As lockdown restrictions are further eased, more of us are getting back into the workplace and are at last starting to spend a little more (socially distant) time together. Businesses have responded very differently during this period, from being busier than ever to grinding to a complete halt. Some of our favourite brands have pulled out all the stops and continued marketing throughout – and it’s pretty cool to see how they have been weathering the storm.
It can be incredibly easy for brands to get things so wrong and miss the mood during testing times, or even worse, appear to be seen as profiteering from a situation. Here though, we take a look at those who absolutely got it right and created some of the most memorable marketing stories of lockdown.
With this, businesses who have been out-of-office for the past seven weeks are already planning back-to-work strategies to get things moving in the right direction, while keeping employees and customers safe.
That said, it won’t quite be business as usual – and the way that clients work with the creative industry is no exception.
From Brewdog
to Brewgel
Brewdog are no strangers to disruption, having revolutionised the UK beer market. In response to the national shortage of hand sanitiser, the innovative punks switched production from their signature IPA, to Brewgel, demonstrating creative thinking at its best with a determination to help those in need. Since the outbreak began, they’ve packed and donated over 50,000 units to the NHS and local charities.
Iconic Brands
Socially Distance
As we have been staying apart to keep each other safe, some of the biggest brands in the world have given their iconic brand logos the social distance treatment too. The famous McDonald’s golden arches were separated and the spacing increased between the letters in Coca Cola’s ad in Times Square, promoting togetherness and solidarity in these tough times.
A Change in
Core Purposing
The Coronavirus pandemic has also had a huge impact on consumer behaviour and how we shop, and the images of empty supermarket shelves will not be forgotten in a hurry. To provide reassurance to customers and to put itself at the heart of the solution, Morrisons changed their core message to ‘feeding the nation’ and quickly put in a raft of measures to support customers during the crisis.
Thank You NHS
We have clapped for our carers and adorned our windows with rainbows to show our support for the incredible frontline NHS workers. Pret captured the mood of the nation brilliantly with this gesture; as a nation we wanted to do anything we could, no matter how small, to make our heroes feel appreciated and this felt right.
Models Take Over
Fashion giant Zara set social media alight as it adapted to the Covid-19 challenge. Unable to fly models in to their HQ in Spain to shoot the new collection, they opted to send the SS20 collections directly to the models’ homes for them to photograph themselves – and the results were impressive! Fans of the brand couldn’t get enough of the insta-perfect models’ homes – a great example of adapting in the face of adversity and creating a fantastic story in the process.
Ikea For Kids
Knowing how many of us were faced with the prospect of endlessly keeping children entertained at home, Ikea came to the rescue, providing families with their plans for plans for dens, castles and playhouses. A perfect and authentic brand response – blanket forts have never looked so good!
A St Patrick’s Day
message from Guinness
For the first time in years we were unable to celebrate St Patrick’s Day in the usual way – the pubs were still open but we’d been advised not to go. Luckily for us, Guinness kept the spirit alive with this comforting and uplifting video and the reassurance that they are not going anywhere.
