As the May 2017 marketing trends reveal, brands are increasingly resorting to more deceptive means in order to get their point across. Whether it is an obvious joke or something a little more sneaky, marketing is not as straightforward as it used to be.
One of the most clever marketing tactics brands are adopting is to challenge consumers on what they think they like. For instance, Tim Hortons recently opened a fake cafe called 'Perfectly Uncomplicated Lattes' to show consumers that great lattes don't need to come from an expensive coffee shop. Similarly, Suave Professionals created a minimalist label for its shampoo to fool millennials into thinking it was an up-and-coming brand. Both examples demonstrate how brands are resorting to more deceptive means to make consumers think more about why they buy certain products.
In contrast to some of the more deceptive tactics, the 2017 marketing trends also reveal brands using more obvious jokes to promote their products. Examples of this humorous approach include KFC Canada's voice-activated chicken buckets and Duolingo's fictional emoji language course.
Top 75 Marketing Ideas in May
From Deceptive Shampoo Campaigns to Voice-Activated Chicken Buckets:
Katherine Pendrill — May 28, 2017 — Marketing
75
Boutique Designer Gyms
Dsquared2's Ceresio 7 Gym and Spa is for the Fashionably Fit
74
Bikini Uniform Coffee Shops
The Bikini Beans Espresso Coffee Shops Boast Baristas in Swimwear
73
Musical Tech Festivals
Moogfest 2017 Serves as the Synthesis of Music, Art, and Technology
72
Deceptive Shampoo Campaigns
Suave Professionals Has Released a Creative Ad to Market Its Shampoo
71
Pet Adoption Photography Campaigns
The World For All Series Sends a Message with Optical Illusions
70
Experiential Tech Stores
Toronto Will Become the Home of the Next Samsung Experience Store
69
Coveted Luxe Streetwear Pop-Ups
A New Louis Vuitton and fragment design Collection Was Released
68
VIP Pizza Boxes
Domino's Loyalty Program for Customers Turns Them into Shareholders
67
Deceptive Coffee Shop Menus
Tim Hortons Opened a Fake Cafe Called 'Perfectly Uncomplicated Lattes'
66
Tech Brand Vodka Gifts
The Google Campus Warsaw Offers Complimentary Vodka for Visitors
65
Hawaiian Airline Cabins
Hawaiian Airlines' New Cabin Design Incorporates Cultural Details
64
Lifeguard Tower Hotels
This Beachside Hut in Tel Aviv is Now a Luxury Pop-Up Hotel
63
AI Beauty Assistant Apps
Dior Insider's Technology is Available Through Facebook Messenger
62
Late-Night Meal Deliveries
With Door Dash, Jack in the Box is Offering Night Meal Delivery
61
Swedish Furniture Shop Restaurants
Ikea Standalone Cafes Could Soon Be in City Centers Worldwide
60
Germy Petri Posters
This Soap Ad Campaign Features Enormous Petri Dishes Full of Live Bacteria
59
Replacement Crayon Campaigns
The Crayola Who's Leaving Countdown Celebrates the Brand's New Color
58
Fire Safety Simulators
'Escape My House' Stresses the Importance of Having a Fire Escape Plan
57
Mini Fitness Festivals
Virgin Sport Teased the Hackney Festival of Fitness with a One-Day Event
56
Springtime Sakura Parties
Japan's Kirin Brewery Offers Indoor Cherry Blossom-Viewing Events
55
Concept Car Spa Soirees
This Buick Style Event Boasted Manicures in Honor of the Buick Avista
54
Cryptic TV Billboards
These Mysterious TV Ads Celebrate the Return of David Lynch's Twin Peaks
53
Surprise Rewards Programs
Kimpton Hotels Offers Spontaneous 'Karma Credits' to Guests
52
Progressive Female Representation Campaigns
Dove and Mindshare Joined to Redefine Beauty Standards
51
Virtual Dinner Dates
Deilveroo's 'Milan on the Thames' Connects Diners in London and Italy
50
Athletic Fairy Tale Footwear
New Balance Created Beauty and the Beast Shoes for Women and Girls
49
Polluted Art Galleries
This Pop-Up Gallery Exclusively Features Art Made with Air Pollution
48
Life-Sized Soda Spouts
The Dr. Pepper Fountain Was Created by the Company for a Loyal Fan
47
Adaptable QSR Uniforms
McDonald's New Fast Food Uniforms Were Created by Fashion Designers
46
Clever Animal Adoption Campaigns
This Pedigree Campaign Prompts Parents to Get a Shelter Dog
45
Health Assessment Posters
These Cancer Research UK Posters Offer a Free Breathing Test
44
Cereal Character Competitions
Weetabix and Cartoon Network are Encouraging Play with Food
43
Energetic Escape Challenges
The Red Bull Mind Gamers Partook in the Escape Room World Championship
42
Gamified Checkout Systems
Consumers May Win Prizes In-Store and Online with Luckycycle
41
AR Easter Egg Games
British Land Launched a Virtual Easter Egg Hunt Game
40
Beacon Technology Services
Conichiwa Provides On-Demand Services for Many Different Industries
39
Promotional V8 Ringtones
Ford's 2018 Mustang GT Ringtone Shows Off the Muscle Car's New Features
38
Voice-Activated Chicken Buckets
KFC Duped Consumers with 'The Bucket' on April Fool's Day
37
Chat-Based Loyalty Programs
The Coach WeChat Account Offers a Membership Program
36
Inked Pollution Murals
These Awareness-Raising Billboards Were Made with Air-Ink Technology
35
Price Point Soccer Jerseys
Fluminense de Feira Has Invented a Creative Way to Earn Ad Revenue
34
Memorializing Advisory Labels
Studio Brussel Created a Purple Parental Advisory Label for Prince
33
In-Store Tuxedo Showrooms
Nordstrom is Teaming Up with The Black Tux to Offer Tuxedo Rentals
32
Pop-Up VR Bars
The House of Peroni Event Featured Immersive Works of Art
31
Emoji Language Courses
This App for Learning Language Teased an Emoji Course for April Fool's Day
30
Marijuana Protest Pop-Ups
The Crave Collective Set Up a Grow Room in Australia to Make a Statement
29
One-Day Festival Previews
Bestival Teased the Experience Offered at Its Full Four-Day Event
28
Atypical Tourism Ads
These Bizarre Illinois Travel Posters Encourage Chicago Residents to Explore
27
Air Filtration Billboards
Toyota's "Eco-Billboard" Removes Nitrogen Dioxide from the Air
26
Fantasy Story Sneakers
These Limited-Edition Asics Sneaker Packs Celebrate Disney's Newest Film
25
Concept Pub Crawl Beers
These Beer Bottles Were Inspired by the Famous Otley Run
24
Violence-Exposing Photo Booths
Terre Des Femmes Created the Shocking Bruise Automat Campaign
23
Cage-Cleaning Animal Experiences
Guests Pay to Scoop Polar Bear Dung At Wuhan Haichang Ocean Park
22
Car Company Webisodes
Chevrolet's 'Small Talk' Webisodes are Designed for Millennial Drivers
21
Augmented Investigation Apps
The 'Archer, P.I.' App Integrates AR and Printing Technology
20
Team Jersey Air Fresheners
KIA Motors' Automotive Air Fresheners Boast NBA-Themed Scents
19
Expanded Basketball Figurine Collections
GoDaddy is Offering New Itty Bitty Ballers Figures
18
Smartphone-Shaped Landscape Frames
This Phone Advertisement Shows the Galaxy S8's Large Screen
17
Fairy Tale Sock Collections
Stance's Fun Disney Socks Feature Themes from Beauty and the Beast
16
Telecom Hotspot Onesies
The T-Mobile 'ONEsie' Offers Unlimited Coverage for April Fool's Day
15
Personalized Meal Boxes
KFC India's 'I-Box' Provides a Printed Selfie in One's Likeness
14
Miniature Burger Pranks
McDonald's Launched 'The Micro Mac' for April Fool's Day
13
Exclusive Concert Events
Gorillaz and T-Mobile Launched a Secret Gig for Fans
12
Fictional Tech Company Plug-Ins
The Pipey Browser Extension Pays Homage to Microsoft's Clippy
11
Non-Branded Fast Food Ads
These Mindy Kaling Commercials for McDonald's Never Feature Its Name
10
Promotional Photo-Op ATMs
This Attack on Titan ATM Encourages Photo-Taking Nearby
9
Voice-Activated Burger Spots
Burger King's Google Home Ad Makes the Device Talk About the Whopper
8
Augmented Reality Table Lamps
Lampix will Change the Way Users Work and Play
7
Crayon Farewell Tours
The Celebrate Dandelion Campaign Encourages Crayola Fans to Say Goodbye
6
Burger-Flavored Toothpastes
Burger King's Fun Toothpaste Flavor Mimics the Taste of the Whopper
5
Sarcastic Healthcare Ads
North Memorial's Commercials Show How Frustrated US Patients are
4
Down Syndrome Awareness Ads
'Not Special Needs' Aims to Break Barriers for Those with Disabilities
3
Adversarial Airline Ads
The New Emirates 'Friendly Skies' Spot Highlights United's Recent Troubles
2
App-Inspired Laser Tag Games
This Event Brought Bubble Witch 3 Saga to Life Through Laser Tag
1
Civil Unrest Ad Spots
Pepsi and Kendall Jenner's New Commercial Uses Activism to Sell Soft Drinks
Related Ideas
AI-Generated Fashion Campaigns
Mango Debuted Its First AI Campaign for Its New Teen Line
Curated Back-To-School Campaigns
JD Debuts the New Start Fresh Back-To-School Campaign
Cleverly-Disguised Fountain Cups
Pepsi's Latest Campaign Stunt Introduced 'Undercover Cups'
AI-Driven Dreamy Fashion Campaigns
ETRO's Spring 2024 Ad Campaign Uses Artificial Intelligence
Playful Pet Accident Campaigns
IKEA Unveils the Don't Worry, You Can Afford It Campaign
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'
Branded AI-Generated Short Films
KFC Philippines Captures Attention with AI-Generated Films
Invisible Furniture Capsules
IKEA's Invsbål Campaign and Capsule are a Playful April Fool's Joke
AI-Lead Car Ads
Ford Launched an AI Campaign Dubbed 'Be Surreal, Be Ford'
Halloween-Inspired Pretzel Campaigns
Snyder’s of Hanover Debuts the 'Pretzelface' Campaign
Ingenious De-Influencing Ads
Cuyana's De-Influencing April Fool's Campaign Highlights Greenwashing
GenAI Flip Phone Campaigns
Motorola's Styled with Moto Features AI-Generated Virtual Models
Kid-Powered Imagination Campaigns
Lunchables' A.I. vs K.I. Proves Kids' Limitless Creativity
Film-Inspired Condiment Ads
GUT New York Forms the Heinz Smiles Campaign to Celebrate Joker 2
Beer-Pouring Party Billboards
JUBEL Made a Billboard That Pours Pints Invites People in to Party
Parisian Airport Pop-Ups
Moët Hennessy's Paris Concept Event Featured Travel Exclusives
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
Crave-Worthy Nutritious Food Brands
CVS Pharmacy Announced the Launch of Well Market
Naturalistic Taco Stand Campaigns
Coca-Cola Launched a Street Photography Campaign in Norway
Non-AI Beauty Campaigns
The Code by Dove Fights Beauty Standards Manufactured by AI
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
Age-Appropriate Skincare Campaigns
Dove's #TheFaceof10 Addresses Unsafe Gen Alpha Skincare
Versatile Hot Honey Campaigns
Mike's Hot Honey Launches the 'You'll Love It with Mike's' Campaign
Modernized Coffee Product Branding
Nescafé Branding Has Been Overhauled for a Refreshed Profile
Hug-Activated Marketing Machines
UNIQLO France and The Pull Launch the Hug to Unlock Ad
Employee Fragrance Campaigns
Lidl's Fragrance Campaign Features Local Talent with Celebrity Names
AI-Generated Soup Can Art
The Campbell’s 'pAIntings' Initiative is Inspired by Artistic Greats
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
Fridge-Decorating Social Trends
Bed Bath & Beyond Participated in 'Fridgescaping' Trend
Product Review-Centered Campaigns
Kitchenaid's 'Love the Racks' Campaign Was Written by a Customer
Gen Z-Centric Campaigns
Urban Outfitters' Shift Happens Campaign Has Three Phases
Multichannel Retail Campaigns
Urban Outfitters' 'Happy Lolidays' Campaign is Engaging
Heated QSR Anniversary Campaigns
Burger King Brazil Celebrates Milestone with a New Campaign
Global Handbag Campaigns
Coach's New 'Unlock Your Courage' Campaign Promotes Personal Expression
Provocative AR Campaigns
NotCo's 'Not So Happy Animals' Presents Food Logos in a New Light
Gen Alpha Marketing Campaigns
Claire's is Targeting TikTok Growth for its Latest Ads Spending
Unretouched Photography Books
Dove Reimagine Beauty Celebrates Authentic Representation
Craveable Soda Packaging
Sprite is Reviving Its Obey Your Thirst Campaign for a New Generation
Grocery-Themed Holiday Cosmetics
Benefit Cosmetics Presents the Playful Benemart Collection
Marketer-Targeted Cereal Ads
Surreal's Out-of-Home Campaign Speaks to Marketers, Not Consumers
Modern Coffee Packaging Designs
Happy™ Products Offers a Range of Coffee to Elevate Mornings
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
Empowering Clean Beauty Campaigns
Babe Original Celebrates Individuality with 'Originally You'
Quirky Athlete-Centric Mayo Campaigns
Hellmann's New 'Mayotivations Campaign' Features Will Levis
Modern Tissue Brand Makeovers
Turner Duckworth Redesigns the Kleenex Branding Aesthetic
Gen Z-Influenced Marketing Campaigns
Kraft Heinz is Studying Gen Z's Preferences with New Launches
Encouraging Jar-Reusing Campaigns
Kraft Mayonnaise's Initiative Encourages Consumers to Repurpose
Music Ticketing Campaigns
Coors Light Introduces 'Fix Tixflation' for Music Entertainment
Inclusive Fragrance Campaigns
The 'Where Will They Take You' Campaign Highlights Influencers
Scented Fast Food Billboards
McDonald's Set Up a French Fry-Scented Billboard
Coffee Milk Campaigns
Kristen Wiig Stars in the Ad for the Craveable New Dunkin' Dunkalatte
Food-Themed Holiday Campaigns
Kroger’s 2024 Holiday Campaign Celebrates Food and Connection
Neighborhood-Inspired Campaigns
Kotn's F/W 2024 Collection is Released with a Witty Short-Film
Shoppable CPG Ads
Instacart-Powered Shoppable Video Ads are Coming to YouTube
Rebranded Food Delivery Apps
Skip Revamps Its Brand Identity to 'Skip to the Good Part'
Secret Salon Campaigns
Salon X Lets Consumers Experience a Secret Product Line
Cancer Awareness CPG Packaging
This Unilever Pink Packaging Marks Breast Cancer Awareness
College-Inspired Haircare Pop-Ups
Monday Haircare Hosted an Interactive Pink Truck
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
Anthropomorphic Store Campaigns
IKEA's Short Social Films Promote Its Click-and-Collect Service
Visual Beer Brand Identities
Grolsch Has Unveiled a New Visual Brand Identity in Canada
Do-Good Pizza Taste Tests
The Good Tastes Better Social Experiment Sees Purpose Impact Perception
Immersive Virtual Pop-Ups
Benefit Launches Virtual 'Benemart' Concept for Holiday Shopping
Inventive Retail Strategies
H&M is Working to Localize Its Shopping Experience
Global Holiday Campaigns
David Beckham Stars in SharkNinja's 'Ninja the Holidays' Campaign
Eco-Minded Millennial Ads
Coors Seltzer's 'Call to Inaction' Campaign Aims to Save Water
Imaginative Condiment Campaigns
Heinz's 'You Can Already Taste It' Features a "No Taste Test"
Mid-20th-Century Holiday Campaigns
Saks Fifth Avenue Unveiled its 'Gifts of Delight' Campaign
Ice Cream Stick-Inspired Campaigns
KFC Brazil Gets Creative with Its 'Prize on a Bone' Campaign
Late-Night Chicken Shop Pop-Ups
Bird's Eye Launched a New Range with an Exclusive Experience
Gen Z Breakfast Campaigns
'Start the Day the Totino’s Way' Targets Teens Who Skip Morning Meals
Cheerful Healthy Snack Campaigns
Garden Veggie Snacks' YUMbelievably Delicious is Innovative
Humorous Natural Deodorant Campaigns
The Every Man Jack 'Still Smell Good' Campaign is Catchy
Artisan-Inspired Summertime Cafe Menus
This New Dunkin’ Menu Offers New Twists on Classics
Quirky Plant-Based Food Ads
Gosh! Food's Falafel Advertisement is Surprising
Marketing Idea Generators
Thunderbucket Provides Marketing Ideas and Observations at Speed
Squeezable Sauce Rebrandings
Kraft Sauce is Launching its Creamy Sauces Line to the Roster
Donut Inspired Ad Campaigns
Dunkin' Donuts New Ad Campaign is Called Dunkin'Terns
Confident Fashion Rebranding Campaigns
Boohoo Launches the People Will Talk... Campaign
Specialty Cheese Campaigns
Alouette Unveiled its Creative 'Flavor That Sings' Campaign
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
Colorful Kitchen Pop-Ups
Primal Kitchen Partners with Pintrest for a Special Initiative
Chicken-Centered Campaigns
KFC Released a Campaign Called 'Believe in Chicken'
Tongue-In-Cheek Soda Campaigns
Pepsi Jokes at Coca-Cola in It's Tastes Better Campaign
Reformulated Skincare Rebrands
Bath & Body Works Underwent a Large-scale Shift to Cleaner Products
Visually Appealing Food Campaigns
Celestial Seasonings Launches the Taste Our World Campaign
Shoppable Luxury Fashion Films
Tom Ford Allows Consumers to Seamlessly Shop Its Spring 2024 RTW
Peeling Cheese Packaging Billboards
This Babybel Billboard is Inspired by the Product's Packaging
QSR X-Ray Campaigns
KFC Spain Presents a Chicken X-Ray Campaign to Combat a Stigma
Premium Kitchen Pranks
IKEA Invented "Eureka Spiritis" to Showcase Its Quality Furnishings
Travel-inspired Brand Campaigns
Michelin Launches the On the Road and Beyond! Campaign
Navigational Protein Bars
Perfect Bar Created a Bar with a GPS to Lead Shoppers to Its Product
Social Soda Mixer Campaigns
Level Up With 7UP Inspires Gen Z and Millennial Consumers
Inspiring Daily Bodycare
method's Unleash Your Inner Shower Celebrates Personal Transformations
Familial Meal Kit Campaigns
HelloFresh, Hello Dinner Spotlights the Uniqueness of Households
Customer-Exclusive Brand Trips
Cocokind is Hosting a Customer Brand Trip to Napa Valley in 2025
Influencer Snack Bar Campaigns
Nature Valley Launches a Social-Oriented Digital Marketing Campaign
Heist-Themed Cheese Ads
This Maxi Babybel Ad Celebrates the Cheese's Return
Bathing-Inspired Pop-Ups Bars
The #DoveDeluxeBar Shares Sensorial Cocktails & Mocktails
Iconic Commercial Reboots
Oscar Mayer Brings Back Its Iconic Jingle for a New Generation
BBQ-Themed Soy Sauce Campaigns
The Kikkoman 'Fire Up the Umami' Campaign Encourages Creativity
Refreshed Beauty Jingles
Maybelline Reworked the Maybe It’s Maybelline Jingle for a New Generation
Omnichannel Automotive Services
Automotive Mastermind has Adapted to Modern Consumer Patterns
Kindness-Promoting Marketing Campaigns
Once Upon a Coconut Launches 1 Million Acts of Kindness
Reality-Bending Car Ads
CarGurus Ad Features Melting Lego and Gourmet Chef Toddlers
Playful QSR Campaigns
Cossette Forms the New McDonald's Campaign to Closest Restaurant
Australian Yogurt Campaigns
Yoplait Launches a New Platform and Marketing Campaign with AJF
Hyper-Local Gym Ads
GymBox's Made for London Life Ads Juxtapose City Living and Gym-Going
QR Code Turkey Branding
This New Butterball Branding Encourages Consumers to Engage with the Brand
First-Taste Burger Boxes
McSpicy x Frank's RedHot Released "the Hottest Drop"
Bizarre Soda Campaigns
Dr Pepper's Try More Weird Disrupts Life's Boredoms with Weirdness
Gut-Friendly Kombucha Campaigns
Health-Ade's Thrill Your Gut Highlights the Benefits of Kombucha
Affordable Luxury Cosmetics
Pretty Smart Delivers Luxury-Inspired Beauty Without the High Markup
Ice Cream-Inspired Superbowl Campaigns
Häagen-Dazs Aims to Connect with Younger Consumers
Cheeky Candy Campaigns
This Kinder Bueno Campaign Targets Millennial and Gen Z Consumers
Frozen Pizza-Centered Campaigns
Dr. Oetker Debuts the Frozen Pizza Publicist Campaign
Farmer-Celebrating Egg Branding
This New NestFresh Branding Puts Farmers in the Spotlight
Appetizer-Themed Holiday Campaigns
Summer Fresh® Debuted 12 Days of Appetizer Recipes
Revamped Juice Overhauls
Ocean Spray Announces a Brand Overhaul with Modern Influences
Disruptive Hairstyling Campaigns
Bed Head's The Lab of Life Breaks the Fourth Wall
Cosmetic Branding Design Initiatives
The AmLactin x Kerasal #UnsexyDesignChallenge is Cheeky
Mango-Scented Newspaper Ads
Swiggy Instamart Launched a Scented Campaign in the Times of India
Chef-Supported Dairy Campaigns
Anchor Food Professionals Debuts the Taste of Tradition Campaign
Cheeky Tortilla Chip Campaigns
This SimplyProtein Campaign Will Appear on Digital Platforms
Comedic Groundhog Day Campaigns
Lay's Flavor for Days Campaign Taps into Groundhog Day
Repositioned Deli Meat Brands
The Hormel Natural Choice Brand Debuted a Refreshed Image
Debunking AI Apps
BSBot Helps Publicis Clients Tell the Truth About AI from Fiction at Cannes
Empowering Consumer-Centric Campaigns
Which? Launches a Festive Campaign to Empower Shoppers
April Fool's Lifestyle Collections
Nugget Introduced Its 'Most Trendiest - High Endiest' Line Yet
Subtle Marketing Pop-Ups
FOMO Nudge Encourages Users to Buy with Subtle Pop-Ups
Grocery Store Ad Spots
Morrisons, the UK Supermarket Chain, Celebrates Its Low Pricing in This Ad
Cost Savings Grocer Campaigns
These Spar New Year Offers Prioritize Value