2018’s best and weirdest creative ad campaigns so far

A quarter of the way through 2018 and we have already seen our fair share of both brilliant and wacky, creative ad campaigns. Keep reading as we take a look at some of our favourite campaigns and some that simply just made us say … ‘what on earth?’

HP printer app:

Following in the footsteps of Ikea’s furniture app (Ikea Place), HP have utilised augmented reality to bring their product to life for their users to help them decide whether to make a purchase. By downloading the app, potential customers can see how their images will look printed, framed and in their home before spending a penny. In the same way Ikea allowed users to visualise different products in their home, it gives customers an added confidence in what they are buying.

Burger King – Romania:

Burger King’s latest ad campaign in Romania is definitely one of the weirdest we have come across in a long time. Romania only has one Burger King which is located inside the airport – beyond security! However here is it where things take a turn for the strange. The fast food chain has now launched a campaign called “Whopper No Show” which asks customers to buy a low cost, one-way plane ticket in exchange for the Whopper hamburger. On the company’s promotional website customers can purchase a one-way ticket to either Brussels, Rome or Milan for between €6 and €12. The catch? You have to wait for the flight to take off before exchanging the pass for food. So, no sneaky cheap flights and elusive burgers.

Why are Burger King doing this elaborate campaign? To show just how far people will go to get their hands on a Whopper Burger!! But would you go through the hassle of getting to the airport, going through security and handing over a boarding pass, all for a burger? We feel like that’s a lot of unnecessary hassle.

Ikea’s sleepiest print ad:

Ikea often produce great creative campaigns and this one is no different. To help advertise a great night’s sleep with an Ikea bed and/or mattress, Ikea have created SÖMNIG which they call the ‘sleepiest print ad ever made’. Placed on the back of UAE’s Good magazine the advert can be removed for bedside use to help aid sleep. The advert has been infused with lavender ink, a scent known to relax muscles and improve sleep quality. Not only that but you can plug the ad into a USB to charge and emit white noise through the speaker. What a creative way to bring print advertising and modern technology together.

Virgin Trains Avocard:

Finally, we have the much talked about ‘Avocard’. Earlier this year GWR released a limited number of railcards for those aged 26-30, which proved so popular that the website crashed throughout the day and ultimately left a lot of customers empty handed. This is where Virgin stepped in with their ‘Avocard’ campaign. We have to give them credit for their quick thinking but the actual campaign left people divided. For one-week Virgin Trains offered the same discount to passengers aged 26-30 if they turned up at the station with an avocado! Whilst some customers loved it, others just found it embarrassing and condescending.

We want to hear your thoughts. Let us know your favourite, funniest or craziest campaign of the year so far! Have we missed it off our list? Also don’t forget time is running out to be GDPR compliant! The deadline is May 25th so if your still not onboard find out why you need to become data lean!