Emojis Take Starring Roles With Big Brand Advertising
If you've been paying attention, or perhaps even if you haven't, you will have noticed the surging presence of emojis - and not just on cell phone keyboards. This strange new sensation took millennials by storm just a few years back when the tiny images decorating texts began to show up everywhere.
Since then, every brand who could possibly target millennials seems to have incorporated them into their marketing. And now there is even a Sony movie coming out with the little guys in a starring role in "The Emoji Movie'. Clever title, huh? In this blog, Hollywood Branded looks at the emoji phenomenon and how brands and celebrities have begun to incorporate them into their marketing strategy.
Pepsi And Cindy Crawford Remake Classic Ad
In a recent advertisement from Pepsi, the classic 1980s ad featuring Cindy Crawford purchasing a Pepsi from a machine while two boys look on in awe and wonder receives an emoji remake.
The commercial plays exactly like the old one - except all of the actors have been replaced with emojis including a Cindy Crawford lookalike. And Cindy Crawford was in on the entire storyboard idea.
Of the spot, Cindy Crawford told CNN, "I think there's so much nostalgia for the commercial, so we decided to do it with a twist as a Pepsi emoji. It's fun to connect with a younger audience."
Brands With Their Own Emoji Keyboards
A huge trend among brands looking to use emojis in their marketing strategies is to simply come out with their own version of the keyboard.
Brands like Taco Bell, Coca-Cola, General Electric and even Ikea have all jumped on (key)board. The latter even included an emoticon version of their signature Swedish meatballs complete with Sweden's flag.
Celeb Emojis - Kim Kardashian Takes The Crown
Not only did Kim Kardashian release her own "Kimoji" app coinciding with the release of the Kardashian's apps, but it was a paid app - and that didn't stop anyone. The app was and remains a huge success making the celebrity ever more popular and intertwined with social media. We won't tell who, but someone in our office uses the Kimoji app daily. And thinks it's pretty cool...
While other celebrities have released similar apps, Kim's remains the most popular of them all, reigning the social media world yet again.
Television Show Emojis
If you're used to replacing words with tiny images, why not incorporate your favorite television shows as well? FX networks released a keyboard app with emojis from their hit shows including It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, American Horror Story and Award-Winning Fargo.
Broad City was also among the television shows to market themselves with an emoji keyboard based on the show's inside jokes.
Emoji Marketing Off The Screen
The marketing team behind the theatrical release of Deadpool has been widely lauded for its creativity and ingenuity. Among their clever tactics to garner media and audience attention was a billboard campaign around the United States with a simple message: the name "Deadpool" in emoji form, created simply by a skull, the poo emoji and an "L".
The billboards gained massive attention all over the internet and were all in all a huge success. As was the movie's massive blockbuster box office.
Interested In Making Your Marketing More Interesting?
Brands have been looking for ways to make advertising more exciting whether in traditional advertising or non-traditional formats, and emoji's may or may not be a key into getting consumer buy in and attention.
Before you spend another dollar on traditional advertising, consider the use of product placement/brand integration in your entertainment marketing strategy. Watch our video to learn techniques to conquer common advertising challenges!
