The Top 3 Video Marketing Campaigns of 2022 So Far…

Video marketing has changed quite a lot over the past year thanks to the pandemic and shifting consumer perspectives. Adapting to the zeitgeist is critical to the success of your video marketing campaign. Let’s take a look at a few brands that are doing it right.

Cheetos Sets TikTok on Fire

Think TikTok is just a fad? Think again. This new social media platform is already home to about 700 million global users—including over 100 million in the US. 

If you’re not considering TikTok as a potential arm of your video marketing plan, you probably should be. 

However, TikTok isn’t for every brand. As of now, it has a narrow demographic, and the videos that do well all have certain things in common. 

Here are a few things you should know about TikTok:

• It’s young: 60% of TikTok users are between 16-24, so focus hard on Gen-Z here. 
• It’s funny: The most popular videos are funny, oddball, or goofy. 
• It’s musical: TikTok bought and merged with a lip-syncing app early on (in 2018). Many videos are musical performances and most have trendy soundtracks. 
• It’s short: Like millennials’ beloved Vine videos (RIP), TikToks only last seconds (60 seconds max).  
• It’s about the users: TikTok is all about user-generated content, so brands that post pro video will probably get booed. 

One brand that wrapped all of this into one hot campaign was Cheetos. They partnered with one of the world’s biggest musicians and a huge Gen-Z heartthrob, Bad Bunny, to promote their Flamin’ Hot Cheetos snack. 

Their #DejaTuHuella (#LeaveYourMark) campaign challenged viewers to “leave their mark” on society in the form of music, fashion, or any other mode of expression. 

While the campaign lacked specificity, it worked wonders because it embraced the TikTok culture so effectively. It’s musical, young, expressive, and defiant. So far, the campaign has racked up over 120 million interactions. 

Short and Sweet with Home Depot and Oreo

Marketing to Gen-Z on TikTok is tough. If you’re looking for an easier (and cheaper) video marketing win, follow brands like Home Depot and Oreo. 

These brands are learning that shorter is better in a post-pandemic world. We’ve got so addicted to scrolling that our attention span is lower than ever. 

If a few seconds is all your target is willing to give, then you better make the most of it. 

Home Depot captured its audience in a moment with quick, colorful shots of different parts of the home. These moments gave viewers an idea in an instant: Wouldn’t it be nice to have hardwood floors? No words necessary. 

Oreo makes similarly short videos that are a bit more festive—ideal for a sweet treat. Their “Stay Playful” moments are little celebrations, just like an Oreo cookie. The ads remind viewers that Oreo is an escape from current events without ignoring the pandemic. 

A big benefit of these micro-moments (videos shorter than 15 seconds) is that you can produce them for cheap and use them across many platforms.

An easy way to churn a few out is to buy stock footage and cut it into multiple moments. Overlay some text, add some music, and slap on your logo. With just one 60-second stock footage video, you can make 10 or more short videos with cohesive imagery and tone. 

Budweiser Cracks Open A Can of Nostalgia

As you might expect, Cause Marketing is quite popular in 2022. We all have a common problem to care about, and brands are hopping on the bandwagon of social responsibility. 

This might sound like an easy win, but there is a risk of coming off as preachy. Consumers have also criticized brands for their ingenuine COVID marketing.

Bad Cause Marketing can be very damaging to your brand. Before you give it a shot, remember this: instead of telling people what to do or how to feel, try sympathizing with them.

This is how Budweiser has been handling its pandemic video marketing for over a year. It uses images of real people and places to strike the nostalgia chord in its viewers, reminding them of the good times we had together—with a beer in hand, of course.

In its newest ad, good times are coming. After all the nostalgia, this hopeful call to return to normal brings the emotion to a crescendo. 

The ad finishes with an appeal to get vaccinated and includes resources to learn more about the jab.

Budweiser has mastered COVID marketing by associating its product with good times past, while other brands have repeated the same tired “We’ll get through this together” mantra over and over. 

Learning from Video Marketing in 2022

You can learn a key takeaway for video marketing in 2022 from Budweiser. For years, marketers have told us how good life could be in the future, if only we used their products. But in 2022, when so many of us are insecure about the future, consumers would rather look to the past. 

This is likely to be an enduring trend as a post-COVID world emerges and consumers are forced to adjust. Consider this in your next marketing campaign and you’ll better connect with a changing audience in an unpredictable world.