10 Social Media Campaigns That Got People Talking in 2021

Look back on the brands that stood out on social media, and learn from their viral campaigns that sparked global conversations

A strong social media campaign is the backbone of any modern brand’s marketing strategy. When done properly, it’s an opportunity not only to generate sales but to increase brand awareness and establish a company as top of mind.

With new forms of content emerging year on year, the anatomy of a social campaign is ever-changing but features everything from hashtags and video content to dedicated filters, all across multiple platforms to achieve maximum visibility.

Whether it was showcasing new product launches or testing friendships over food, 2021 saw brands from all over the world release some of their most innovative advertising efforts yet. If you’re looking for inspiration for your next social campaign, here’s a roundup of some of the ones that stopped people scrolling and got the world talking.

Spotify – Wrapped

Spotify’s annual "Wrapped" campaign has become one of the most anticipated of the year since it launched back in 2016. Based on user habits, it pulls together insights about their listening preferences in an easily-digestible and (more importantly for the brand) easily-shareable format.

This year, they added even more features to the ever-evolving roundup, including the “audio aura” which summarizes listeners’ top two music moods, an interactive game of two truths or a lie, dedicated videos from the most-listened-to artists, and more. Some criticized the campaign for its advertising agenda, but users were still quick to share their personalized evaluation on social media, resulting in the campaign trending for days following its launch at the beginning of December.

Apple – #ShotOniPhone

Like the previous campaign, Apple’s "Shot On iPhone" was one that launched several years ago, but it showed no signs of slowing down in 2021. As the name suggests, the campaign showcases outstanding content shot using an iPhone camera. As well as featuring on more traditional forms of media like billboards, it’s another one that has a strong social presence thanks to the user-generated content it encourages.

The hashtag has over 23.5 million submissions on Instagram, featuring everything from mountainous landscapes to city scenes to picture-perfect selfies, proving that when it comes to marketing, the age-old principle still stands; showing really is more powerful than telling.

YouTube – Shorter Side of YouTube

Short-form vertical video has undoubtedly become one of the most consumed forms of content over the last couple of years, so it’s no surprise YouTube decided to make it part of their in-app experience. YouTube Shorts allow users to create videos of up to sixty seconds long using just their mobile phones.

The campaign for their launch, "Shorter Side of YouTube", ran internationally throughout the month of October and featured top pop stars including The Weeknd, BTS, and Camilla Cabello. With both TikTok and Instagram as their rivals, YouTube was up against some tough competition with this launch, but the statistics speak for themselves, with Shorts currently racking up over 15 billion daily average views.

NatGeo – #ThinkBeforeYouLike

National Geographic unsurprisingly had a more environmental message to share with its #ThinkBeforeYouLike campaign that took place predominantly on social media. The hashtag was launched in a bid to raise awareness around the illegal cheetah trade that is seeing cubs taken from the wild and adopted as pets.

According to National Geographic’s website: “Fewer than 7,000 adult cheetahs remain in the wild, threatened with extinction by habitat loss, retaliation by livestock owners when cheetahs kill their animals—and now also the pet trade.”

As well as encouraging followers to help combat the problem by boycotting social media accounts that glamorize owning cheetahs as pets, the society shared a number of hard-hitting posts across their social platforms with facts about the illegal cheetah trade, along with heart-warming updates on the ones who have been rescued from smugglers. This video is just one example, and it’s been viewed by over 176 thousand people on TikTok.

Dove – Reverse Selfie

American cosmetics brand Dove had another important message to share with their campaign video "Reverse Selfie". The minute-long video follows the process of a young girl posting a heavily-edited picture of herself online, but in reverse. It ends by highlighting the damages of social media to self-esteem, made worse by the pandemic, and a message encouraging parents to have #TheSelfieTalk.

It’s part of Dove’s ongoing commitment to build body positivity on social media. Their Self-Esteem Project has reached almost 70 million young people since it was launched in 2004 and has received support from celebrities, including Lizzo, who have posted unedited photos of themselves online.

Aldi – #FreeCuthbert

Aldi was another household name that made the UK headlines in 2021, but not for reasons anyone could have guessed. The German supermarket chain found themselves in deep water after British retailer Marks and Spencer threatened legal action as a result of caterpillar cake (Cuthbert), which they believed was a direct copy of their own (Colin).

Aldi’s response was to take to social media to make light of the situation using the hashtag #FreeCuthbert, which gained them plenty of positive press amid the legal drama. They even jokingly updated the cake’s packaging, putting the caterpillar cake behind bars.

Fans quickly took to social media to create accounts on the character’s behalf, along with a whole host of light-hearted memes and videos on platforms like Twitter and Instagram. The campaign doesn’t seem to be disappearing either, with the two supermarket giants now locked in yet another legal battle over a special-edition Christmas gin, with the hashtag #Round2.

TikTok – #thisisBlack

In October 2021, TikTok celebrated Black History Month in the UK with a campaign designed to highlight talented Black voices. The campaign, titled #thisisBlack, featured a variety of content from TikTok Unpacks, which showcased everything from educational and inspiring videos to branded playlists, hashtag challenges, and featured billboards across the UK.

In a statement, TikTok's Head of Diversity and Inclusion Priscilla Baffour said: “We’re incredibly proud all year round of the diverse community we have fostered on TikTok. It was important for us to mark Black History Month by celebrating our Black community and putting their stories and experiences front and center. Through the #thisisBlack campaign, we will be doing just that, and I’m proud to be a part of a team that is honoring Black people and culture in the UK.”

The hashtag has so far gained nearly 80 million views on the platform.

Philips X Movember – Right Under Your Nose

Since it started in 2003, Movember has funded over 1,250 men’s health projects around the world. The international campaign, which runs throughout the month of November, inspires events across the globe and encourages men to grow mustaches in an effort to raise awareness around men’s health concerns and the support available.

This year, Philips teamed up with the Movember charity to spread the message even further. With a series of tongue-in-cheek videos released on social media, each featuring the tagline “It’s right under your nose”, Philips set out to encourage men to make their health a priority, and speak out about their problems. The campaign caught the attention of marketers and was featured as part of The Drum’s Ad of The Day for its creativity.

KitKat – Have a Bite

The correct way to eat a KitKat is a topic that has been debated since long before social media existed but, thanks to the likes of TikTok and Instagram, it’s one that went viral in 2021.

The answer tends to divide fans of the Nestlé-owned wafer chocolate bar into two camps; those who eat a finger at a time, and those who don’t. As part of KitKat Australia’s "Have a Bite" campaign, they invited customers to share their answers online. The responses might have tested friendships, but according to Wunderman Thompson, the advertising agency behind the campaign, it reached 4.3 million organic views across TikTok and Instagram within the first 48 hours of the launch.

McDonald’s – #McSpicyDebate

KitKat wasn’t the only brand to put a food debate at the forefront of one of their campaigns this year. McDonald’s also invited customers to weigh in on the spice level of their latest launch, the McSpicy Chicken Burger, using the hashtag #McSpicyDebate. Just like the chocolate brand, the hashtag sparked McDonald’s customers to create a ton of user-generated content that the brand could use to promote their product alongside the usual billboards the brand has become known for.

Customers were invited to join one of four tribes: “A lil’ kick”, “Pretty spicy”, “HOT, HOT, HOT”, or “My mouth’s on FIRE!” as part of the launch, plus the brand created its own McSpicy Snapchat lens, custom emoji, and GIFs for followers to interact with, creating an all-round immersive experience.

What was your favorite campaign of 2021? Let us know in the comments below.

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