In case you missed it, this week saw the kickoff of our CAMPAIGNS THAT SHOOK CULTURE series — a new content series spotlighting the campaigns that moved us, challenged us, and shifted what’s possible for brands worldwide. This is just the beginning: to stay inspired and never miss an edition, make sure to follow Brands&Culture on LinkedIn.
What transforms a marketing campaign from a simple advertisement into a cultural landmark?
It’s the rare ability to tap into the collective consciousness, to reflect and shape our values, and to start conversations that resonate far beyond the product itself. At Brands&Culture, we champion this transformative power. We seek out the work that doesn’t just sell, but moves people, sparks influence, and shifts the world.
Check out our first five campaigns that did just that. Each one provides a masterclass in building brands that are not just seen, but felt.
Nike’s “If You Let Me Play”
Long before brand activism became a mainstream strategy and women’s sports exploded into the mainstream, Nike was giving a voice to young girls in sports. By using real girls instead of celebrity athletes, the campaign delivered a poignant, data-driven message about the power of sport to change lives.
It was a bold social statement that challenged gender norms and established a blueprint for using brand platforms for genuine social empowerment. Crucially, it not only placed young female athletes at the center of national sports conversations but also challenged conventions in mainstream media, opening up the dialogue about equality and representation in ways that paved the way for future campaigns and cultural shifts.
Impactful Stats:
🏆 Garnered over 90% audience approval ratings
🏆 Increased sales and boosted customer loyalty
🏆 Established Nike as a player in the women’s sports market
Why Brands&Culture love it:
🧡 Became a template for sports marketing with genuine social empowerment.
🧡 Nike led the way in using social commentary to embed the brand in culture.
🧡 It strengthened Nike’s position in the growing women’s sports market.
The lesson? True cultural impact often comes from leading the conversation, not just joining it.
Credits: Wieden+Kennedy
Apple’s “Shot on iPhone”
In a masterful display of simplicity and trust in its users, Apple turned its customers into its creators. The “Shot on iPhone” campaign democratized creativity, transforming user-generated photos into stunning billboards and art. By inviting everyday people to submit their photos for a chance to be featured — across social, OOH, and even major print — the campaign became one of the biggest, most impactful user-generated content initiatives ever run by a brand. Influencers, professional photographers, and first-time creators all became Apple’s advocates, reinforcing the brand’s position at the intersection of innovation and creativity.
The campaign’s ongoing iterations proved its power to evolve alongside technology, each time elevating community voices and reinforcing Apple’s image as a champion of self-expression and storytelling. By leveraging genuine content, Apple didn’t just sell products — it inspired users to reimagine what was possible through their own lens, strengthening loyalty and deepening its cultural relevance for years to come.
Impactful Stats:
📸 Drove over 20 billion OOH impressions and 14 billion+ campaign views
📸 Apple’s global smartphone market share increased by 5pp since launch
📸 Contributed to $40B in incremental iPhone sales in 2024 alone
📸 Apple’s stock achieved its highest close ever, making it the world’s second most valuable company
📸 Over 70 million interactions on Instagram and 100,000+ photo submissions in the campaign’s first year
Why Brands&Culture love it:
🧡 A beautifully simple rejection of over-produced tech ads.
🧡 Improved perception, seeing iPhone consistently ranked as the #1 smartphone camera
Credits: TBWA\MEDIA ARTS LAB
Always’ “#LikeAGirl”
Always took a common insult and transformed it into a global anthem of empowerment. By digging into the sharp insight that girls’ confidence plummets during puberty, the #LikeAGirl campaign sparked a necessary worldwide conversation about gender stereotypes.
The team’s creative social experiment — asking women and men of different ages to act out phrases “like a girl” — uncovered how even language itself is shaped by ingrained biases. Before the campaign, “like a girl” was used mostly as a put-down; after, it became a proud rallying cry, with millions around the world joining to reclaim and redefine it.
The result was not just an ad, but a cultural turning point recognized by the UN for its impact on global female empowerment. Social media exploded with positivity: celebrities, influencers, and ordinary people alike embraced the hashtag, propelling it from screens to school chalkboards and countless real-world displays. The campaign helped establish “like a girl” as a symbol of strength and pride across continents.
Impactful Stats:
👌 92% increase in purchase intent
👌 96% overall positive sentiment through emotional brand connection
👌 85 million film views on YouTube since the campaign launch
👌 90M+ total views and 4.4B+ media impressions in the first three months
👌 177,000 #LikeAGirl tweets in the first three months, with Always Twitter followers tripling and YouTube subscribers up 4,339%
👌 In a global survey, almost 70% of women and 60% of men said the campaign “changed my perception of the phrase ‘like a girl'”
Why Brands&Culture love it:
🧡 Built a fresh understanding of confidence for young women globally.
🧡 Changed the conversation and dismantled outmoded stereotypes, proving that a brand can truly drive meaningful social change.
Credits: MSL Group, Leo Burnett Toronto
Liquid Death’s Entertainment-First Rebellion
With a fraction of the budget of its competitors, Liquid Death defied conventions by making entertainment and cultural provocation the heart of its strategy — building a $1.4 billion brand and standing out in a saturated market.
Rather than leading with product features or even sustainability, it developed a brash and humorous identity that dared its audience to laugh, challenge the norm, and participate in the fun. This entertainment-first approach didn’t just drive virality; it built loyal fans and lasting connections around the brand.
Impactful Stats:
💀 Became the 3rd most followed beverage brand globally on Instagram and TikTok, demonstrating the power of digital-first, community-driven engagement
💀 Built a brand worth $1.4 billion (2024)
💀 Earned roughly $333 million in revenue (2024), up 27% year-over-year
Why Brands&Culture love it:
🧡 By relentlessly conjuring up attention-grabbing ideas, Liquid Death created loyalty and commercial success without preaching or following expected industry scripts
🧡 Hid its real sustainability impact — like eliminating single-use plastic from its products — behind irreverent entertainment, proving that purpose can be powerful even when delivered with a wink
Credits: created by the Liquid Death in-house team
And finally…..
🎃Happy Halloween folks! 🎃
The “Horseless Headsman” — part of the “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” series for Snickers.
Why it’s classic: Launched in 2010, this long running campaign has made the phrase “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” become part of popular culture and has adapted a universal insight for multiple markets.
This long-term campaign is a fine example of taking a universal human truth (people get angry when they’re hungry) and nuancing it for local cultures. It’s a campaign that has stood the test of time — launching in 2010 and still counting — by Mars Inc. and BBDO Worldwide.
One of the longest running campaigns in recent history, “You’re not you when you’re hungry” proves that a strong platform idea, which can flex to different markets and audiences, is an unstoppable force.
“Horseless Headsman”, launched in 2012, was BBDO’s first Halloween commercial for Snickers and shows the world to the hungry version of the Headless Horseman — the Horseless Headman, a large, confused head who hopelessly tries to scare trick-or-treaters. Daft and surreal, it caught the attention of American consumers, who can’t get enough of Halloween.
It’s achieved market share growth in 56 out of 58 markets and helped global sales grow by 15.9% overall.
According to David Lubars, former Chairman and Chief Creative Officer at BBDO and 2025 Lion of St Mark recipient, the reason behind the campaign’s success is that they “didn’t do what’s usually done, which is parachute some American campaign into another country, and it feels foreign”. Instead, they adapted it to each market, using different celebrities and targeting local truths.
In Japan, “Samurai Snickers” featured a group of samurai warriors in training, when one of them suddenly loses his cool and starts whining — in classic slapstick humour.
In Egypt, “The Diva” showed how a man (played by actress Haifa Wehbe) complains dramatically in traffic — showing how hunger can make you overdramatic.
Other editions have been made for markets including Brazil, China, UK, Germany and more….
The results speak for themselves.
🎃 Snickers sales rose by over 15% in the first year after launch (2010-2011).
🎃 It became the #1 global chocolate bar by 2012.
🎃 Helped Snickers achieve record-breaking sales of over $3.5 billion annually worldwide.
🎃 Increased U.S. market share in the candy bar segment
These five campaigns showcase the core ethos of Brands&Culture:
that the most successful brands are those brave enough to shape culture, not just chase it.
This is just the beginning of our ‘CAMPAIGNS THAT SHOOK CULTURE’ series.
Follow us on LinkedIn to catch the rest of the series and join the conversation about creating work that truly matters.
Got a favorite campaign that shook culture? Let us know on our LinkedIn page — we’d love to hear what has inspired you.
