Brands/Products
Iconic Marketing Campaigns That Stood Out From the Crowd
While we may not like to admit it, we’re all susceptible to the marketing and advertising efforts of companies. If we weren’t, we wouldn’t own many of the products we do today.
Advertising and marketing executives work hard to create campaigns that are emotive, humorous and memorable, in the hopes that it will encourage us to spend money on their product or service.
These campaigns pay for many of the things we take for granted. TV shows are paid for by the advertisements that run during commercial breaks, public transport is subsidised by the ads on the sides of buses and inside trains, and social media sites wouldn’t be free if they weren’t funded by sponsored posts and ads on the side of the screen. They work too, ads on Facebook are some of the most effective ways to promote a business.
The best campaigns are ones that make us laugh or feel emotional, stick in our minds, and get us talking. Here are some of those iconic campaigns.
Apple’s Get a Mac Campaign
The Apple we know today is a giant in the tech industry and one of the wealthiest companies in the world. It wasn’t always the case though. In the 1990s, the company was on the brink of collapse after a string of failed products like the Newton.
Steve Jobs’ return to the company changed that, launching the iMac in August 1998 followed by other successful products like the iPod, iPhone and iPad.
By 2006, the company was in a much strong position and was ready to take on its biggest rival, Microsoft. It did this through a series of ads called “Get a Mac” that personified Windows and Mac computers, the former as a boring office worker and the latter as a cool, younger person.
These ads ran until 2010 and were a huge success, helping Apple to increase its Mac sales by almost 40%.
It even spawned a series of parody videos, such as the “iPod vs Zune” and “PS3 vs Wii”.
PokerStars’ I’M IN Campaign
People have been playing poker and similar games for hundreds of years, but the internet helped to make it more accessible to millions of more players in the 2000s. The game has a widespread appeal that spans generations, social classes, and geographic borders, meaning you could everyone from retired investment bankers and computer programmers to dancers and teachers.
This was something that PokerStars, one of the world’s biggest online poker platforms, set to celebrate with its I’M IN campaign. The campaign was put together following extensive research among its community of poker players and was designed to demonstrate that the company provides a trusted environment for them to enjoy the game in. PokerStars launched the campaign with a 60 second TV ad, backing it up with a string of shorter ads shown in several key markets and a selection of digital assets used online.
British Heart Foundation’s Hands-Only CPR Campaign
In 2010, St John Ambulance warned that as many as 150,000 people could be dying each year because they do not receive first aid quickly enough. It highlighted the alarming fact that almost one-quarter of people said they would “do nothing” if they saw someone struggling, either waiting for an ambulance or hoping someone else knew first aid.
An additional 59% said they would “not feel confident trying to save a life”.
To combat these shocking statistics, the British Heart Foundation ran an advertising campaign in the UK called “Hands-Only CPR”.
Featuring Vinnie Jones, a British footballer and actor known for playing hard-nut criminals in his movies, the ad instructed people on how to perform hands-only CPR.
In the ad Jones says “no kissing…you push hard and fast…to Stayin’ Alive”. Then the Bee Gees song, Stayin’ Alive begins to play while Jones performs chest compressions.
While talking about a serious subject, the British Heart Foundation was able to create a memorable, humorous ad that would stick in the minds of viewers.
It worked because the instructions were simple and the song is one that is almost universally recognised.
Shortly afterwards, the American Heart Association also used the song in its “Keep The Beat” campaign, proving the merits of the song.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has backed the call by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for local smartphone manufacturing to accelerate digital inclusion.
The ALTON Chairman, Mr Gbenga Adebayo, described the proposal as a practical measure capable of accelerating broadband adoption and expanding digital inclusion across the country.
He said Nigeria must deliberately transition from being predominantly a technology consumer to becoming an innovator, designer and manufacturer of digital technologies.
According to him, Nigeria’s large telecommunications market and youthful population provide the scale and human capital needed for world-class technology manufacturing.
The ALTON chairman said the country’s ambition should extend beyond assembling smartphones to developing complete technology capabilities across the value chain.
“Our ambition should extend beyond assembling devices. We must pursue genuine knowledge transfer, research and development, product engineering, software development, semiconductor capabilities and large-scale manufacturing,” he stressed.
He said the objective should be producing devices and digital technologies for Nigeria, Africa and the global market.
Mr Adebayo said the emergence of Artificial Intelligence had further strengthened Nigeria’s opportunity to become a competitive technology manufacturing hub.
He said Artificial Intelligence was transforming product design, manufacturing, quality assurance, supply chain management, customer experience and software innovation.
According to him, investing in AI-enabled manufacturing will improve productivity, create high-value jobs and strengthen Nigeria’s competitiveness across Africa.
NCC’s Board Chairman, Mr Idris Olorunnimben, at a Digital Africa Summit Roundtable in Shanghai, called for local smartphone production and innovative financing to tackle the proliferation of counterfeit and non-type-approved devices through stronger market integrity.
The ALTON boos described the grey market as a major challenge affecting consumers, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and the wider telecommunications ecosystem.
According to him, robust local manufacturing supported by strong quality standards will provide credible alternatives to grey-market imports.
He said effective type approval, competitive pricing and consumer confidence would encourage wider acceptance of locally manufactured smartphones.
“This will strengthen consumer protection, improve network performance, retain greater value within our economy, and stimulate industrial growth,” he said.
Mr Adebayo also endorsed innovative smartphone financing, stronger device management systems and identity-enabled credit frameworks.
He added that the initiatives would enable more Nigerians to acquire quality smartphones through affordable payment models.
According to him, telecom operators remain ready to partner with the government, manufacturers, financiers, academia, investors and development partners to build sustainable local manufacturing.
The ALTON boss described the initiative as a national economic transformation agenda capable of creating jobs and strengthening Nigeria’s position in the global digital economy.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Woodrow has been named Africa Agency of the Year 2026 by PRovoke Media, one of the world’s leading authorities on the communications industry.
The award recognises Woodrow’s rapid growth across the continent and its work supporting clients navigating some of Africa’s most complex communication, policy, reputation and stakeholder challenges.
In announcing the award, PRovoke Media described Woodrow as “a different kind of communications firm for Africa. Built locally, but operating across borders, with a focus on high-stakes, high-complexity mandates that reflect the realities of the continent’s political and economic landscape.”
Founded five years ago by Mr Charlie Tarr, who has spent more than two decades working across African markets advising various organisations, Woodrow has grown from its Nairobi headquarters into a multi-market African consultancy. It now has teams and partners across Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Zambia, Senegal and South Africa, delivering work across 13 countries.
Since 2024, Woodrow has more than doubled revenue, expanded delivery across more African markets and supported assignments that have generated global audiences exceeding 70 million people in multiple markets.
Speaking on the recognition, Mr Charlie Tarr, Founder and CEO of Woodrow Communications, said, “When we started Woodrow, we believed Africa deserved communications advice built for Africa’s realities, not imported templates. This recognition is a testament to our people, our clients and our belief that world-class strategic communications can be built from the continent and compete with the very best anywhere in the world. This feels more like a beginning than an arrival.”
Adding his input, Mr David Karega, Head of East and Southern Africa, added, “This award belongs to the team and the clients who have trusted us with some of their most important moments. From major launches and investment announcements to reputation management, policy engagement and crisis situations, we have had the privilege of helping them achieve influence. It shows that globally recognised PR excellence can be built from Nairobi and delivered across Africa.”
Woodrow’s growth has been driven by its local-first operating model, combining deep in-market expertise with regional coordination and strategic advisory support. It supports organisations such as AGRA, Bupa Global, BIC and a range of international foundations, investors and development institutions working across Africa.
Looking ahead, Woodrow is investing in new capabilities around digital influence, audience intelligence and integrated stakeholder engagement to help clients navigate the media landscape in Africa.
“Africa has never been a side conversation for us,” Mr Tarr added, “It sits at the centre of our work and future. The continent is producing some of the world’s most important opportunities in technology, investment, food systems, climate and economic transformation. We are excited to continue helping clients shape those conversations, build influence and contribute to Africa’s growth.”
SportyTV has been added to select DStv and GOtv packages in Nigeria, expanding the sports content available to subscribers. The 24-hour sports channel offers a range of live sporting events alongside news, analyses, highlights and is available to DStv Yanga and GOtv Jolli customers. The channel is also available on GOtv in Kenya and Ghana.
The addition of SportyTV complements the existing sports offering on DStv and GOtv, providing subscribers with access to additional football, basketball and combat sports content.
“SportyTV is a valuable addition to the DStv Access and GOtv Value content offering across Africa,” said David Mignot, CEO of CANAL+ Africa. “It expands the range of sporting events available to customers at an accessible price point and reflects our commitment to making quality sports content available to audiences across the continent.”
Sudeep Ramnani, Founder and CEO of Sporty Group, said: “Our ambition has always been to provide African audiences with broad access to sports content and storytelling. Through this partnership with CANAL+, we are extending that offering to more households across the continent.”
“The SportyTV channel gives DStv and GOtv subscribers additional viewing options that complement SuperSport’s existing range of sports programming,” said Rendani Ramovha, Director of Sport Content for English and Portuguese-speaking Africa at CANAL+. “It broadens the overall sports proposition with additional live events and supporting content.”
SportyTV’s football schedule includes competitions such as the English Premier League, Carabao Cup, EFL Championship, Women’s FA Cup, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A and the Spanish Super Cup. The channel also carries South American competitions including the Copa Libertadores, Argentina League and Brazil Serie A, as well as select basketball and other international sports content.
Elias Gallego, Vice President of Business Development, Marketing and Media at Sporty Group, said: “Launching SportyTV on DStv and GOtv allows us to extend our reach and bring a broader range of sports content to viewers across Africa.”
SportyTV will also carry dedicated club channels including Real Madrid TV, Arsenal TV, Chelsea TV and Manchester City TV. Additional content includes coverage from leagues in Greece and Saudi Arabia, alongside basketball programming featuring the NBA.
The channel launched on 10 June 2026 and is available in HD on DStv channel 236 and GOtv channel 58 in Nigeria.
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