Top 75 Marketing Ideas in May

From Deceptive Shampoo Campaigns to Voice-Activated Chicken Buckets

— May 28, 2017 — Marketing
As the May 2017 marketing trends reveal, brands are increasingly resorting to more deceptive means in order to get their point across. Whether it is an obvious joke or something a little more sneaky, marketing is not as straightforward as it used to be.

One of the most clever marketing tactics brands are adopting is to challenge consumers on what they think they like. For instance, Tim Hortons recently opened a fake cafe called 'Perfectly Uncomplicated Lattes' to show consumers that great lattes don't need to come from an expensive coffee shop. Similarly, Suave Professionals created a minimalist label for its shampoo to fool millennials into thinking it was an up-and-coming brand. Both examples demonstrate how brands are resorting to more deceptive means to make consumers think more about why they buy certain products.

In contrast to some of the more deceptive tactics, the 2017 marketing trends also reveal brands using more obvious jokes to promote their products. Examples of this humorous approach include KFC Canada's voice-activated chicken buckets and Duolingo's fictional emoji language course.
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73
Down Syndrome Awareness Ads
Down Syndrome Awareness Ads
'Not Special Needs' Aims to Break Barriers for Those with Disabilities
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72
Adversarial Airline Ads
Adversarial Airline Ads
The New Emirates 'Friendly Skies' Spot Highlights United's Recent Troubles
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71
Crayon Farewell Tours
Crayon Farewell Tours
The Celebrate Dandelion Campaign Encourages Crayola Fans to Say Goodbye
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70
Smartphone-Shaped Landscape Frames
Smartphone-Shaped Landscape Frames
This Phone Advertisement Shows the Galaxy S8's Large Screen
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69
Sarcastic Healthcare Ads
Sarcastic Healthcare Ads
North Memorial's Commercials Show How Frustrated US Patients are
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68
Personalized Meal Boxes
Personalized Meal Boxes
KFC India's 'I-Box' Provides a Printed Selfie in One's Likeness
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67
Violence-Exposing Photo Booths
Violence-Exposing Photo Booths
Terre Des Femmes Created the Shocking Bruise Automat Campaign
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66
App-Inspired Laser Tag Games
App-Inspired Laser Tag Games
This Event Brought Bubble Witch 3 Saga to Life Through Laser Tag
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65
Civil Unrest Ad Spots
Civil Unrest Ad Spots
Pepsi and Kendall Jenner's New Commercial Uses Activism to Sell Soft Drinks
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64
Price Point Soccer Jerseys
Price Point Soccer Jerseys
Fluminense de Feira Has Invented a Creative Way to Earn Ad Revenue
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63
Car Company Webisodes
Car Company Webisodes
Chevrolet's 'Small Talk' Webisodes are Designed for Millennial Drivers
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62
Voice-Activated Burger Spots
Voice-Activated Burger Spots
Burger King's Google Home Ad Makes the Device Talk About the Whopper
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Augmented Reality Table Lamps
Augmented Reality Table Lamps
Lampix will Change the Way Users Work and Play
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60
Marijuana Protest Pop-Ups
Marijuana Protest Pop-Ups
The Crave Collective Set Up a Grow Room in Australia to Make a Statement
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59
Augmented Investigation Apps
Augmented Investigation Apps
The 'Archer, P.I.' App Integrates AR and Printing Technology
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58
Team Jersey Air Fresheners
Team Jersey Air Fresheners
KIA Motors' Automotive Air Fresheners Boast NBA-Themed Scents
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57
Fictional Tech Company Plug-Ins
Fictional Tech Company Plug-Ins
The Pipey Browser Extension Pays Homage to Microsoft's Clippy
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56
Promotional Photo-Op ATMs
Promotional Photo-Op ATMs
This Attack on Titan ATM Encourages Photo-Taking Nearby
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55
Telecom Hotspot Onesies
Telecom Hotspot Onesies
The T-Mobile 'ONEsie' Offers Unlimited Coverage for April Fool's Day
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54
Burger-Flavored Toothpastes
Burger-Flavored Toothpastes
Burger King's Fun Toothpaste Flavor Mimics the Taste of the Whopper
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53
In-Store Tuxedo Showrooms
In-Store Tuxedo Showrooms
Nordstrom is Teaming Up with The Black Tux to Offer Tuxedo Rentals
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Non-Branded Fast Food Ads
Non-Branded Fast Food Ads
These Mindy Kaling Commercials for McDonald's Never Feature Its Name
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51
Promotional V8 Ringtones
Promotional V8 Ringtones
Ford's 2018 Mustang GT Ringtone Shows Off the Muscle Car's New Features
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50
Cereal Character Competitions
Cereal Character Competitions
Weetabix and Cartoon Network are Encouraging Play with Food
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49
One-Day Festival Previews
One-Day Festival Previews
Bestival Teased the Experience Offered at Its Full Four-Day Event
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48
Concept Pub Crawl Beers
Concept Pub Crawl Beers
These Beer Bottles Were Inspired by the Famous Otley Run
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Gamified Checkout Systems
Gamified Checkout Systems
Consumers May Win Prizes In-Store and Online with Luckycycle
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Emoji Language Courses
Emoji Language Courses
This App for Learning Language Teased an Emoji Course for April Fool's Day
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Voice-Activated Chicken Buckets
Voice-Activated Chicken Buckets
KFC Duped Consumers with 'The Bucket' on April Fool's Day
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Exclusive Concert Events
Exclusive Concert Events
Gorillaz and T-Mobile Launched a Secret Gig for Fans
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43
Springtime Sakura Parties
Springtime Sakura Parties
Japan's Kirin Brewery Offers Indoor Cherry Blossom-Viewing Events
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42
Mini Fitness Festivals
Mini Fitness Festivals
Virgin Sport Teased the Hackney Festival of Fitness with a One-Day Event
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41
Concept Car Spa Soirees
Concept Car Spa Soirees
This Buick Style Event Boasted Manicures in Honor of the Buick Avista
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40
Progressive Female Representation Campaigns
Progressive Female Representation Campaigns
Dove and Mindshare Joined to Redefine Beauty Standards
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39
Health Assessment Posters
Health Assessment Posters
These Cancer Research UK Posters Offer a Free Breathing Test
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38
Expanded Basketball Figurine Collections
Expanded Basketball Figurine Collections
GoDaddy is Offering New Itty Bitty Ballers Figures
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37
Miniature Burger Pranks
Miniature Burger Pranks
McDonald's Launched 'The Micro Mac' for April Fool's Day
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Surprise Rewards Programs
Surprise Rewards Programs
Kimpton Hotels Offers Spontaneous 'Karma Credits' to Guests
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Virtual Dinner Dates
Virtual Dinner Dates
Deilveroo's 'Milan on the Thames' Connects Diners in London and Italy
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Atypical Tourism Ads
Atypical Tourism Ads
These Bizarre Illinois Travel Posters Encourage Chicago Residents to Explore
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Life-Sized Soda Spouts
Life-Sized Soda Spouts
The Dr. Pepper Fountain Was Created by the Company for a Loyal Fan
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Chat-Based Loyalty Programs
Chat-Based Loyalty Programs
The Coach WeChat Account Offers a Membership Program
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Energetic Escape Challenges
Energetic Escape Challenges
The Red Bull Mind Gamers Partook in the Escape Room World Championship
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AR Easter Egg Games
AR Easter Egg Games
British Land Launched a Virtual Easter Egg Hunt Game
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Beacon Technology Services
Beacon Technology Services
Conichiwa Provides On-Demand Services for Many Different Industries
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Cryptic TV Billboards
Cryptic TV Billboards
These Mysterious TV Ads Celebrate the Return of David Lynch's Twin Peaks
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Fire Safety Simulators
Fire Safety Simulators
'Escape My House' Stresses the Importance of Having a Fire Escape Plan
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Fairy Tale Sock Collections
Fairy Tale Sock Collections
Stance's Fun Disney Socks Feature Themes from Beauty and the Beast
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Clever Animal Adoption Campaigns
Clever Animal Adoption Campaigns
This Pedigree Campaign Prompts Parents to Get a Shelter Dog
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Late-Night Meal Deliveries
Late-Night Meal Deliveries
With Door Dash, Jack in the Box is Offering Night Meal Delivery
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Hawaiian Airline Cabins
Hawaiian Airline Cabins
Hawaiian Airlines' New Cabin Design Incorporates Cultural Details
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Fantasy Story Sneakers
Fantasy Story Sneakers
These Limited-Edition Asics Sneaker Packs Celebrate Disney's Newest Film
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Replacement Crayon Campaigns
Replacement Crayon Campaigns
The Crayola Who's Leaving Countdown Celebrates the Brand's New Color
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Cage-Cleaning Animal Experiences
Cage-Cleaning Animal Experiences
Guests Pay to Scoop Polar Bear Dung At Wuhan Haichang Ocean Park
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Germy Petri Posters
Germy Petri Posters
This Soap Ad Campaign Features Enormous Petri Dishes Full of Live Bacteria
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Swedish Furniture Shop Restaurants
Swedish Furniture Shop Restaurants
Ikea Standalone Cafes Could Soon Be in City Centers Worldwide
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Tech Brand Vodka Gifts
Tech Brand Vodka Gifts
The Google Campus Warsaw Offers Complimentary Vodka for Visitors
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Air Filtration Billboards
Air Filtration Billboards
Toyota's "Eco-Billboard" Removes Nitrogen Dioxide from the Air
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Pop-Up VR Bars
Pop-Up VR Bars
The House of Peroni Event Featured Immersive Works of Art
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Deceptive Coffee Shop Menus
Deceptive Coffee Shop Menus
Tim Hortons Opened a Fake Cafe Called 'Perfectly Uncomplicated Lattes'
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Adaptable QSR Uniforms
Adaptable QSR Uniforms
McDonald's New Fast Food Uniforms Were Created by Fashion Designers
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Lifeguard Tower Hotels
Lifeguard Tower Hotels
This Beachside Hut in Tel Aviv is Now a Luxury Pop-Up Hotel
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Coveted Luxe Streetwear Pop-Ups
Coveted Luxe Streetwear Pop-Ups
A New Louis Vuitton and fragment design Collection Was Released
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Athletic Fairy Tale Footwear
Athletic Fairy Tale Footwear
New Balance Created Beauty and the Beast Shoes for Women and Girls
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Deceptive Shampoo Campaigns
Deceptive Shampoo Campaigns
Suave Professionals Has Released a Creative Ad to Market Its Shampoo
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AI Beauty Assistant Apps
AI Beauty Assistant Apps
Dior Insider's Technology is Available Through Facebook Messenger
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VIP Pizza Boxes
VIP Pizza Boxes
Domino's Loyalty Program for Customers Turns Them into Shareholders
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Memorializing Advisory Labels
Memorializing Advisory Labels
Studio Brussel Created a Purple Parental Advisory Label for Prince
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Pet Adoption Photography Campaigns
Pet Adoption Photography Campaigns
The World For All Series Sends a Message with Optical Illusions
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Experiential Tech Stores
Experiential Tech Stores
Toronto Will Become the Home of the Next Samsung Experience Store
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Musical Tech Festivals
Musical Tech Festivals
Moogfest 2017 Serves as the Synthesis of Music, Art, and Technology
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Bikini Uniform Coffee Shops
Bikini Uniform Coffee Shops
The Bikini Beans Espresso Coffee Shops Boast Baristas in Swimwear
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Boutique Designer Gyms
Boutique Designer Gyms
Dsquared2's Ceresio 7 Gym and Spa is for the Fashionably Fit
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