• DE&I Commitment
  • Careers
  • Locations
  • Book a Meeting
    Book a Meeting
  • Company
    Learn a little more about us, our values, and our team
    Our Values
    We don't just talk the talk; we live by our core values
    About Us
    Empowering brands to realize their potential with data, insights, and technology
    Leadership
    Meet our leadership team
    Secure Data Architecture
    Our promise of data security and privacy. We keep your data safe from publishers, competitors and bad actors
    Corporate Social Responsibility
    We are committed to making a positive impact on our communities and our planet
  • Platform
    Plan, manage, optimize, and measure your campaigns with our omnichannel platform
    Our Platform
    A platform that connects all walled garden media
    Connected Media
    Create and manage campaigns across search, social, retail media and apps, in one platform
    Connected Data
    Make data-driven decisions as you plan and strategize
    See the industries we serve
    Learn how our customizable solutions can help with your unique needs
    Explore our partner integrations
    See the media, retailer, and data partners we work with
  • Clients
  • News and Events
    Check out recent announcements and see what we’re up to
    News
    Check out our recent media coverage
    Events
    Join us for our next conference or webinar
    Roundtable discussion: Beyond Onsite
    Tackle the next phase of retail media over breakfast with Nectar360 and peers
    Retail Media for Grocery Webinar
    Join us to dig into trends and challenges shaping the industry in 2023
  • Resources
    From new releases, to industry trends and best practices, Skai has you covered
    Blog
    Read the latest insights and thought leadership from our industry experts
    Capabilities
    Take your campaigns to the next level by enhancing your platform capabilities
    Research
    Explore our reports and whitepapers so you can keep up on the latest industry trends
    Subscribe
    Sign up to get the latest updates straight to your inbox
    Quarterly Trends Report
    Learn digital advertising campaign performance trends from Q4 2022
Back to Blog

The Skai 5: Five of the Best Social Media Campaigns of 2021

Skai™

August  26, 2021

In our Skai 5 series, we discuss digital advertising tips, tricks & trends to keep you one step ahead of the consumers, the market trends and your competition. In this interaction of the series, you will learn about our best retail social media campaigns to release in 2021 thus far.

In 2020, most brands rightfully realized that almost no one was in the mood for business as usual on social media–silly Twitter feuds, April Fool’s jokes, and even standard social media marketing came off as tone-deaf amid greater COVID-19 concerns.

But this year, audiences are ready to laugh, engage, and even be inspired by social media campaigns again, and the best social media of the year does not disappoint. 

While many companies are deserving attention for being so creative, here are some of the best social media campaigns of 2021 (so far):

5 of 2021’s best social media in retail media campaigns 

#DoveSelfEsteemProject

best social media campaigns

In April, Dove launched its Self Esteem Project, focused on educating young women around the false images many are constantly bombarded with via social media. Launching with a video of a young woman using photo enhancement technology to alter her image for social media, Dove promoted the project with hashtags including #NoDigitalDistortion, along with a pledge and “confidence kit” to help young women build self-confidence without filters and photoshop. 

In addition, Dove partnered with celebrities and influencers like Lizzo, who participated in several Q&As for the brand via Instagram in order to drive home the importance of body acceptance, particularly for young women of color. Dove’s original video for the campaign has over 800,000 views on Instagram. Its Q&A with influential women like Lizzo and television creator Shonda Rhimes have likewise reached tens of thousands of viewers. 

Aldi: #FreeCuthbert

best social media campaigns

While most brands would rather their legal woes stay out of the headlines, UK grocery chain Aldi turned a lawsuit into a hilarious Twitter campaign that entertained audiences, earned engagement, and won the retailer quite a lot of positive press. 

It all started when Aldi was sued by rival UK grocery chain Marks & Spencer over the intellectual property rights to, of all things, a caterpillar that is a longstanding tradition for British children’s birthday cakes. M&S claimed that Aldi’s caterpillar, Cuthbert, bore too striking a resemblance to their version, Colin the Caterpillar.

And while Aldi does have a bit of a reputation for ripping off other brands, their Twitter campaign begging followers to #FreeCuthbert was entirely original and hugely successful, garnering hundreds of thousands of likes on Twitter for a series of tongue-in-cheek Tweets and winning the battle on social media and in the press in the process. After the Tweets went viral, Aldi even attempted to extend the olive branch to M&S by offering to do a joint Caterpillars Against Cancer fundraiser for Macmillan Cancer and Teenage Cancer Trust. 

Verizon: #WomenOwnWednesday

social media campaign

Another social campaign that highlight an important social cause was Verizon’s #WomenOwnWednesday, which highlights women small business owners once a week via the brand’s social channels, per a company statement:

“[Verizon] will spotlight women entrepreneurs and small business owners throughout the country who are making meaningful contributions within their communities. Verizon Business is launching #WomenOwnWednesday, a social media campaign that encourages society to support women-owned businesses every Wednesday. The campaign will kick-off on Wednesday, March 10, 2021.”

In tandem, Verizon also launched its Women’s CoLab, a resource for participating women in business, as well as the Verizon Business Women’s Leadership Digital Summit, which aims to bring together “executives, business owners, essential workers, global decision-makers” from all over the world. 

Lego: Rebuild the World 

To reach Lego enthusiasts, young and old, the toymaker went beyond the regular TV spot or short social clip, supplementing its wildly popular YouTube videos with a short, three-episode series highlighting the benefits of Lego play.

Each episode features an artist or creator leading a conversation with children about how exactly Legos have the power to inspire. In Episode 2, for example, the star of Amazon’s upcoming Cinderella film, Billy Porter helps two children build an elaborate Lego crown as they discuss creativity and the power of positivity. The series reads less like marketing and more like an interesting look into what inspires creators to create and what helps foster that creativity in young minds. 

Weetabix and Heinz: Beanz on Bix

Aldi wasn’t the only UK company causing chaos on social media this year. In February, Weetabix, a British cereal brand, broke the English internet by suggesting on social media that Weetabix could also be enjoyed topped by Heinz Baked Beans, replacing the preferred carb in the UK classic quick meal, beans on toast.

Good-natured outrage quickly ensued, with hundreds of thousands sounding off in the comments or via retweets about the unconventional suggestion. And while dozens of brands tried to get in on the fun by suggesting their outlandish combinations (like Krispy Kreme doughnuts filled with KFC gravy), it was Weetabix that started the chatter. 

The best social media campaigns need the best tools

If you’re looking to connect with new audiences through social media as well as gain access to cutting-edge social intelligence for innovative, data-driven social media campaigns, request a demo of Skai’s innovative social technology.

Request a Demo with Skai

Related Posts

  • The Skai 5: Five Social Advertising Predictions for 2021
    Read More
  • Key Takeaways from the Skai Q1 2021 Quarterly Trends Report
    Read More
  • Monthly Paid Media Spend Snapshot – April 2021
    Read More
  • Monthly Paid Media Spend Snapshot – September 2021
    Read More
  • Monthly Paid Media Spend Snapshot – August 2021
    Read More
  • Monthly Paid Media Spend Snapshot – October 2021
    Read More
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share via Email
  • Copy Link
    Copied!
Tags: Creative, Facebook, Instagram, Retail, Skai 5, Social, Twitter

Subscribe to Updates

Media that matters.
Marketing that works.
© 2023 Kenshoo, Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Recruitment Privacy Policy.
  • Connected Data
    • Market Intelligence
    • Our Approach
    • By Need
    • By Solution
  • Connected Strategy
    • Dynamic Marketing Mix
    • Budget Forecasting
    • Strategic Consulting
  • Connected Media
    • Overview
    • Retail Media
    • Paid Search
    • Paid Social
    • App Marketing
    • Auditing
    • Expert Services
  • Measurement
    • Incrementality
    • Experiments
    • Cross-Channel Attribution
  • Resources
    • Blog
    • Glossary
    • Case Studies
    • Training & Enablement
    • Developer Hub
Privacy Preference

We use cookies on our website. Some of them are essential, while others help us to improve this website and your experience.

Privacy Preference

Save All

Save

Accept Only Essential Cookies

Manage Cookie Preferences

Cookie Details Privacy Policy Imprint

Privacy Preference

Here you will find an overview of all cookies used. You can give your consent to whole categories or display further information and select certain cookies.

Save All Save Accept Only Essential Cookies

Back

Privacy Preference

Essential cookies enable basic functions and are necessary for the proper function of the website.

Show Cookie Information Hide Cookie Information

Name
Provider Owner of this website, Imprint
Purpose Saves the visitors preferences selected in the Cookie Box of Borlabs Cookie.
Host(s) .skai.io, skai.io
Cookie Name borlabs-cookie
Cookie Expiry 1 Year
Name
Provider Owner of this website
Purpose This cookie stores selections made by the user in the Accessibe tool in order to maintain those settings on future visits. These cookies help us make our website compliant with our obligations under US law.
Privacy Policy https://accessibe.com/privacy-policy
Cookie Name acsbState, acsbReset
Cookie Expiry n/a
Name
Provider Owner of this website
Host(s) skai.io
Cookie Name wordpress_sec_,wordpress_test_cookie,wp-postpass_*, wordpresspass_*, wordpressuser_*
Cookie Expiry Session / 1 Year

We use these cookies to enhance functionality and allow for personalisation, such as live chats, videos and the use of social media.

Show Cookie Information Hide Cookie Information

Accept
Name
Provider Owner of this website
Host(s) .chilipiper.com, skai.chilipiper.com
Cookie Name fs_uid, CHILI_PIPER_CLUSTER, guest-session, _sp_ses*, _sp_id*
Cookie Expiry Session / 2 Years
Accept
Name
Provider Owner of this website
Host(s) .comeet.co, www.comeet.co
Cookie Name visid_incap_, nlbi_#######, incap_ses_, referrer22_00a, incap_ses_1364_2167377
Cookie Expiry Session / 1 Year
Accept
Name
Provider Owner of this website
Host(s) skai.io
Cookie Name moduleFormPardotDownload
Cookie Expiry 30 days

Statistics cookies collect information anonymously. This information helps us to understand how our visitors use our website.

Show Cookie Information Hide Cookie Information

Accept
Name
Provider Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland
Purpose Cookie by Google used for website analytics. Generates statistical data on how the visitor uses the website.
Privacy Policy https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en
Cookie Name _ga,_ga_*,_gat,_gat_*,_gid
Cookie Expiry 2 Months
Accept
Name
Provider Hotjar Ltd., Dragonara Business Centre, 5th Floor, Dragonara Road, Paceville St Julian's STJ 3141 Malta
Purpose Hotjar is an user behavior analytic tool by Hotjar Ltd.. We use Hotjar to understand how users interact with our website.
Privacy Policy https://www.hotjar.com/legal/policies/privacy/
Host(s) *.hotjar.com
Cookie Name _hjClosedSurveyInvites, _hjDonePolls, _hjMinimizedPolls, _hjDoneTestersWidgets, _hjIncludedInSample, _hjShownFeedbackMessage, _hjid, _hjRecordingLastActivity, hjTLDTest, _hjUserAttributesHash, _hjCachedUserAttributes, _hjLocalStorageTest, _hjptid, _hjSessionUser_2229986, _hjIncludedInPageviewSample, _hjIncludedInSessionSample, _hjAbsoluteSessionInProgress, _hjFirstSeen
Cookie Expiry Session / 1 Year

Marketing cookies are used by third-party advertisers or publishers to display personalized ads. They do this by tracking visitors across websites.

Show Cookie Information Hide Cookie Information

Accept
Name
Provider Linkedin
Cookie Name lidc, li_gc, lang, AnalyticsSyncHistory, UserMatchHistory, li_sugr, bcookie, TDCPM, TDID, bscookie, ln_or
Cookie Expiry Session / 1 Year
Accept
Name
Provider Skai
Accept
Name
Provider 6sense
Cookie Name _gd_session, _an_uid, _gd_visitor, _gd_svisitor, 6suuid
Cookie Expiry Session / 400 Days
Accept
Name
Provider Pardot
Purpose Cookie name associated with services from marketing automation and lead generation platform Pardot. The visitor value is the visitor_id in your Pardot account. This cookie is set for visitors by the Pardot tracking code.
Host(s) .pardot.com, pi.pardot.com, skai.io
Cookie Name pardot, visitor_id*, lpv*
Cookie Expiry Session / 10 Years
Accept
Name
Provider Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland
Purpose Cookie by Google used for conversion tracking of Google Ads.
Privacy Policy https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en
Cookie Name IDE, 1P_JAR, NID, SOCS, CONSENT, AEC, _gcl_au, OTZ, test_cookie
Cookie Expiry Session / 400 Days
Accept
Name
Provider Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Dublin 2, Ireland
Purpose Cookie by Facebook used for website analytics, ad targeting, and ad measurement.
Privacy Policy https://www.facebook.com/policies/cookies
Cookie Name _fbp,act,c_user,datr,fr,tr,m_pixel_ration,pl,presence,sb,spin,wd,xs
Cookie Expiry Session / 1 Year

Content from video platforms and social media platforms is blocked by default. If External Media cookies are accepted, access to those contents no longer requires manual consent.

Show Cookie Information Hide Cookie Information

Accept
Name
Provider Wistia
Host(s) .wistia.com
Cookie Name cb_anonymous_id, _sp_ses.2b40, _li_dcdm_c, __hssrc, _gcl_au, _clsk, hubspotutk, _sp_id.2b40, __hssc, __hstc, _uetsid, _uetvid, _gid, _ga, _ga_GQR109DZ3Y, _lc2, fpi, _ex-pricing-cta, _fbp, cb_group_id, cb_user_id, _clck
Cookie Expiry Session / 400 Days
Accept
Name
Provider Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Dublin 2, Ireland
Purpose Used to unblock Instagram content.
Privacy Policy https://www.instagram.com/legal/privacy/
Host(s) .instagram.com
Cookie Name pigeon_state
Cookie Expiry Session
Accept
Name
Provider Openstreetmap Foundation, St John’s Innovation Centre, Cowley Road, Cambridge CB4 0WS, United Kingdom
Purpose Used to unblock OpenStreetMap content.
Privacy Policy https://wiki.osmfoundation.org/wiki/Privacy_Policy
Host(s) .openstreetmap.org
Cookie Name _osm_location, _osm_session, _osm_totp_token, _osm_welcome, _pk_id., _pk_ref., _pk_ses., qos_token
Cookie Expiry 1-10 Years
Accept
Name
Provider Twitter International Company, One Cumberland Place, Fenian Street, Dublin 2, D02 AX07, Ireland
Purpose Used to unblock Twitter content.
Privacy Policy https://twitter.com/privacy
Host(s) .twimg.com, .twitter.com
Cookie Name __widgetsettings, local_storage_support_test
Cookie Expiry Unlimited
Accept
Name
Provider Vimeo Inc., 555 West 18th Street, New York, New York 10011, USA
Purpose Used to unblock Vimeo content.
Privacy Policy https://vimeo.com/privacy
Host(s) player.vimeo.com
Cookie Name vuid
Cookie Expiry 2 Years
Accept
Name
Provider Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland
Purpose Used to unblock YouTube content.
Privacy Policy https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en&gl=en
Host(s) google.com
Cookie Name CONSENT
Cookie Expiry 6 Month

Borlabs Cookie powered by Borlabs Cookie

Privacy Policy Imprint