Creative Marketing Campaigns That Worked

1. Humorous Postcards

In a reddit thread called “Whats the most successful marketing campaign you’ve ever run?” a user posted about a campaign that they ran for a graphic design service using humorous Postcards. The postcards threatened recipients “retribution in various ways if not contacted and given work.” I love this. Although it may have mixed results, it’s such a basic creative concept that if done correctly can be very effective. It targets emotions and delivers clear messaging. When we laugh, our brains release hormones that make us feel happy, trusting, and less stressed. For businesses, this is a great tactic to break the soliciting barrier and make selling more natural. The results, if true, mailed 17 postcards that led to 3 clients. This approach shows research and understanding your audience by using creativity (aka creative marketing) to stand out from the crowd.

2. A Citywide Takeover: Creative Marketing in Action

Another brilliant marketing campaign I came across in the same thread, was run by a small team for a betting brand during a major sports final. They took over Manchester with branded black cabs, handed out 500 tickets, ran a celebrity quiz in the taxis, and gave fans lifts to the match. The campaign went viral and trending #1 on Twitter all weekend, generating millions of impressions, and driving thousands of sign-ups. It’s a great example of how using traditional marketing, content, on-the-ground creativity can deliver massive digital results.

3. Reframing the Narrative: TikTok’s “Small Wins”

TikTok’s “Small Wins” campaign is a clever and emotionally-driven initiative that showcases how small businesses are turning modest moments into major success stories on the platform. From a bakery owner growing from 3,000 to two million followers, to a candlemaker going viral without even trying, the campaign highlights real, relatable stories that show TikTok’s unique value for small entrepreneurs. More than just a feel-good marketing push, it strategically shifts the narrative positioning TikTok not as a national security threat, but as a powerful engine for economic opportunity and grassroots success. By celebrating these everyday wins, the campaign reframes the platform as a space for innovation and community impact, appealing to public sentiment and influencing the broader debate around its place in the U.S. digital economy.

4. Bold Brand Rivalry: A Creative Marketing Campaign Strategy That Just Makes Sense

One particularly clever and creative marketing campaign I came across involved a Gen-Z content agency pitching a bold idea. Brand rivalry. While most startups might avoid direct competition out of caution. This startup beverage company leaned into it, and the move paid off. Though sales were modest, the visibility and engagement the campaign generated were impressive. It’s a smart approach when you think about it. Similar to how Amazon allows advertisers to target competitor products. Not only does it draw attention from both brand audiences, but it also creates conversation and positions the challenger brand as confident and disruptive. Beverage is a hard category to break through, another brand that was very creative was Liquid Death. Look up: “Liquid Death amazon comments” and get ready to laugh.

5. Sometimes, You Just Gotta Try

One of my favorite simple-but-genius marketing stories comes from at the time; a 7-year-old who hand-drew flyers for their lemonade stand and popped them into four neighbors’ letterboxes. All four showed up. That’s a 100% conversion rate with just crayons. It’s a funny but powerful reminder that sometimes, just trying something and putting it out there is all it takes to spark surprising success.