As a creative marketing agency, we often talk about different product marketing campaigns that we’ve seen across media. But even some of our favourite campaigns could be improved. We look at some of the most popular campaigns across media and how we’d use our full service experience to add a little Kensa magic.
Share a Coke
Campaign overview
Coca-Cola is well-known for it’s iconic and instantly recognisable campaigns, so much so that the brand has become synonymous with Christmas. Once you see one of their classic seasonal adverts featuring a red truck or a polar bear, you know the countdown to Christmas is officially on. They’ve managed to create a brand that manifests emotional attachment at a time of celebration.
However, although Coca-Cola was often winning the festive season race, they found their sales in the summer becoming stagnant. Their “Share a Coke” campaign was a way to not only tap into a younger market, but also create a product that people wanted to share – all through the simple framework of personalisation.
Through the “Share a Coke” campaign, consumers could scout shops for a bottle or can of Coke with their name on it. This not only made the brand more shareable with customers, but it also made the products become collectibles (not that many of us at Kensa would want to open a bottle of Coke after many years on a shelf!). All campaign assets were designed to encourage not only gatherings, but for consumer to actively find a product with their name on it. This created a connection to the brand, whilst also creating moments to share with your loved ones.
A simple idea, but one that from the initial launch resulted in a 7% increase in sales. In fact, the concept was so well received that its become an annual tradition for the campaign to relaunch. Did you purchase a Coke just to get one with your name on it?
How we’d add our magic to a Coca-Cola campaign
In the US, Coca-Cola fans can send a customised Coke can to someone as a gift all-year-round. However, the way the brand has designed the customisation area doesn’t allow for a real personal touch. Through our web and 3D skills, we’d create an online presence where a customer could design the whole can or bottle for a complete personalisation experience. Of course, there would be some limitations due to production, but through the power of realistic 3D renders and 3D for web, users could see a complete 360 view of their intended design, have the option to add photos of the named person so when they come to enjoy the beverage, it’s a more truer ‘share’ moment.
Marks & Spencers ‘serve’ in time for Wimbledon
Campaign overview
There’s two things that are quite synonymous with the UK – Marks & Spencers and Wimbledon. We’re talking picky bits, Pimms, strawberries and cream. All the things that make a quintessential UK summer. When M&S launched their strawberries and cream sandwich, the internet went wild. Why would you want this in a sandwich? Well, that’s because it’s not technically a sandwich…
In line with the opening of the Wimbledon 2025 tournament, Marks & Spencers launched their Red Diamond Strawberries & Creme Sandwich. Timed for late June, right around the time Wimbledon was due to start. Becoming an instant viral sensation, shoppers were eager to watch videos of others taste testing the ‘sandwich’ to see if it was worth the hype but most importantly to answer the question – is it bread or cake? At a time when the brand was facing negativity after a cyber-attack, this was effective in controlling damage as a distraction against the issues M&S were facing at the time. It also opened the debate as to whether the sandwich was an ‘ace’ or a ‘fault’.
Never doing things by halves, in 2026 the brand released an updated version of the sandwich, Chocolate, Strawberry & Pistachio Creme.
How Kensa would add its magic
M&S is renowned for building sub-brands around its confectionary and food products. Percy Pig and Colin the Caterpillar have become iconic in their own right, with a range of products and cultural phenomenon that far outweigh the products themselves. Creating similar branding for the strawberries and creme sandwich could help make it a staple product in the M&S lineup. Our design and branding team could whip up a brand strategy and style to make the sandwich iconic, proposing designs for merchandise to launch alongside the sandwich. Supporting the launch, linking it directly with Wimbledon, we’d also create a complete brand activation suite, including signage and POS graphics for a stall placed outside Wimbledon grounds to create further brand awareness at the actual event. This is a great way for consumers to purchase the product at the event it’s linked to, whilst also creating brand capture moments that can be shared on social media.
Taco Bell jump on the seller bandwagon
Campaign overview
Through the power of Vinted and eBay, anyone can become a ‘small business owner’, or simply use the platforms to reduce clutter in their homes and make some money in the process. If you frequent social media, you’ll no doubt have seen some pretty hilarious ways that sellers have chosen to package and send their parcels to buyers. Shopping bags, empty nappy packets; it seems anything that can be seen as a ‘bag’ has been used.
Taco Bell isn’t a brand you would ever connect with this industry, but they saw what was happening and jumped on the bandwagon. Picking up on the trend of buyers collecting their parcels in odd and random packaging, Taco Bell responded by setting up a DIY packaging station where people were encouraged to send their orders in free Taco Bell takeaway bags. Customers could pack their items in store, with tape and stamps provided – and receive a free Taco for the trouble.
The real genius behind this campaign is the brand exposure it gave to Taco Bell – a brand that has no connection whatsoever to retail or commence. Not only were sellers being made aware of the brand more, but recipients of the orders in the bags.
How Kensa would add its magic
On the surface, this is an incredibly simple, yet effective campaign. But there are ways that ROI could be increased further. We would have created a strategy that not only gave brand exposure, but also got people in to their local branch of Taco Bell, too. We’d include QR codes on the delivery bags that directed users to a campaign specific landing page which would show a branch locator. This would help to drive traffic in store (or via any online ordering systems) but the addition of a discount code would also add an incentive. Anyone who hadn’t tried the restaurant before would be given the opportunity to do so, and at a reduced cost. Want to build brand awareness further? Adding a UGC spin, such as ‘Show us your Taco Bell delivery bags’ would help increase engagement and content online, increased brand awareness further – and potentially boosting sales and lovers of Taco Bell!
A b-utterly edible candle
Campaign overview
No takeaway pizza should be without garlic dip. In fact, Papa Johns already know this, offering a complementary tub of their garlicky goodness alongside every pizza. For a herb so well-loved across the nation, it would be criminal for it to not have its own national day for celebration. In 2024, on National Garlic Day, Papa Johns delivered a candle that spread across the internet. Inspired by the butter candle trend, Papa Johns created a butter candle made entirely out of their special garlic dip, available in limited supply through their website.
How Kensa would add its magic
This campaign was shaped around sharing, with a candle that included enough dip for the whole table to share (it might also be the same amount that some people consume in a solo sitting!). Although a novelty idea, it does also highlight some issues such as – how does everyone consume it easily and safely?
We’d evolve the concept to include a bespoke pizza box that safely holds the dip candle in the middle for optimum dipping and sharing. The campaign included lifestyle imagery but this focused more on a single person using the candle, rather than creating scenes that show gatherings, families and friends coming together. Our video team would capture a combination of close up shows and group compositions which show how people really get together and consume pizza. No fancy candles or tablecloths, we’re talking boxes on laps, sitting cross-legged on the floor – or simply everyone having a free-for-all around the kitchen table.
Want to add some Kensa magic to your campaign? Get started on a project now.
