Earlier this month we took a look at three majorly viral video ads to hit the web in 2015; now, here is a look at a few of 2015’s most successful marketing campaign hashtags.
#LikeAGirl
This hashtag from Always, a feminine products company, was discussed earlier this month in our post about 2015’s most viral marketing ads because it stems from a wildly popular video ad. The video explores perceptions around the common insult of running/throwing/fighting/etc. “like a girl” and reveals how young girls tend to begin associating the phrase “like a girl” with negative connotations during puberty. At the very end of the video, viewers are asked the poignant question, “Why can’t ‘run like a girl’ also mean ‘win the race’?” Then they are urged to proactively change the meaning of “like a girl” by tweeting the amazing things they do #LikeAGirl on Twitter. The video itself has garnered numerous industry awards, so it isn’t surprising that the #LikeAGirl hashtag has fared pretty decently as well. Since #LikeAGirl’s debut, millions of Twitter users and celebrities alike have hit the web to join in on the social media campaign, with the hashtag continuing to go strong in 2015.
The appeal: The hashtag, for one, gives women an easy way to proactively break gender stereotypes in a society where feminism is moving more and more to the forefront of our collective consciousness. In addition, it stems from a video that presents a remarkable exposé on culturally informed gender stereotypes and self-image.
#TweetFromTheSeat
Let’s face it—any toilet paper company has their work cut out for them if they’re hoping to establish any sort of following on social media, but Charmin has managed to do this quite well with the help of “punny” hashtags like #TweetFromTheSeat. An edgier hashtag to be sure, this hashtag encourages those on Twitter to share their thoughts with the world during, well, a routine trip to the bathroom.
The appeal: It’s ever-so-slightly scandalous and of course appeals to Twitter users who enjoy a particularly public presence on the social media platform. Charmin has also developed a habit of using the hashtag in tweets about longstanding toilet paper debates (such as “over or under?” or “fold or scrunch?”) which has in turn caused other Twitter users to follow suit and use the hashtag whenever they are posing a bathroom imponderable to the Twittersphere. It doesn’t hurt that the hashtag rhymes, either.
#JustDoIt
Was it a new hashtag to the year 2015? Nope. But Nike took its tried-and-true slogan and used it to fuel a new and creative Twitter marketing campaign—tweet-replying to people who were talking about exercise. When @katewilliams2 tweeted “Set your mind on a goal and go for it. #MondayMotivation #justdoit,” for example, @Nike replied with “@katewilliams2 Goals are nothing without hard work. #justdoit.”
The appeal: This is an example that just goes to show that you can breathe new life into a longstanding, already-successful marketing campaign.