Nostalgia marketing

To build interest in the long-running video game The Sims, the brand worked with Amazon Ads to develop a campaign that centered on an adult Gen Z content creator named Amanda who had lost her “creative spark.” She worked with three other content creators who had used the game as an inroad to resolve their own creative slumps. The team used their nostalgic sentiment, along with their growing adult Gen Z audience to create adult Gen Z marketing in a way that felt authentic and true to the game. The journey was chronicled in a three-part docuseries.

Ahead of the release of the episodes on Fire TV and the Brand Store, the brand released teasers, Alexa-enabled audio ads, and a countdown clock on their Amazon storefront. Driving to the Brand Store helped create that shoppable moment that put customers just a click or two away from purchasing the video game title. But most importantly, the first phase of the campaign allowed for The Sims to engage with their fan base, while also introducing new players to the gist of the game.

Building off a long-lasting love of the brand and the ubiquitous love of “Cheetos dust” on consumers’ fingers, resulting from eating Cheetos, Cheetos developed the “Cheetos Duster,” a kitchen appliance that blends the snack into the beloved dust Cheetos is known for. “After our successful collaboration on the Hands-Free House at South by Southwest, we knew Cheetos was interested in activating in bigger, more brand-building ways,” said Sarah Betts, Amazon Ads Brand Innovation Lab creative director, U.S. Grocery. “So, to surprise and delight our customers with something buzzworthy and unexpected over the holidays, we looked at social trends around cooking with Cheetos. We found a natural opportunity for a product innovation that would make it easier for Cheetos fans to experiment with their favorite ingredient in the kitchen.”

Along with the Cheetos Duster, the Brand Innovation Lab worked to develop an infomercial for Cheetos that shows the kitchen appliance in action. The campaign also includes a branded recipe hub where customers can get all the ingredients they need in one place for a range of delicious and creative concoctions, including Cheetos-dusted poutine, mozzarella sticks, hot dogs, gyros, and latkes. Looking for something sweeter with a hint of cheese? There are also dessert recipes for churros, gingerbread cookies, birthday cupcakes, and more.

During the 2022 holiday season, LEGO wanted to reach new customers and establish themselves as a desired brand with new audiences. To do this, they launched a holiday advertising campaign that ran through the month of December, placing wraps on Amazon Lockers. LEGO treated the lockers as an opportunity to place a billboard where they wanted to reach new customers—specifically, 7-Eleven and Wawa locations. “We don’t want to be thought of as so expensive that parents don’t go out and even think about it for their children,” Brett Wessel, associate manager of B2B e-commerce retail marketing at LEGO. By advertising in a wide range of locker locations, LEGO wanted to be accessible to their audience, no matter their price point.

Using data from an MFour iOOH Brand Lift Report, the campaign accomplished LEGO’s goal of reminding consumers how the brand provides an opportunity to build and be creative (according to 27% of ad recognizers) and that their products make a great gift for the holidays (according to 42% of ad recognizers). In MFour’s survey to consumers, the campaign resulted in a 3% lift in brand recognition and a 15% lift in brand consideration.