There are some companies that have been in a friendly competition for as long as they have been in existence. It’s no secret that these companies are trying to steal a competitor’s thunder and when these rivalries are exhibited in the form of a campaign or video poking fun at one another, it’s fun to see who will win the game of one-upmanship.
There are tons of examples of how to steal customers with witty campaigns. One standout campaign is one from McDonald’s that involved simply changing the names of its WiFi networks to entice nearby people in to its restaurants with exclusive deals, since it noticed customers at rival businesses were stealing free access to the Internet.
Another involved an elaborate ‘Phone Swap,’ which had people at a music festival trade their phones when they ran out of battery for a temporary trial run of a brand new Sony Xperia. Again, tons of incentives were given when people made this trade and some lucky winners got to keep their new phones at the end of the festival.
Of course, a company doesn’t have to be in direct competition to steal a bit of thunder from another company. A prime example of this is a hi-tech billboard by British Airways was cleverly parodied in a low-tech way by Domino’s Pizza.
19 Friendly Competition Marketing Strategies
18
Cheeky Competitor-Costumed Ads
In This Halloween Ad, a Can of Pepsi Dresses Like a Scary Red Soda
17
Faux Apple Promotion Sites
The Scoopertino Website Parodies Fake Apple News and Products
16
Apple-Mocking Campaigns
This iPhone 4 Parody Features a Series of Ads Playing Off Brand Slogan
15
Rival Company Coversation Posters
'Brandversations' Illustrates Discourse Between Competing Brands
14
Mocking Mac Advertisements
The Bryan Evans ‘apple-Fied’ Campaign Mimics Classic Imager
13
Ironically Blurred Brand Shirts
This Ironic Nike Shirt Has a Blurred Out Brand Logo
12
Unbranding Parody Graphs
This 'Starbucks to the Future' Chart Pokes Fun at Logo Downsizing
11
iPhone Mocking Ads
The Samsung Galaxy S Ad Plays on the iPhone 4 Reception Problem
10
Tech-Mocking Cider Ads
This Ad for Somersby Cider Takes Unsubtle Shots at Apple Product Launches
9
Portly Cereal Icons
Fat Tony the Tiger by Ron English Warns Against Sugary Breakfasts
8
Chicken Car Commercial Parodies
This Hilarious Jaguar Ad Makes Fun of Mercedez' Chicken Commercial
7
Epic Viral Holiday Spoofs
Delov Digital Spoofs Volvo's Epic Split with a Chuck Norris Version
6
Self-Spoofing Ads
Mac Half Life 2 '1984' Teaser Parodies the Classic Apple Ad
5
Competitor-Mocking Tablet Ads
This Microsoft Windows 8 Ad Makes Fun of Apple’s Renowned Feat
4
Incentivized Phone Trades
Sony Enticed Attendees of 'Way Out West' with a Free Phone Swap
3
Customer-Attracting WiFi Campaigns
Mcdonalds Uses Funny WiFi Network Names to Attract Customers
2
Fake Product Pranks
Upwell Installed Its Own Multifunctional Light Switch in IKEA
1
Cult-Mocking Ads
Hacienda Restaurant Stirs Up a Controversy with Kool-Aid Cult Billboards
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Anti-AI Beer Billboards
Heineken's Latest Ads Poke Fun at AI Friendship Devices
Basketball-Inspired Complimentary Menu Promotions
Wendy's Offers Free Fries and Frosty on April 7
Global Flavor Collections
The World Heist Menu from Mcdonald’s Unveils Global Favoritesin the Uk
Co-Branded Omni-Channe Tea Campaigns
Lipton Tea and Nate's Honey Join Forces
Pristine Fast Food Campaigns
McDonald's All Flavour, No Mess Spotlights a Tidy Snack
Cross-Network Playoff Promotions
NHL and Multiple Broadcasters Launch a Playoff Marketing Campaign
Major Fan-Centric Candy Campaigns
Skittles Debuts the Playful Skittles Obsessed Initiative
Authentic Connection Campaigns
Heineken's Hijack Socialization Encourages Out-of-Home Gatherings
Next-Gen Jelly Bean Campaigns
Jelly Belly Bean Appétit Entices a New Generation of Fans
Halloween Essentials Campaigns
IKEA Turns Home Essentials into Shields for Scary-Movie Nights
Gamified Holiday Promotions
Starbucks for Life Merrython Blends Gameplay with Prize Giveaways
Wishlist-Spotlighting Billboards
Sephora Canada Features Customer Wishlists on Holiday Billboards
Gamified Loyalty Campaigns
Collect Points with IKEA Family Presents Updated Membership Benefits
Cultural Mullet Campaigns
Mcdonald’s McMullet Campaign Turns a Viral Joke into a Live Activation
Night QSR Campaigns
The Mcdonald’s Night Posters Turn Post-Party Cravings into Glowing Urban Art
Branded Apparel Vodka Campaigns
Smirnoff Partners with Aleali May for We Do Game Days
Supermarket Tourism Campaigns
K-Supermarket's Tripadvisor Listings Share a Taste of Food Culture
Retail Advertising Campaigns
IKEA Hides Price Tags to Highlight Material Quality in a New Campaign
Brighton Retail Launch Ads
IKEA Brighton Uses Seagull Splatter Campaign to Win Local Attention
Branded Holiday Baking Campaigns
Nutella and Hallmark Partnered to Celebrate the Festive Season
Cheeky Sports-Inspired Diaper Campaigns
Huggies Aligns Family Planning with a Major Sports Event
Modern Hustle-Inspired Food Campaigns
StarKist Co. Positions Itself as Fuel for the Modern Hustle
Friendly Fandom Campaigns
Heineken Kicked Off Fans Have More Friends with a Fun Social Experiment
Cross-Industry Insight Networks
The Think Party Explores the Future of Socialization
Experiential Student Activations
Just Eat's Hey U Up Campaign Coincides with Freshers’ Week
High-Profile Home Improvement Campaigns
The Home Depot Joins Forces with David Beckham
Condiment Marketing Campaigns
Hellmann’s Launched Its ‘Main Flavour Energy’ Marketing Campaign
Customer-Starring Billboards
Bobbie's Campaign Spotlights Moms as "the OG Influencers"
Cheeky Food-Focused Soda Campaigns
The 'Share a Pepsi' Campaign Encourages Pairing with Food
Experiential Marketing Campaigns
MIKE AND IKE, HOT TAMALES, and Marvel Team Up for Campus Tour
Trainer-Collaborative QSR Campaigns
JD and Wingstop UK Join to Launch a Nationwide Giveaway
QSR Secret Menus
Mcdonald’s Secret Menu Launch Turns Fan Hacks into Official Offerings
High-Value Pizzeria Promotions
The Little Caesars More for $9.99 Promotion Maximizes Value
Imaginative Fantasy-Inspired Campaigns
Canva Spotlights its Creative Tools Ahead of Halloween
Timely Delivery-Centric Billboards
Pizza Pizza Creates a Truck-Side Billboard Inspired by the LRT
Soccer-Themed Snack Branding
These Mondelēz Products Get Fans Ready for the World Cup 2026
Eating Ritual Campaigns
Müller You Know How You Like It Celebrates Unique Snacking Methods
Fan-Powered Reality Competitions
Little Caesars' Pretzel Crust Island Engages YouTube Viewers
Playful Pickle Initiatives
Pickle It Forward Lets Pickle Lovers & Pickle Haters Win at McDonald's
Festive Convenient Store Offerings
7-Eleven Gears Up for the Holidays with Food, Beverages & More
Traveling Fashion Showcases
The Guess Bus in Sydney is an Example of Experimental Marketing
Social Experiment Cafes
International Delight Set Up the Simply Coffee Café to Capture Reactions
Basketball Championship-Themed Convenience Promotions
7-Eleven is Offering Deals for March Madness
Affiliate Marketing Guides
Affiliate Marketing Prompt Book Provides 500+ Prompts for Marketers
After-Dark Pizza Ads
Morrisons' Market Street Halloween Pizza Ads Transform at Night
Anti-AI Marketing Campaigns
Cadbury 5 Star Launched Its 'Make AI Mediocre Again' Initiative
Burger Ad Campaigns
Burger King’s New Campaign Suggests Even Babies Can’t Resist the Whopper
Poetic Secondhand Campaigns
Depop's Where Taste Recognizes Taste Celebrates Style Doppelgangers
Celebrative Ketchup Campaigns
Heinz Lunched its Festive 'It's Heinz Season' in Southeast Asia
Anniversary-Celebrating Brand Evolutions
Smoothie King Debuts 'The Best Kind of Delicious'
Athlete-Backed Beverage Campaigns
PepsiCo and NFL Players Debut 'Tailgate Crashers'
Humorous Chocolate Spots
Toblerone Introduced its ‘Chocolate Like Nobody’s Watching’
Coordinated Convenience-Focused Promotional Campaigns
7-Eleven Runs Promotions for Two Events
Throwback Grocery Campaigns
Economic Nostalgia Inspired Instacart's Summer Like It’s ‘99
Holiday Retail Campaigns
Walmart's WhoKnewVille is a Seuss-Inspired World of Festive Cheer
Experiential Grocery Campaigns
No Name launches a multi-city grocery goss campaign
Football-Focused Sofa Campaigns
Pepsi Presents the Refresh the Game Campaign with Icons
Classically French Car Campaigns
Oui Oui Baguette by Renault Treated Drivers to Free Baguettes
World Cup Hospitality Experiences
Stella Artois Turns Bars into Immersive FIFA Viewing Locations
Reimagined Pizza Loyalty Programs
Pizza Hut Reels in Customers with Hut Rewards
Brand Refresh Campaigns
The 'Walmart. Who Knew?' Campaign Challenges Retail Perceptions
Playfully Branded Crosswalks
OREO Turned Marked Areas Outside Some Kroger Stores into OREO Walks
Fast Food Cybersecurity Campaigns
McDonald's Netherlands Shared Data on Change Your Password Day
Colleague-Connecting Pubs
The Office by Heineken Celebrates the Best Part of Work Culture
Social-First Body Care Campaigns
Suave Runs the 'Smell Like Your Ex(foliating Body Wash)'
Thoughtful Ice Cream Campaigns
DOVE® Ice Cream's #MiniWinMonday Emphasizes Minor Accomplishments
Co-Brandeed Promotional Campaigns
Montucky Cold Snacks and the Flamin' Hot Brand Portfolio Team Up
Spontaneity-Inspired Travel Campaigns
Wyndham Debuts 'Where There's a Wyndham, There's a Way'
Nordic QSR Campaigns
McDonald's Launches a New Campaign Inspired by its Dedicated Fans
Athletic Event-Timed Tech Campaigns
TCL Ran a Comprehensive Ad Campaign During the Olympics
Cost-Conscious Clothing Campaigns
The Primark 'Never Basic' Campaign Focuses on Value
Gamified Grocery Activations
The Asda Check-Out Challenge Leveraged a Nostalgic Game Show Format
Independent Burger Restaurant-Focused Campaigns
Hellmann’s Boasts the Mom & Popular Campaign
Bartering-Focused Frozen Pizza Promotions
RED BARON® Launches the Stuff for Stuffed Campaign
Detroit-Style Pizza Sweepstakes
Jet's Pizza Detroit-Style Dash Sweepstakes is Coca-Cola-Approved
Interactive Traveling Marketing Initiatives
Heinz Pllayfully Spotlights the Heinz Ketchup Zero
Culinary Tradition Food Campaigns
The Merchant Gourmet 'Yes Chef!' Campaign is Running Now
Playful Hide-And-Seek Holiday Campaigns
Chaumet's Holiday 2025 Campaign Film is Whimsical
Football-Focused Venue Marketing Campaigns
Dave & Buster's Delivers on Social Atmosphere & Dining
Trust-Focused Home Cleaning Campaigns
Molly Maid® Introduces the 'A Friend Like Molly' Campaign
Cross-Platform Loyalty Programs
WestJet and Petro-Canada Link Travel and Fuel Rewards
Region-Specific Pizza Campaigns
Emmy Squared Pizza Launches Regionally Inspired Pizzas in the US
Festive Rom-Com Cheese Campaigns
This Boursin Christmas Campaign Stars Fred Sirieix
Limited-Edition Beer Campaigns
San Miguel launches a Limited-Edition Beer Campaign for Summer
Outdoor Cooking-Focused Campaigns
Solo Stove Debuts the 'Squash the Beef at the Big Game' Campaign
Soccer-Focused Official Snack Campaigns
Lay’s Ran the Lay’s Fan of the Match Opportunity
Value-Driven QSR Campaigns
Domino's 'Who Likes Pizza?' Visualizes Pizza's Worth
Shareable Chocolate Bar Campaigns
Ian Wright Faces the New Cadbury 'Made to Share' Campaign
Post-Game Breakfast Campaigns
McDonald's Flipped Its Ads Sideways for Super Bowl Recovery
Romantic Convenience Store Promotions
7-Eleven Offers Discounts and Themed Confections for V-Day
Accessible Design Campaigns
Canva's Really, Really Good Design Transformed a Sandwich Business
Co-Branded Family-Oriented Events
Disney and Formula 1 Launch Fuel the Magic Campaign
Menu Discovery Challenges
Original ChopShop's Feel Good Foodie Challenge Rewards Menu Exploration
Playful Interactive Donut Contests
Tim Hortons Debuts the Battle of the Donuts in Canada
Cinematic Martial Arts Promotions
Premier Foods and Sony Pictures Celebrate Karate Kid: Legends
App Competitor Analysis
Clash of Apps Provides Insights to Track and Analyze Your App Competitors
Complimentary Competitive Sandwich Promotions
This Bread Zeppelin Promotion Spotlights a Classic
Empowering Soccer-Themed Cultural Campaigns
LOTTO Launches the Legends Begin with LOTTO Campaign
Tiered QSR Pricing Initiatives
Wendy's Debuts the Value-Driven Biggie Deals Menu
Interactive Game Advertisements
Samsung Ads GameBreaks Encourage Deeper Engagement
Taxi Driver-Centric Branded Events
Carlsberg Ran the 'Fare Game' Initiative for Taxi Drivers
Festival Season Refreshment Campaigns
The Capri-Sun Festival Feeling Campaign is Running in the UK
Honest Senior Living Campaigns
Benchmark Senior Living's In Their Own Words Shares Real Stories
Tax-Focused Marketing Campaigns
Intuit Debuts the Second Iteration of 'Now This is Taxes'
Festival-Themed Retail Snack Campaigns
Kellanova Announced Flavour Fest ’25 in the UK
Cheeky Wrap-Focused Campaigns
Jimmy John's Introduced the Wrap Exchange
Cheeky Cow-Inspired Qsr Campaigns
Chick-Fil-A Continues Its Iconic Eat Mor Chikin Campaign
Competitor Analysis Tools
Competitive Landscape Analysis Tool Reveals Key Competitor Insights Fast
Workday Break-Focused Campaigns
KitKat Debuts the 24/7 Teams Meeting Campaign Concept
Christmasy Customer-Rewarding Retailer Campaigns
The One Stop 2025 Christmas Campaign Gives Back
Personalized Present Campaigns
The Wonderbly Everyone’s Got Favourites Campaign is Rolling Out Now
Seasonal Spin & Win Campaigns
Spar Scotland Launches 'Spin into Spring' Game
Playful Brand Messaging Campaigns
Chicago Town Pizza Unveiled the 'It IS that deep' Ad
Empathy-First Loyalty Playbooks
SumUp's CEO Highlights Main Street Tactics For Tech Loyalty
Omnichannel Seasonal Support Campaigns
Bestway Wholesale Launches 'Buzz About the Sweetest Deals'
Summer-Forward Food Billboards
Waitrose Launched its 'Let Your Summer Side Out' Campaign
BFF-Themed Financial App Campaigns
Experian Embraces the Concept of 'Big Financial Friend'
Hot Dog Subway Campaigns
Nathan’s Famous Launches “Follow the (F)rank Line” Subway Campaign
New Year Retailer Promotions
The Tesco Everyday Low Prices Promotion Cuts 3,000 Price Points
Founder Marketing Resources
Better Marketing Blog Shares Practical Playbooks For Founders
Divisive Savory Spread Campaigns
The Marmite Love it. Hate it. Cook with it. Campaign is Cheeky
Local Shop Portrait Campaigns
Coca-Cola Highlights Bosses Campaign Celebrating 125 Years in UK
Athlete-Inspired Chicken Sandwiches
Big Chicken Inside The Sandwich Wars has Four Items
Friend-Focused Fried Chicken Promotions
Lee's Famous Friendsgiving is Running All November Long
Strategic Reward-Focused Retail Campaigns
WeShop Launches 'Shopping Starts Here' Campaign
Collaborative Air Fryer Campaigns
Birds Eye and Tefal Partnered for 'A Better Everyday' Campaign
Brandless Packaging Campaigns
McDonald’s Tested a Name-Free 'Famous Order' Promotion
Recycling-Focused Travel Campaigns
Coca-Cola and Merlin Entertainments Partnered for a Promotion
Board Game-Themed Food Promotions
Premier Foods and Hasbro Partnered for an On-Pack Promotion
Purpose-Led Emerging Brands Initiatives
7-Eleven Taps 27 Brands for Its 2026 Brands with Heart™
Brand Recognition Games
Product Guesser Tests Brand Recognition Through Interactive Play Tool
Competitive Intelligence Tools
RivalSense Sends AI-Curated Weekly Updates On Companies You Track
Early-Morning Easter Campaigns
Morrisons Launched a Campaign That Only Runs from 4AM to 7AM
Digital Fundraising Competitions
Headquarterz Launched the Community Cup
Complimentary Small Cheese Pizzas
Pizza Pizza Celebrated Sports Milestones with Free Pizza
Purpose-Driven Brand Contests
Publicity for Good is Supporting Goodness with Its Contest
Football Season Retailer Snacks
7-Eleven Game Day Snacks Offer a Variety of Options
Retail Conversation Marketing Campaigns
Tesco Launches 'Need Anything From Tesco' Platform
Competitor Monitoring Tools
Bardeen Community Playbook Tracks Competitors And Sends Alerts
Ad Intelligence Tools
View Live Competitor Ads Instantly With Competitor Ad Tracker