There are some companies that have been in a friendly competition for as long as they have been in existence. It’s no secret that these companies are trying to steal a competitor’s thunder and when these rivalries are exhibited in the form of a campaign or video poking fun at one another, it’s fun to see who will win the game of one-upmanship.
There are tons of examples of how to steal customers with witty campaigns. One standout campaign is one from McDonald’s that involved simply changing the names of its WiFi networks to entice nearby people in to its restaurants with exclusive deals, since it noticed customers at rival businesses were stealing free access to the Internet.
Another involved an elaborate ‘Phone Swap,’ which had people at a music festival trade their phones when they ran out of battery for a temporary trial run of a brand new Sony Xperia. Again, tons of incentives were given when people made this trade and some lucky winners got to keep their new phones at the end of the festival.
Of course, a company doesn’t have to be in direct competition to steal a bit of thunder from another company. A prime example of this is a hi-tech billboard by British Airways was cleverly parodied in a low-tech way by Domino’s Pizza.
19 Friendly Competition Marketing Strategies
18
Cheeky Competitor-Costumed Ads
In This Halloween Ad, a Can of Pepsi Dresses Like a Scary Red Soda
17
Faux Apple Promotion Sites
The Scoopertino Website Parodies Fake Apple News and Products
16
Apple-Mocking Campaigns
This iPhone 4 Parody Features a Series of Ads Playing Off Brand Slogan
15
Rival Company Coversation Posters
'Brandversations' Illustrates Discourse Between Competing Brands
14
Mocking Mac Advertisements
The Bryan Evans ‘apple-Fied’ Campaign Mimics Classic Imager
13
Ironically Blurred Brand Shirts
This Ironic Nike Shirt Has a Blurred Out Brand Logo
12
Unbranding Parody Graphs
This 'Starbucks to the Future' Chart Pokes Fun at Logo Downsizing
11
iPhone Mocking Ads
The Samsung Galaxy S Ad Plays on the iPhone 4 Reception Problem
10
Tech-Mocking Cider Ads
This Ad for Somersby Cider Takes Unsubtle Shots at Apple Product Launches
9
Portly Cereal Icons
Fat Tony the Tiger by Ron English Warns Against Sugary Breakfasts
8
Chicken Car Commercial Parodies
This Hilarious Jaguar Ad Makes Fun of Mercedez' Chicken Commercial
7
Epic Viral Holiday Spoofs
Delov Digital Spoofs Volvo's Epic Split with a Chuck Norris Version
6
Self-Spoofing Ads
Mac Half Life 2 '1984' Teaser Parodies the Classic Apple Ad
5
Competitor-Mocking Tablet Ads
This Microsoft Windows 8 Ad Makes Fun of Apple’s Renowned Feat
4
Incentivized Phone Trades
Sony Enticed Attendees of 'Way Out West' with a Free Phone Swap
3
Customer-Attracting WiFi Campaigns
Mcdonalds Uses Funny WiFi Network Names to Attract Customers
2
Fake Product Pranks
Upwell Installed Its Own Multifunctional Light Switch in IKEA
1
Cult-Mocking Ads
Hacienda Restaurant Stirs Up a Controversy with Kool-Aid Cult Billboards
Related Ideas
Futuristic Imaginative Design Concepts
Toyota Introduces the Unique E-Collection of Products
Cleverly-Disguised Fountain Cups
Pepsi's Latest Campaign Stunt Introduced 'Undercover Cups'
Aggressive Athlete Ads
Nike Launches the Winning Isn’t for Everyone Campaign
AI-Generated Ketchup Ads
Heinz Designed an Advertisement Using the Slogan 'It has to be Heinz'
Family Board Game Promos
Hasbro and Birds Eye Teamed Up to Encourage Family Bonding
Branded AI-Generated Short Films
KFC Philippines Captures Attention with AI-Generated Films
Halloween-Inspired Pretzel Campaigns
Snyder’s of Hanover Debuts the 'Pretzelface' Campaign
Friendly Rival Burgers
Burger King and KFC Created the Limited-Edition BFF Burger Together
College-Targeted Food Pop-Ups
Uber Hosts 'The One Shop' Across University Campuses
AI Chocolate Bar Campaigns
SNICKERS Launches a Generative AI Campaign with José Mourinho
Anti-Theft Phone Cases
JOAN London Created an "Unsnatchable" Phone Case to Deter Thieves
Thematic Super-Villain-Inspired Makeup Campaigns
NYX Launches the 'Who Stole Halloween?' Campaign
Hug-Inspired Olympics Campaigns
Coca-Cola's Summer Olympics Campaign was Inspired by True Events
Ketchup Dispenser Billboards
'Smack for Heinz' Helps Fans Complete Meals with a Favorite Condiment
Athlete-Backed Shoe Campaigns
Nike Released Awaken Your Madness with International Soccer Players
Naturalistic Taco Stand Campaigns
Coca-Cola Launched a Street Photography Campaign in Norway
Break-Encouraging Soda Branding
The Diet Coke Break Campaign Includes Customized Cans
Purposeful Consumer-Focused Campaigns
IKEA's Sleepfluencers Campaign is a Clever Way to Give Back
Versatile Hot Honey Campaigns
Mike's Hot Honey Launches the 'You'll Love It with Mike's' Campaign
Athletic Apparel Interactive Billboards
Gymshark Unveils the Shoplift Campaign Ahead of Sale
Star-Studded Tech Campaigns
Jewellery Pros and Music Talent Promote the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds
Humorous Payment Campaigns
Paypal's Latest Campaign Features Actor Will Ferrell
Gamer-Centric Fast Food Campaigns
Burger King's Gaming Campaign to Rewards “Burger-to-King” Goals
Product Review-Centered Campaigns
Kitchenaid's 'Love the Racks' Campaign Was Written by a Customer
Charming Christmas Advertisements
Sainsbury’s Christmas Ad 2024 Evokes Childhood Nostalgia
Heated QSR Anniversary Campaigns
Burger King Brazil Celebrates Milestone with a New Campaign
Refreshed Colorful Candy Brands
Elmwood Reinvents the New Skittles Branding Update
Pineapple Snack Competitions
The Dole Can It Pineapple Snack Hackathon Inspires Creative Recipes
Young Travellers-Targeting Campaigns
Progressive Insurance Has Introduced a New Campaign
Brainstorming Business Idea Tools
IdeaMate is the Solution to Fighting Stale Business Ideas
Customer-Driven Holiday Campaigns
Amazon's Holiday Campaign is Inspired by 5-Star Reviews
Craveable Soda Packaging
Sprite is Reviving Its Obey Your Thirst Campaign for a New Generation
Fan-Inspired Mini-Films
Battle For Heinz is a 20-Second Blockbuster Based on a Fan Tweet
Anti-Shrinkflation Pizza Campaigns
Domino's MOREflation Will Offer More Food for the Same Price
Reimagined Smartphone Campaigns
The 'Pixel In The Clutch' Campaign Highlights AI Phone Features
Video Game-Based Prize Packages
This KRAFT Mac & Cheese x Nintendo Collab Boasts Game Elements
Battle-Style Art Events
Secret Walls Relaunches its 'The Art of Competition' Tour
Data-Driven QSR Campaigns
Burger King's BK Unwrapped Reveals Customers' 2024 Ordering Preferences
Cross-Category Refreshment Campaigns
Sprite and Pringles Hot Have Teamed Up for a New Campaign
Festive Advent Campaigns
Cadbury's 24 Out-of-Home Ads Represent the Countdown to Christmas
Gen Z-Influenced Marketing Campaigns
Kraft Heinz is Studying Gen Z's Preferences with New Launches
Music Ticketing Campaigns
Coors Light Introduces 'Fix Tixflation' for Music Entertainment
Ice Cream Stick-Inspired Campaigns
KFC Brazil Gets Creative with Its 'Prize on a Bone' Campaign
Mystery-Style Holiday Ads
Waitrose Adds Mystery to the Festive Season with ‘Sweet Suspicion’ Ad
Scented Fast Food Billboards
McDonald's Set Up a French Fry-Scented Billboard
Adventurous Roadtrip Retail Campaigns
The Pilot Flying J 'See You Out Here' Campaign is Relatable
Local Restaurant Campaigns
PEPSI X Kelly Rowland Present the Local Eats Better With Pepsi Program
Food-Themed Holiday Campaigns
Kroger’s 2024 Holiday Campaign Celebrates Food and Connection
Humorous Pet Furniture Campaigns
IKEA Playfully Presents its UTSÅDD Collection in a Campaign
Gamified In-Airport Activations
Haribo's Mobile Games Gives People of All Ages the Chance to Win
Neighborhood-Inspired Campaigns
Kotn's F/W 2024 Collection is Released with a Witty Short-Film
Fandom-Friendly Campaigns
WhatsApp & Netflix Unite for a Squid Game Fandom Celebration
Epic Rapper-Backed Soda Campaigns
PEPSI Launched its 'Make Your Gameday Epic' Campaign
Hyper-Personalized AI Campaigns
Tesco's Stronger Starts Uses AI to Recognize Customers by Name
Provocative Guerrilla Campaigns
Jewelry Brand MWCurated Uses Fake Infidelity Flyers for Marketing
QSR Summer Pop-Ups
McDonald's Mexico Launched a Summer-Themed Activation in Mexico
QSR Game-Inspired Fitness Partnerships
WithU and McDonald's MONOPOLY Make Strides in the UK
Anthropomorphic Store Campaigns
IKEA's Short Social Films Promote Its Click-and-Collect Service
Soda-Paired Pizza Deals
Pepsi Chase Cars Boost Pizza and Pepsi Pairings to Unlock Maximum Flavor
Loyalty-Focused Grocery Initiatives
Tony’s Fresh Market Boasts a New Website and Loyalty Program
Celebratory Convenience Market Menus
7-Eleven, Inc. Launches an Array of New Food Items and Deals
Inventive Retail Strategies
H&M is Working to Localize Its Shopping Experience
Imaginative Condiment Campaigns
Heinz's 'You Can Already Taste It' Features a "No Taste Test"
Celebratory Musical Snack Campaigns
This Butterkist Wicked Promotion Celebrates the Upcoming Movie
Do-Good Pizza Taste Tests
The Good Tastes Better Social Experiment Sees Purpose Impact Perception
Super Bowl Drive-Thru Commercials
Taco Bell Debuts Its Live Más Drive-Thru Cams Campaign
Gen Z Breakfast Campaigns
'Start the Day the Totino’s Way' Targets Teens Who Skip Morning Meals
Global Holiday Campaigns
David Beckham Stars in SharkNinja's 'Ninja the Holidays' Campaign
Streetside Challenge Billboards
Gymbox Start Line Encourages Passersby to Try a Short Dash
Music Video-Inspired Supermarket Campaigns
Albert Heijn Pays Homage to Wham!'s Last Christmas
Marketing Idea Generators
Thunderbucket Provides Marketing Ideas and Observations at Speed
Donut Inspired Ad Campaigns
Dunkin' Donuts New Ad Campaign is Called Dunkin'Terns
Email Marketing Tracking Platforms
'Mailboard' Helps Marketers Track Competitors and More
Late-Night Chicken Shop Pop-Ups
Bird's Eye Launched a New Range with an Exclusive Experience
TV Game-Inspired Pizza Campaigns
Netflix and Domino's Join on Emergency Pizza Campaigns
Dressed-Up Breakfast Campaigns
Joe & the Juice Invites Customers to Get Chic for Breakfast
All-Dark Marketing Campaigns
IKEA Introduces its Darkest Campaign Yet with Try Oslo's Help
Pumpkin-Inspired Community-Themed Campaigns
Danone North America Debuts the Tri Pumpkin Campaign
Chicken-Centered Campaigns
KFC Released a Campaign Called 'Believe in Chicken'
Human Connection-Centric Campaigns
Etsy's New Ad Campaign Wants to Keep Commerce Human
Intimate Customized Denim Events
Mars the Label Brings its Friends with Mars Event to London
Customer-Exclusive Brand Trips
Cocokind is Hosting a Customer Brand Trip to Napa Valley in 2025
QSR X-Ray Campaigns
KFC Spain Presents a Chicken X-Ray Campaign to Combat a Stigma
Travel-inspired Brand Campaigns
Michelin Launches the On the Road and Beyond! Campaign
Gen Z Waffle Campaigns
The Belgian Waffle Co Targets India's Gen Z Community Using Palak Tiwari
Navigational Protein Bars
Perfect Bar Created a Bar with a GPS to Lead Shoppers to Its Product
Festive Cream Cheese Campaigns
You’ve Got a Friend in Philly Acknowledges Holiday Highs & Lows
Minimizing Phone Usage Initiatives
Heineken's Latest Campaign Addresses Phone Use at Music Events
Competitive Intelligence Platforms
Klue's Intelligence Platform Tracks Comprehensive Market Data
Soccer Star Chip Campaigns
Lay's x Messi Chip Bags are Arriving for Soccer Season
Familial Meal Kit Campaigns
HelloFresh, Hello Dinner Spotlights the Uniqueness of Households
Artistic Libation Campaigns
The Madrí Excepcional 'Paint Your Pint' Competition Challenges Fans
Video Game Refreshment Campaigns
The Suntory x Super Mario Campaign is Playful
Football-Themed Pizza Promotions
Little Caesars & NFL Debut HOT-N-READY Giveaways & Getaways
Gamified Burrito Campaigns
Chipotle Launches Wordle-Inspired Game for Fans to Win Free Burritos
Saucy High-Definition Screen Campaigns
Zaxby’s is Leveraging the Busy Black Friday Shopping Period
AI-Crafted Banking Ads
The U.S. Bank Debuts 'The Power of Us' Campaign
Complimentary Spice Grocer Campaigns
Sainsbury's Seasonings Shuttle Service Provides Free Spices
Kindness-Promoting Marketing Campaigns
Once Upon a Coconut Launches 1 Million Acts of Kindness
Reflection-Encouraging Edible Oil Campaigns
Simply Fresh Marks the New Year with a New Campaign
Sponsored Tailgating Events
The Popeyes x DoorDash Wing Truck Makes Game Day More Memorable
Budget-Friendly Airline Campaigns
Sunwing Vacations Debuts the Flynancial Advisor Campaign
Pirate-Inspired Business Ads
Amazon Business Launched a Light Hearted Ad, ‘Run a Tighter Ship'
Feel-Good Financial Campaigns
Ally Financial's Banksgiving Supports Customers in Need with Funds
Seasonal Halloween Marketing Promotions
Welch's Fruit Snacks Unveils its MVP Goals for Halloween
College-Football Fandom Campaigns
Fairfield by Marriott x Jesse Palmer Honor Football Fans
Cheeky Financial Stress-Alleviating Campaigns
HOPWTR Has Debuted a Creative Promotional Campaign
Playful QSR Campaigns
Cossette Forms the New McDonald's Campaign to Closest Restaurant
Gen Z Basketball Campaigns
Rivalry Unites with Basketball Forever for a Gen Z-Focused NBA Campaign
Hard-To-Read Health Campaigns
A Specsavers Campaign Encourages Movie-Goers to Check their Sight
Social Connection Campaigns
Beavertown Brewery's Is This Seat Taken? Campaign Unites Strangers
Competitor Insight Business Platforms
'RivalSense' Helps Brands Monitor Their Competitors
Bizarre Soda Campaigns
Dr Pepper's Try More Weird Disrupts Life's Boredoms with Weirdness
Personalized Retail Media Networks
Thrive Market Collaborates with Instacart on a New Network
Snacking Mishap Campaigns
The Other Hand by Cheetos Shows Snackers Who Refuse to Put the Bag Down
Dynamic Auto Marketing Campaigns
Hyundai Promotes Its Electrical Vehicle Line-up
AI-Enhanced QSR Rewards
Wendy's Leverages Artificial Intelligence for its New Rewards Platform
Competitor Tracking Insights
Campana Offers Insights into Your Rivals' Strategies
Imaginative Children's Holiday Campaigns
Aretto and Hamleys Partner on an Engaging Campaign
Cheeky Father's Day Promotions
Panera Celebrated Father's Day by Accepting Dad Jokes as Payment
Fresh Produce-Focused Campaigns
I Love Fruit & Veg from Europe Emphasizes Fresh European Produce
Short Film-Inspired Ads
Apple’s New ‘The Underdogs’ Ad Features Various Apple Products
Stylistic Footwear Campaigns
Bata Launched its 'Make Your Way' Campaign with a Focus on Comfort
Food-Inspired Costume Contests
Kraft Natural Cheese Centers Its Grated Parmesan for Halloween
Competitor Analysis Intelligence
Campana Dives Into Your Competitors' Activities to Aid Decisions
Appetizer-Themed Holiday Campaigns
Summer Fresh® Debuted 12 Days of Appetizer Recipes
Mango-Scented Newspaper Ads
Swiggy Instamart Launched a Scented Campaign in the Times of India
Comedic Groundhog Day Campaigns
Lay's Flavor for Days Campaign Taps into Groundhog Day
Nostalgic Seasonal Snack Campaigns
This Tyrrells Campaign Encourages Holiday Snacking
Competitor Analysis Platforms
Competitor Research Delivers Insights with Comprehensive Reports
Cheeky Chicken Wings Promotions
Tgi Fridays® Offers a Unique Consolation Prize
Simplified Competitor Ad Analysis
re:klam Offers Insights Into Competitor Strategies
Empowering Consumer-Centric Campaigns
Which? Launches a Festive Campaign to Empower Shoppers
Competitive Intelligence Tools
Dingo Dive Centralizes Competitor Data for Ads, Blogs, and More
Comprehensive Business Loyalty Solutions
BusinessQR Helps Brands Build Customer Loyalty
Strategic Running Gameplay
Battle Run Invites Joggers to Conquer Territories on Their Runs
Scratch-to-Win Pizza Promotions
Freshslice Pizza is Celebrating Its 25th Anniversary This Month
Competitive Math Games
Relay Lets Friends Compete Against One Another in Mental Math Challenges
Celebratory Pizza Promotions
Little Caesars Summer of Hot-N-Ready Giveaways & Getaways is Tasty
Competition-Based Esports Partnerships
Esports World Cup Recruits Heinz, Logitech G, and Secretlab