One of the hallmarks of working in an agency is that no two clients want the same thing. Even so, a few campaigns that professionals have worked on are unusual and distinct. Sometimes the client wants something unique and potentially strange to the agency. One might look at this as just another quirk of the profession, but the true masters see these unusual requests as an ability to learn.
The things you discover from a strange request might come in handy later down the road in another project. Below, 13 contributors to Forbes Agency Council talk about some of the most unique and challenging client campaigns they ever worked on and the valuable lessons they gained from the experience.
Members share some of the most distinct campaigns they’ve worked on and what they learned along the way.
Photos courtesy of the individual members
1. Treadmill Running For Leukemia Awareness
A former NGO client wanted to create awareness for leukemia by collaborating with a locally famous runner. After some skepticism, we set up treadmills at a crowded CBD location, asking office workers to join the runner’s quest of completing a marathon on the treadmill — with every mile leading to donations. “Running in your heels is hard? It’s nothing compared to those suffering.” – Lars Voedisch, PRecious Communications
2. Friskies Best Internet Cat Video Competition
The goal was to have Friskies be the driver of an online cat video contest. We hired celebrity judges and crafted a donation program for 25 approved national nonprofits to receive Friskies cat food with each vote cast. We learned that cat owners love making videos, and this was feeding something they enjoy while also empowering Friskies to be front and center with them. – Kathleen Lucente, Red Fan Communications
3. Incontinence Pads Promotion Campaign
Recently, a client came to us asking if we could help promote their incontinence pads utilizing our influencer network. While you might think light bladder leakage is not something women would want to talk about online, it turns out you would be wrong! The content generated was authentic, engaging and even funny (one influencer shared photos of herself jumping on a trampoline). – Danielle Wiley, Sway Group
4. A ‘Blockbuster’ Campaign With A Limited Budget
Our client wanted us to compete with top dollar spenders with, only 2% of the total budget that the competitors were spending! To the client, this new campaign idea made the most sense in the world, hence the nickname “Blockbuster.” We learned to be resourceful, and my team ended up doing very little with their normal routines. We made sure they found a way; no stone was left unturned. – Zohaib Hassan Patoli, SnapWeb Services
5. Rental Apartment Community Campaign
We were asked to create a campaign to market a new rental apartment community targeted to young, single professionals on a tight budget. We didn’t want to just do the typical photos of the complex so we created three “model” tenants — complete with names, careers, etc., to show what life is like at the complex. We were the one that came up with the unusual idea. It was an experiment that worked. – Leeza Hoyt, The Hoyt Organization, Inc.
6. Weather-Based Campaign
Weather can be a driving factor for if people choose to dine out or order in. We ran a unique campaign for a client in the restaurant industry that was based on the weather. We developed digital advertising and social media promotions that offered delivery specials, by geomarket, that were triggered by rainy or cold weather. We found that food delivery thrived in the rain. – Alex Membrillo, Cardinal Digital Marketing
7. Cryptocurrency Exchange Platform
The most interesting, innovative and challenging project we’ve worked on as an agency was a cryptocurrency exchange platform for accredited investors. Specializing in emerging technology and media has given us the opportunities to be on the forefront of continuous learning, exponential opportunities and we never suffer from a dull moment. The level of innovation in the startup space is unprecedented. – Terry Tateossian, Socialfix Media
8. Generating Word-Of-Mouth For Civic Project
A client asked us to generate broad, “organic” support for a civic project. Normal PR tactics were not going to do it, so we delved deep into the world of word-of-mouth marketing and developed an innovative campaign — before the age of social media — that identified influential people and used their networks to create the broad, authentic and obvious support our client wanted. – Jeff Bradford, the Bradford Group
9. Gulfstream’s G700 Launch Show
We love a challenge. When aerospace leader Gulfstream came to us for the launch of their G700 aircraft, they wanted us to hide and then reveal a full-sized business jet — no small task. We came up with the concept and designed and delivered a dazzling live show around the reveal. When we accept these challenges, we learn and grow, and are better positioned for the next one. – Scott Kellner, GPJ Experience Marketing
10. Local Political Campaign
Our first local political campaign for a person running for city council was challenging. We were faced with the ins and outs of dealing with a person who should become a brand that could, over time, garner the support of city residents to vote for them. The difficulty lies in making this person likable to a crowd in a short span of time and training this person to be the brand. – Ally Spinu, USA Link System
11. Cannabis Outdoor Advertising Nationwide
As the cannabis industry keeps growing, we have been approached by our client and asked to develop and execute an outdoor campaign that meets regulatory requirements nationwide. In order to do so, we had to learn how consumers are buying cannabis products and how to advertise by the rules in each state. Lesson learned? Do your research yourself and keep it away from millennials at your agency! – Jonnathan Trilleras, LEDTruckMedia
12. Website For Energy Muse
We’re currently working on a site for a client that is an energy muse. It’s a very niche market but has found that with her techniques she’s able to get people into a new mindset that they haven’t been open to before. We looked at inspiration across a spectrum to find that brand that feels authentic and comfortable to a market that is new to almost all potential buyers. – Lee Salisbury, UnitOneNine
13. Sports Sponsorships
Sports sponsorships are unique branding opportunities for both the client and the fan where the client can really get behind a team they are passionate about. The sports fan will engage with the brand and sponsorship as there will be a mutual understanding that the brand supports the fans favorite team and their passions are aligned leading to stronger engagement. – Jessica Hawthorne-Castro,Hawthorne LLC
