Five killer social media campaigns from 2016 (so far)

2016 may have just begun, but marketers have wasted no time deploying kickass social campaigns.

Here are five of our favorites.

To debunk two (possibly?) common misconceptions about ClickZ: we don’t only focus on social media missteps and we don’t have to wait until the year is just about over to do it.

Here are five examples of brands’ brilliant moves on social from the past month and 11 days.

L’Oréal Paris: #WorthSaying

During the Golden Globes last month, L’Oréal Paris launched its #WorthSaying campaign, the goal of which was to inspire women to talk about everything important to them, not just makeup.

It fits in with the brand’s longtime slogan – Because You’re Worth It – as well as the event. What’s got a stronger association with beauty than an awards show?

L’Oréal nailed timeliness and relevance with this campaign, which was launched by McCann and Alison Brod Public Relations. By getting involved with an awards show (L’Oréal was a sponsor) the brand was also able to seamlessly incorporate its celebrity spokeswomen into the campaign, amplifying its message.

Jennifer Lopez, for example, who has more Twitter followers than all but 18 users in the world.

It’s been a few weeks since the Golden Globes and people are still tweeting about what’s #WorthSaying to them.

Tell me what you think is #WorthSaying. #GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/GUtufpYDUk

— Jennifer Lopez (@JLo) January 10, 2016

Land Rover UK: #Hibernot

#Hibernot is a cross-channel campaign incorporating social, video and experiential marketing.

In addition to creating a YouTube series, Land Rover installed billboards, shaped like giant smartphones, in London and Leeds that showed the areas’ surroundings. The billboards also had branded Instagram-like filters that allowed passersby to “see winter differently.”

The idea behind the campaign is that during winter, every hour of daylight is valuable and worth taking (Read more...) of. Land Rover positions itself as the definitive vehicle for doing so, suggesting outdoor adventures and listing its winter-friendly technology on the #Hibernot website.

#Hibernot has become a hub for users to share photos of their own winter activities. And as digital think tank L2 found over the summer, UGC is the way to go on Instagram.

Butterfinger: Bolder Than Bold

“Bolder Than Bold” was a mediocre Super Bowl ad, but the brand did a good job making it part of a larger social campaign that goes beyond a hashtag.

The Nestlé-owned candy brand has created a YouTube teaser for its “Bolder Than Bold” campaign, in addition to short GIFs and videos. They’re perfectly suited for Facebook’s silent video format, something many brands struggle with.

This stuntman-centric video has sound, but you don’t even need to hear it. Simply watching him fly through the air, punching piranha bots and eating a Butterfinger – which 785,000 people have done since last week – gets the point across on its own.

There’s no wrong place to satisfy the bolder than bold desire for a crispety, crunchety, peanut-buttery treat. Even if that place is full of piranha-bots.

Posted by Butterfinger on Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Victoria’s Secret: DIY Panty Contest

One of the masters of social media, Victoria’s Secret is big on Snapchat giveaways. Earlier this week, the brand announced Valentine’s Day-themed panty kits, which can be customized with stickers and rhinestones.

After being snapped three pictures of underwear, followers have to screenshot their favorite pair and doodle on them.

Snapping their artwork back to Victoria’s Secret with the #DIYPantyContest hashtag could win fans the kits, something that can’t do anything but help the brand’s strong engagement on Snapchat.

Paramount Pictures: #BlueSteelSelfie

A week before its release, Zoolander No. 2 was calling for all its social media followers to show off how really, really, ridiculously good looking they are.

This campaign is a simple one: go on Paramount Pictures’ branded website, take a selfie making Derek Zoolander’s signature expression, do it 93 more times until your Blue Steel is perfect, share it on social media.

It’s a simple campaign, but it’s a fun one that will almost certainly result in more excitement around the movie.

There’s no webcam on my computer at the ClickZ office, which is the only reason I haven’t done this already myself.