10 campaigns that revolutionized the social media industry

In technique, trends, and concepts - these social media campaigns managed to change the face of the Indian social media ecosystem.

The benchmark of revolutionary social media campaigns is not measured by tangible factors. True it may have its benchmarks inside the boardroom, but for the people, it is a lasting memory. Something that leaves an impression.

There have been few instances when brands succeeded at aligning their stars to create a campaign that may leave the screen, but not the minds of the viewer. Delivering social messages or tugging at the strings of our hearts, these were some of the most revolutionary campaigns that audiences have a hard time forgetting.

1. Lifebuoy Gondappa - #HelpAChildReachFive

Lifebuoy’s extensive ‘Help A Child Reach Five’ initiative was anchored around a social message of deaths caused due to lack of hygiene in Indian villages, with an aim to spread awareness and educate the masses about the existing problems and its prevention.

A compelling storyline that struck an emotional chord with viewers, it highlighted the need to act by redefining the way stories are portrayed. It depicted the elation of a man at one of his sons finally turning five, in a rural setting where the lack of hygiene has a morbid effect on the lives of people, partly due to poverty, and more so due to the lack of knowledge about the prevention.

2. Google Search - Reunion

One of the toughest challenges brands face when creating a campaign is to blend their product with the story, a story that manages to evoke in the hearts of their audience, a bridge of emotions that extends from their hearts to what they are watching on screen. Google elevated the standards with their Reunion campaign, with cinematography that had viewers sobbing and smiling at what they had just seen.

A heart wrenching story of two friends separated during childhood, brought together through will and the power of Google, it changed the way brands produced advertisements from thereon.

3. Old Spice Mantastic Man 

When it comes to advertising products for men, brands have more often than not followed the same formula of macho-ism and the promise of looking, smelling or feeling attractive to women. Old Spice on the other hand has managed to carve their very own identity with a distinct choice of endorsers and humour.

Old Spice India found their trump card in the man who could not be more of a man, Milind Soman. No ‘perfect’ bodies. No promise of women. No shaved chests. A ridiculously self aware series of advertisements with its own brand of humour that worked so ridiculously well with Milind Soman’s ridiculously captivating good looks. Ridiculous right?

4. #CrashThePepsiIPL - Pepsi India

Taking crowdsourcing to a whole new level through the far reaching appeal of social media, Pepsi India gave their audiences a chance to showcase their creativity. Entrusting their fans with the duty to create short ads for the brand for a chance to have it broadcast on TV for the entire nation to see, cash prizes and the promise of many more perks.

#CrashThePepsiIPL made the most of the appeal generated by the Indian Premier League among the youth, which is the primary target audience for Pepsi.

5. #CleftToSmile - Operation Smile

Millions of children from around the world are born with a cleft palate, a deformity that can be corrected with surgery that lasts less than an hour. With a task to raise awareness and support around Cleft Palates and the available corrective measures, #CleftToSmile took to Twitter.

By creating a logo that could be easily typed with a computer or a smartphone, #CleftToSmile succeeded in spreading the word about the initiative to reach millions of people including celebrities who tweeted about it.

6. #DarkTravelTale - Reliance General Insurance

Conceptualized and executed by Ogilvy One Mumbai, it was Twitter marketing at its finest, with the brand and agency simply working towards coming up with a groundbreaking idea, and curating the phenomenal amount of User Generated Content that came their way.

Creating a one of its kind Twitter curated novel, stressing on the need for travel insurance, Reliance General Insurance asked Twitter users to take forward the hypothetical scenario where things could go wrong for a tourist in the worst way possible.

7. DBS Chilli Paneer

An all out YouTube campaign, DBS’ Chilli Paneer had content at its heart and was a fresh and interesting approach towards social media marketing, breaking away from the self imposed barriers that financial institutions, finding themselves encountering on social media.

Beginning at a DBS ATM and ending at a DBS branch, Chilli Paneer encompassed a truly entertaining journey between the two characters that was not too in-your-face with marketing the brand name.

8. Get. Set. Bolt by TATA Motors

Reaching beyond the traditional social media marketing platform that first comes to mind for most marketers, TATA Motors brought in bloggers from the popular portal, Blogadda into the mix to maximize their reach.

TATA Motors redefined inlfuencer marketing with #GetSetBolt by capitalizing on bloggers participation and the subsequent popularity that they enjoyed.

9. Ariel #ShareTheLoad

Crafting a Cannes Lion winning campaign, Ariel’s #ShareTheLoad voiced the unsaid for Indian women who bear the brunt of the deep rooted patriarchy in our society, where the wish to have a career of their own brings with it a demand to balance household duties with it.

Addressing the inequality prevalent at home, Ariel managed to create a phenomenal campaign, and a legacy with #ShareTheLoad that the brand balanced well themselves, giving the advertisement the feel of not being an advertisement at all.

10. #MakeLoveNotScars

Gathering the attention that is the need of the hour for acid attack victims, whose lives have been destroyed through a ruthless act of violence, #MakeLoveNotScars is the support that these women deserved, and rightly received.

Highlighting the easy availability of acid that leads to attacks on young women across the country with statistics that are shocking, it speaks up for acid attack victims who have been rehabilitated. It put India on the map as serious contenders in the advertising arena with the ability to create campaigns that linger on in the minds of viewers for a long time.

Brands have time and again re-established milestones, with particularly spectacular work. Work that changed the course of history in the Indian social media segment. Best Social Media Brands by Social Samosa, is an initiative to honour such brands.

Stay tuned in as the online voting for #BestSoMeBrands begins. It's time to claim the fame.