Meow-morable moments / Recent research shows that jingles are a powerful tool for embedding catchy, memorable messages that keep brands top of mind long after an ad has aired. According to Matthew Ovington, co-founder and head of research at Distinctive BAT, jingles ‘outperform other asset types more often than not; they are highly efficient and memorable tools’.
This campaign is a masterclass in the power of the jingle. Meow-A-Thon uses the distinctive and familiar jingle, but also refreshes it in a way that feels modern, connecting it to both loyal customers and a new generation of cat owners. The interactive nature of the campaign – offering fans the bonus of earning coupons and freebies for their furry companions – is a solid way to encourage engagement and amplify its reach and impact.
Meow Mix not only taps into the addictive earworm nature of a tuneful message, but also utilises the nostalgia factor – leveraging nostalgia in advertising can be a powerful tool for eliciting emotional responses; a meta-analysis of 23 academic studies found that nostalgia-driven ads were more persuasive.
As Kohl Forsberg, executive creative at Leo Burnett Toronto, explains in a press release: ‘It’s an iconic, nostalgic brand asset which is being used in a way it never has before to create a new and different experience.’
For more on how to leverage a jingle, read our creative tactic here.
Purr-suasive pre-roll / Challenging the typical format of YouTube pre-roll ads is no easy feat, especially when 90% are skipped within the first five seconds, according to a 2016 survey from ORC International. Pre-rolls are often seen as intrusive, blocking viewers from the content they want to watch. However, when a brand reinvents this format, it can really capture attention. In the case of Meow Mix, it cuts through the annoyance factor by really leaning into being annoying. This approach demonstrates how pre-rolls can be more than just a barrier to content when brands design content specifically for the platform and audience.
Similarly, Danish Crown also used a creative approach to pre-roll ads with its 13-minute video showing bacon cooking in real time, allowing viewers to decide when it was perfectly crispy before skipping. Like Meow Mix, Danish Crown turned an otherwise skippable format into an interactive experience that engaged viewers. Check out our collection of the most engaging pre-roll campaigns here.
