10 Brilliant marketing ideas

An idea can change everything. This is an apt description of the way the advertising industry works. With its foundation built on the genius of ideas, advertising is known to draw inspiration from unimaginable sources. But sometimes an idea gives birth to a trend changing campaign, which generates huge and instantaneous buzz. What makes them brilliant marketing ideas is the effect they have on their competitors and the way they create a lasting impact on the consumer’s psychology for years to come!

From selling something as precious as diamonds during the Great Depression to specially made Zoozoo ads for IPL seasons, here are ten brilliant marketing ideas that made customers lossen their wallets.

1. 'A diamond is forever'

Masterpiece of N.W. Ayer & Son advertising agency, the "diamond is forever" campaign created sentimental meaning for diamonds, which were fast losing their price in 1938. De Beers worked to reverse the trend and promoted the idea that any marriage is incomplete without diamonds as a gift. Even today, the phrase is known to most of the people without any idea about its commercial origins.

2. Marlboro Man

The Marlboro Man campaign was such a powerful one that it turned marlboro’s image from a being a premium filtered cigarette for women to bestselling cigarette in the world! Considered as first example of "image" advertising, Leo Burnett's advertising firm used an American cowboy - the most masculine of icons to change the image. Men immediately connected with ruggedness and masculinity of a cowboy.

3. 'Think Small'

Selling small Volkswagen Beetle in an era of major chrome and fins was no mean task! To do the unthinkable Doyle Dane Bernbach agency used a team of copywriter and an art director to work on this difficult campaign. The revolutionary "Think Small" ad, which showed a tiny image of the car surrounded by acres of white space and a few words about "our little car", went on to change the norm. The guts to be different paid off and rest as they say is history.

4. 'Does she . . . or doesn't she?'

Back in 1957, when "shockvertising" was unheard of, Foote, Cone & Belding came up with this shock ad campaign. The ads featured a beautiful healthy girl next door with a shocking secret, whether her hair colour is real or fake? The campaign consisted of a series of ads for tints and dyes posing the question- "Does she … or doesn't she?" The secret was known only to her hairdresser.

Leading to the rise of hair colour by more than $160 million in just ten years, the campaign generated buzz by tapping into the sexual revolution.

5. Absolut Vodka

This clever ad campaign turned a clear, flavourless and a drink with no distinguishable taste into first breakout premium vodka. TBWA's agency used a different bottle's shape and name, which made millions of Americans to pay more for a product they couldn't identify in a taste test!

Even after 30 years, Absolut Vodka is one of the longest-running campaigns in history, and still going strong. This shows the sheer power of advertising.

6. Beauty Mist pantyhose

This ad campaign showed the power of using the right celebrity. This 1974 TV commercial used Hall of Fame quarterback (and playboy) Joe Namath to sell Hanes pantyhose! The ad featured a pair of smooth, nylon-clad legs of Joe: "Now, I don't wear pantyhose, but if Beauty Mist can make my legs look good, imagine what they'll do for yours." Thanks to this creative ad campaign, for the first time in the U.S. sales of pantyhose outran sales of stockings!

7. The Coke geyser

Viral marketing at its best! The ad which showed a demo by physics teacher drop Mentos mints into a 2-liter bottle of Diet Coke resulting in the thing blowing was followed by unbelievable number of page views and copycat videos. This Internet phenomenon of 2005 rocketed the sale of mentos and coke at almost no marketing cost.

8. 'Change we can believe in'

Social marketing was never used the way Barack Obama used it to win US presidential elections. The campaign used the web and social media and rightly heralded the new era of social marketing. Obama was voted as "2008 Marketer of the Year" by AdAge readers even before he won the White House.

9. Zoozoo ads

The white, cute, little round shaped cartoon faces became the talk of the town and immediately connected with the masses during the first IPL season of 2008. Vodafone Zoozoo ads are considered among the most creative ads in the world till date. The Zoozoo ads campaign is an apt example of ‘think out of the box’ concept. The message was delivered beautifully and the audience kept waiting for more. Kudos to Vodafone developers!!!

10. Dancing in the Tube

It’s an accepted fact now that commercializing flash mobs works!

T-Mobile's "Life's for Sharing" campaign launched by Saatchi & Saatchi in January 2009 became a YouTube phenomenon. The video shows a choreographed dance routine in the middle of a London Tube station.