With summer on the horizon, thoughts of sunshine and warm weather fill the heads of consumers, creating a opportunity for you to place your brand or products in their heads as well. You need to create a plain that will keep your customers engaged, interested, and excited in a season where sales can really slow down. Check out these stand-out summer marketing campaigns for some inspiration!

1. 6 Stand-Out
Summer Marketing
Campaigns

2. With summer on the horizon, thoughts of
sunshine and warmer weather fill the heads of
consumers, creating an opportunity for you to
place your brand or products in their heads as
well!
You need to create a
plan that will keep your
customers engaged,
interested, and excited
about the warmer
weather, the outdoors,
and their favorite
summer activities.
Check out these stand-out
summer marketing
campaigns to get inspired
for one of your own!

3. IKEA’s Books on the Beach (2013)
To promote and celebrate the Billy
bookshelf’s 30th birthday, IKEA placed a
number of their Billy bookshelves, filled
with books, on Bondi Beach in Australia
Beach-goers and book lovers were able
to take home a book in exchange for a
donation to the Australian Literacy and
Numeracy Foundation

4. Instead of playing it safe, IKEA took a risk
and successfully combined their product
with a summer location and activity
enjoyed by summer-lovers
By placing their best-selling product on
the beach filled with books, IKEA took
summer reading to a whole new level
They used what usually would be a slow
season to promote a cause and turn an
ordinary product into summer fun
Why it Worked:

5. To launch their new flavors, Snapple White
Teas, Snapple hit the road for the “High
Tea” Tour
They visited nine different cities in the U.S.
From June to August, taking tea lovers to
the sky
Snapple consumers were lifted 1,500 feet
up off the ground in personal helium
balloons making both the tea and the
customer light than air
Snapple’s “High Tea” Tour (2006)

6. By combining a little adventure and giving
away samples along the tour, Snapple
was able to introduce their product to a
larger audience
They delighted their current customers
and new customers, providing and
exciting, interactive experience they’ll
never forget
Why it Worked:

7. Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke” (2014)
For the summer of 2014, Coca-Cola
launched the “Share a Coke” campaign
which capitalized on the idea that people
love to see their names on anything
According to Coca-Cola, “the campaign
capitalized on the global trend of self-
expression and sharing, but in an
emotional way…”

8. Coca-Cola appreciates its audience and
how it can play a role in their lives
When you know your customer and your
customer know you, your brand is able to
communicate through a unique voice
with a distinct personality and established
values
Why it Worked:

9. In an attempt to reach a global market,
Sprite used an experimental marketing
campaign in Brazil – free Sprite Showers
They really just installed a giant shower on
the beach, an no, it did not cover you in
Sprite – it was just water
The showers served as a hub where
beach-goes could cool off as well as
receive free samples of Sprite
Sprite’s Soda Machine Shower (2012)

10. It made people associate the flavor of
Sprite with the refreshing effects of a cool
shower in sweltering heat
This campaign was fun and it truly
encouraged consumers to take part in a
refreshing, engaging experience
Why it Worked:

11. Pixar & Disney’s Monsters University Experience (2012)
Pixar took a unique approach to promote
their new movie by creating a functional
Monsters University (MU) website
This site felt like a real university website
and allowed potential movie-goers to feel
like they were spending time with the
characters

12. Why it Worked:
The ad to direct people to the website
began in January during the Rose Bowl,
which was a perfect placement
considering the title of the film
The authentic, user-friendly appeal of the
website generated a buzz to excite
audience while also keeping them
engaged until the release of the film

13. “DO AC” Tourism Campaign (2014)
The campaign titled, “Do Anything. Do
Everything. Do AC.” was designed to take
Atlantic City from a gaming destination to
a more family-friendly, leisurely vacation
destination
The ACA (Atlantic City Alliance)
encouraged visitors to post pictures and
tell their stories. In doing so, Atlantic City
began to be seen as something more
than just a gambling hot spot

14. They presented potential users to the city
with a unique proposition and invited
them to be a part of the change
The ACA capitalized on the idea that
people would want to be “seen” in
Atlantic City enjoying all the attractions,
not just gambling
Why it Worked:

15. Now, it’s your turn…
These are just a few
unique and creative
ideas that used summer
in a way to help sales
sizzle for these brands
during a season when
sales can fall flat.
The possibilities are
endless, just like you
wish those summer
nights could be. Who
knows? Maybe your
next summer
campaign will end up
sizzling for years to
come!