Published 18 Jun 2019

5 Content Marketing Campaigns That Have Stood The Test of Time

5 Content Marketing Campaigns That Have Stood The Test of Time
author image

April Chung

18 Jun 2019

Content Marketing Campaigns Aren’t New

Way before Bill Gates famously declared that “content is king“, forward-thinking brands had already realised the value of great content marketing campaigns. Some of these content marketing pioneers have launched campaigns that have stayed effective for decades.

The mark of truly exceptional content marketing is how long it’s able to last. All good campaigns will have their day in the sun, but great content marketing campaigns live forever.

We bring you 5 trailblazing content marketing campaigns that have stood the test of time.

1. The Michelin Guide

Source: Daniel Food Diary

French tire company Michelin is known for its tires, but also the “Michelin Stars”, one of the most sought-after ratings of quality in the culinary world.

Michelin realised that if they could encourage drivers to hit the road more, that would drive (pun intended) demand for cars and tyres.

So in 1900, they launched the Michelin Guide, a travel guidebook targeted at French drivers and filled with hotel and restaurant recommendations all around Europe.

Great content marketing campaigns don’t really have to be about your product, as long as it adds value to your target consumers and increases demand for your product.

Today, the Guide is still a trusted resource for travellers all over the world, and even has an online edition that allows for bookings and reservations.

2. G.I. Joe

G.I. Joes, the original action figures, were a huge hit when first released by Hasbro in the 1960s.

Butt by the 1970s, profits slumped. At one point, the entire G.I. Joe line was discontinued.

Source: cote via Flickr

But Hasbro brought G.I. Joe back to life with the 1980 TV cartoon G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. They also collaborated with Marvel to launch a new series of comics based on the action figure.

More recently, the toy has even spawned several blockbuster movies.

This brilliant content marketing strategy paid off. Today, G.I. Joe continues to be an internationally recognised brand with enormous staying power.

3. Jell-O

Source: Tumblr

Early on, Jell-O identified its core consumer: the American housewife.

With her needs and interests in mind, Jell-O decided to conduct door-to-door distributions of free recipe books containing creative Jell-O recipes.

Source: Jell-O Recipes

Today, Jell-O continues to use the same concept for great content marketing, offering a wide variety of innovative recipes on its website – all involving Jell-O, of course.

4. Soap Operas

Source: Wikipedia

Ever wondered why soap operas are called soap operas?

Soap operas were among the first content marketing campaigns in history, created to sell – you guessed it – soap.

The first ever soap opera was a radio programme sponsored by Procter & Gamble. Voice actors played out a serialised drama programme that was broadcast to radio listeners five days a week, and featured advertisements of laundry and Ivory soap.

5. Zoo-Ed Magazine

Singapore Zoo via Wildlife Reserves Singapore

Remember growing up with these magazines back in primary school?

First published in 1979, the Zoo-Ed Magazine was a quarterly publication targeted at primary school students that eventually became the top-selling children’s magazine in Singapore.

Zoo-Ed ran for 25 years, before being relaunched as Wildlife Wonders in 2004. It’s now managed by Wildlife Reserves Singapore, with similar objectives to promote conservation, research, and public education.

Singapore Zoo’s entrance via Wikipedia

While Zoo-Ed was mainly educational, it’s also a fantastic example of content marketing done right.

By capturing the imaginations of countless Singaporean kids (including many of us here at Content.co), it proved incredibly effective at promoting the Singapore Zoo, and wildlife conservation in general.

Keywords

Content Marketing
Content Strategy
image

Receive insights from Hire Digital for free.

Subscribe today

No long-term contracts. No catches.
Start hiring talents on demand now.
0
1
2
3
4
image

Join 2,500+ subscribers

Join thousands of other marketers and digital professionals and stay ahead of marketing, digital and content trends.