Branded content is one of the few forms of advertising that is less intrusive, which is why it is gaining popularity in recent years. Nowadays, consumers are tired of receiving ads that focus on talking only about how good a product or service is, and try by all means to get them to buy it.
Now, in order to arouse the interest of people and potential buyers, it is necessary to pay attention to the emotions that companies and their products or services arouse in them, which is possible thanks to the storytelling on which branded content is based. But, what makes this form of marketing so special? In this post we tell you what it consists of and we will explain 15 branded content examples from Spain and abroad with which you can see the success of this type of advertising strategy.
Branded Content: What is it?
With just a glance at the different examples of branded content that we will explain later, it can be understood that these strategies consist of creating relevant and valuable content, in the form of a story in which the brand is perfectly integrated as part of it.
This is content that aims to form a bond with consumers through the transmission of values and feelings, where the brand is relegated to the background and what really matters is the story that is being told. In this way, people do not perceive it as an advertising message. When it comes to branded content, there are examples of successful campaigns on various platforms and formats such as YouTube Shorts, TikTok Ads or through influencers and YouTubers as part of an influencer marketing strategy.
How is Branded Content Integrated into a Marketing Strategy?
Before moving on to see some more successful branded content examples, we are going to explain how to include this type of content in the marketing strategy of a business.
- The content that is going to be created has to be aligned with the values of the brand itself and follow a coherent narrative. In this way, it will be able to authentically transmit the company’s identity.
- It is necessary to know the target audience and their interests in order to create valuable content focused on them, which is also capable of connecting on an emotional level. Thus, the relationship that is created with consumers will last a long time.
- It is important to diversify advertising formats and channels so that the content can reach the maximum number of people. This can be achieved through actions both online and offline, as well as using multiple platforms.
Branded content can be integrated into a company’s traditional marketing strategy through content marketing, in digital advertising campaigns, in the various actions carried out in public relations, as well as in all types of SEO strategies and SEM advertising.
The 11 Branded Content Examples
In a market saturated with advertising as it is today, companies are looking for original and creative ways to stand out from the competition, while seeking to communicate their values, principles or ways of thinking. Branded content is the perfect advertising strategy for this.
Below we present some of the best examples of branded content, including both international campaigns and some of the most popular branded content examples from Spain.
1. Nike and its Mobile Application
Another good branded content example comes from Nike and its mobile application. Instead of making a typical ad that specified the characteristics of the app, they chose to tell the story of two people in love, in which one of them crosses the country to reach the other, using the brand’s sports shoes to achieve their goal.
This is a perfect storytelling, in which no direct reference is made to the product, but it is present throughout the duration of the ad.
2. Airbnb’s Inclusive Campaign
When in 2017 the United States banned the entry of citizens from several countries, almost all composed of Muslim populations, Airbnb launched its “”We accept campaign, through which they communicated that the company would continue to welcome people of all types of culture, religion or nationality.
In a short time this ad went viral on the main social networks and positioned Airbnb as one of the companies with the highest level of social commitment in the country.
3. Xbox and its Billboard
When presenting the latest game in the famous Tomb Raider saga for the platform, Xbox carried out an innovative action, in which a live survival story was shown. To do this, six people had to stand on a billboard, until only one remained, while the rest of the people could send rain or snow through an app.
This “survival” made reference both to the theme of the game, and to the moment in which the new Tomb Raider was going to be released, as it coincided with other highly anticipated games.
4. UNICEF, a Master of Storytelling
Without a doubt, one of the most famous organizations for creating real and emotional stories is UNICEF. In fact, many NGOs are experts in creating this type of content.
In its 2019 campaign, under the slogan “For me and all my classmates”, UNICEF intended to generate awareness about various important issues, such as health, education or the protection of minors, through a video starring children playing the traditional game of hide-and-seek.
5. Red Bull and the Jump from the Stratosphere
In 2012, the media and social networks were filled with the image of the parachutist Felix Baumgartner, who was going to break the record for the highest jump, doing it from the stratosphere more than 39 kilometers from the ground. The campaign Red Bull Stratos became a phenomenon that captured global attention, involving millions.
The brand thus managed to demonstrate its brave and adventurous spirit, but also showed itself as a company willing to break with limits and go further.
6. Dove and the Drawings about Beauty
This branded content example is one of the most successful of the brand in recent years. Through this campaign, Dove wanted to fight against the standard beauty canons established in our society, demonstrating that all women in the world are beautiful.
To do this, Dove hired a forensic artist who drew portraits of several women according to their own instructions, and then redrew them based on the descriptions of others. The experiment showed that many women judge themselves very harshly.
7. Metro De Melbourne (Australia) and its Dumb Ways to Die
“Dumb ways to die” is the campaign designed for the Melbourne Metro through which awareness was raised to always be careful near trains and in stations. This ad became one of the most awarded in the history of the Cannes Advertising Festival, and surprises by the simplicity and effectiveness of its design.
It consists of a catchy song and an animation in which different ways of dying “stupidly” are represented, the last ones being those related to the city’s metro.
8. Water for Africa, an Impressive Action in the Street
This organization wanted to draw attention to the difficulties that many people in Africa have in getting drinking water, for which it created the campaign “The Marathon Walker”. In it Siabatou, an African woman who walked 10 km every day to get clean water for her family, participated in a marathon in France walking.
In addition to raising awareness in the rest of the world of the complications that thousands of people have to face, this campaign raised money to build wells in their country.
9. The LEGO Movies
Among the most famous and successful branded content examples are the LEGO movies. This brand originally linked to toy building blocks, has found in animated films an effective vehicle to transmit its message that the limit is the imagination.
After the success of the first feature film in 2014, the brand has launched many versions of films with the LEGO aesthetic, which attract thousands of new fans every day.
10. BMW and its Great Short Films
The impressive results (more than 11 million views in four months) of this branded content example baptized as “The Hire”, demonstrate how these well-executed strategies are a safe bet.
The idea was based on eight of the best film directors creating a series of short films of about ten minutes in length, starring the actor Clive Owen, in which stories were told in which the performance of their new cars was seen.
11. Mack Trucks and its Real Stories
This American truck brand has been focusing on branded content strategies for some time, through which it tells stories that highlight the power and resistance of its trucks. In this way, they reach both the drivers who use them and thousands of truck fans who will never buy one.
This campaign was based on sharing real stories from Mack Trucks customers, who uploaded them to their website so that everyone could share them.
As you have seen through these examples of branded content, it is an efficient type of strategy that allows you to connect with the audience by appealing to their feelings. If you also want to implement branded content strategies in your business, at 2btube and as an agency specialized in branded content and advertising, we can help you create stories that reach the heart of your audience. Get in contact with us, we will be happy to talk with you and offer you advice without obligation!