktail. The campaign was so successful that the company became America’s most socially engaged brand for three straight months. They also saw a sales increase of over 58%.
Saudi Women’s Online March – Always
Women all over the world share their lives online. But this is not the case for conservative Saudi women who are unable to freely express themselves on social media.
Always wanted to empower Saudi women and give them a way to have a voice online. They launched the first online march that invited the conservative population to share footage of their feet walking towards a better, fairer future. The movement not only gave the women power to share their voices but also their aspirations using the hashtag #MoveForward.
Photo credit: facebook.com
Moto 21 in 1 – Motorola
About 92% of smartphone users use their phones as their primary cameras. However, only a few people knew that the new Moto X had one of the best cameras available on the market. Motorola aimed to change that by launching the Moto 21 in 1 campaign.
The plan was to create excitement and awareness among phone users who were planning on upgrading their phones. This was done by launching a photo-based campaign showcasing the incredible photo power of the new Moto X. The campaign reached over 11 million Android users who have owned their device for more than a year and increased ad recall.
#NoFilter – Waves for Water
#Nofilter is one of the most popular hashtags on Instagram. Ironically, about one billion people in the world don’t have access to clean water because they don’t have water filters.
Waves for Water launched the #NoFilter campaign to raise awareness for the global water crisis. The non-profit organization pledged that for every post with the #NoFilter hashtag, one gallon of clean water would be made accessible. It also invited people to share their own photos to spread the word. Thousands of users got involved including athletes and celebrities which consequently reached millions of Instagrammers.
Despite being a well-known brand, one of Kibon’s biggest challenges was getting customer’s consideration at the time of purchase. Thus, it was vital for the ice cream brand to remain present in their consumers’ minds.
With the Goodbye Serious campaign, Kibon reminded customers and Instagrammers the pleasures of eating ice cream. Essentially, they wanted to give users a break from all the seriousness by sharing a series of photos where ice cream was used creatively.
Hidden Messages – Maria da Penha Institute (NGO)
The Hidden Messages campaign is one the most powerful campaigns on our list. According to a survey by the Institute of Applied Economics, 58.5% of Brazilians believe that the way women dress is the cause of sexual violence. With the goal to influence what men think about rape culture, the non-government organization launched an Instagram project.
The Maria da Penha Institute partnered with 20 celebrities and bloggers to expose their bodies for a cause and help raise awareness. The organization also strategically created a series of Instagram usernames that formed a sentence when the users tapped on the photo. Collectively, they were able to generate more than 17 million impressions and more than 400,000 likes on Instagram.
It’s not because I’m in lingerie that you can touch me.
Brands are finally recognizing Instagram as a unique platform that can be leveraged to engage with customers and build brand awareness. We hope that this list has inspired your own social media campaign. Remember that the best campaigns are not only creative but also relevant and impactful!
Do you think Instagram is a powerful tool for marketers and businesses? Tell us your thoughts in the comments! Our virtual assistants are trained in social media management, too. If you’d like to learn more about our services, sign up for our free five-hour trial!
Check out the other parts of the Best Social Media Campaigns of 2016 series:
- Best Facebook Campaigns of 2016
- Best Twitter Campaigns of 2016
- Best YouTube Campaigns of 2016
- Best Instagram Campaigns of 2016
- Infographics Fridays: Best Social Media Campaigns of 2016
Pepper Virtual Assistants is a business solutions firm that specializes in virtual administrative and personal assistance, online marketing, customer support, and copywriting. We are known for reliability through our managed services, responsive client handling backed by extensive training, and rockstar virtual assistants hired for their skills and expertise.
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