How brands embrace national events into their marketing.
Millions of businesses jump on ‘national days’ to enhance their marketing. We do too! So when something as monumental as the King’s coronation comes around, it’s no surprise that the media was suddenly flooded by coronation themed marketing campaigns.
Whether it be a social post or a paid ad, there was a moment in time where you couldn’t escape King Charles III.
This isn’t a shock, as marketers understand the benefits of jumping on the national day bandwagon. Getting involved in the conversation can boost your engagement, introduce your business to new customers, and align you with other, like minded brands. Plus, it’s the perfect reason to collaborate with other brands, which can present you to a whole new audience.
In this blog, we dive into some of the most popular coronation-themed marketing campaigns that rolled out in May, along with a few of our personal favourites.
HelloFresh: Royal Boxes
King Charles is Britain’s 62nd monarch and HelloFresh celebrated this by creating 62 limited-edition Royal Boxes that were sent exclusively to customers named Charles and Camilla.
The boxes included recipes such as The Coronation Chick-King and King’s Coronation Chicken Sandwich and the campaign was launched by Charles and Camilla look-a-likes. Mimi Morley, Senior Recipe Development Manager at HelloFresh, said: “What better way to bring people together than with a royal banquet.”
Alzheimer’s Society: Unmemorabilia
Created by agency partner New Commercial Arts, the Alzheimer’s Society ad highlights the shocking, and often unknown, statistic that one in three people will develop dementia in their lifetime, with the line ‘A day one in three of us won’t be able to tell our grandkids about’.
That single line packs a real punch, doesn’t it?
This is a brilliant example of using a high-profile event to draw attention to an important cause. It brings a sobering reality to this national event, which is otherwise seen as a joyous occasion to all.
PG Tips: National Tea Anthem
The national anthem has been sung more times than can be counted this past month, but none did it quite like PG Tips.
Their marketing team decided to create the national anthem entirely out of the sound of tea being poured.
Have a listen here.
The Or: Anything’s Commemorative
London-based creative agency, The Or, created free sticker packs that allowed people to make ANY item a commemorative item. These included stickers that said ‘Official Commemorative Memorabilia’ and ‘Too Cool To Rule’, which ended up being stuck on drills, fish and chip boxes, and even body parts.
As a smaller agency, this marketing move shot The Or into mainstream media, with many outlets and blogs mentioning this clever marketing move (including us!).
(Source: Instagram @theorldn)
Burger King: From one King to another
Ahead of the coronation, Burger King dropped the Burger.
This marketing move was spread far and wide. From its flagship restaurant in Leicester Square to digital billboards across London, the new temporary logo was on display for all to see, including those who follow their social media channels.
With the slogan ‘from one to another’, Burger King used their own name to warmly welcome King Charles III into his new title.
As such an iconic brand, this marketing stunt made a huge impact on fans and was quickly flooding social media, fulfilling the desired outcome.
KitKat: An Extra Break
Who doesn’t love a bank holiday?
That was KitKat’s thinking when they came up with their coronation-themed campaign.
The ad, created by Wunderman Thompson UK, takes the classic ‘take a break’ slogan and makes it royal, with a 3 fingered KitKat.
‘Thanks for the extra break, Sir’, leans into the public’s bank holiday love without moving away from their recognisable tone of voice. It’s catchy, it’s clever, and it’s human.
London Dungeon x Brook: Crown Jewels
It may seem like a strange collaboration, but it is in fact a brilliant one.
The London Dungeon and sexual health charity Brook have been working together for over three years to destigmatise STIs and sexual health through history and humour. And that didn’t stop over the coronation weekend.
The pair released a campaign that encouraged people to protect their own ‘crown jewels’ and handed out free condoms and sexual health advice to tourists visiting their attractions on the coronation weekend.
A spokesperson on the London Dungeon said: “It isn’t only the royals who need to keep a close eye on their crown jewels!
Unlock nation-wide marketing with national events
When a national event is taking place, a community is created. By acknowledging an occasion and community – just through a marketing campaign – you are targeting a large audience who may not otherwise engage with your brand.
However, it can be hard to know where to start. So if you’d like a helping hand with crafting marketing campaigns that are relevant with what’s going on in the world, contact us.
