Short answer
- The best recent campaigns share a few patterns: a simple mechanic, a reason to share, and a clear link to the product.
- Most of them can be scaled down: a raffle, a myth-busting video series, a "year in review" for customers, a playful mascot moment.
- For a small business, a campaign is just one offer, one audience, one message and one deadline, run for a few weeks and measured.
What makes a campaign work
A campaign is different from "doing marketing". It has a start and an end, one idea, and one thing you want people to do. The campaigns below come from global brands with huge budgets, but when you strip them down, each runs on an idea a small business can borrow.
For each example I describe the core idea based on public coverage of the campaign, then the small-business version. Links to the original coverage are at the end of each example where available.
8 recent examples and the small-business version
1. Indian Railways, "Lucky Yatra" (Cannes Lions 2025, PR Grand Prix)
The idea: encourage people to buy proper train tickets by turning each ticket into a lottery entry, so doing the right thing came with a chance to win. Created with FCB India.
Small-business version: make every receipt a raffle entry for the month. A cafe can draw one receipt each Friday for a free coffee for a month; a salon can draw one booking a month for a free treatment. It rewards the behaviour you want (buying, booking, paying in full) rather than just "liking a post".
2. Vaseline, "Vaseline Verified" (Cannes Lions 2025, Grand Prix)
The idea: people were sharing skincare "hacks" using Vaseline on social media. The brand responded by checking those hacks with science and humour, confirming the safe ones and calling out the rest. Created with Ogilvy Singapore.
Small-business version: a "true or false?" video series answering the myths in your industry. A detailer: "Does dish soap ruin car paint?" A trainer: "Do you need to stretch before lifting?" A plumber: "Are flushable wipes really flushable?" It positions you as the expert and gives people a reason to follow and share.
3. Consul, "Efficient Way to Pay" (Cannes Lions 2025, Creative Data Grand Prix)
The idea: make energy-efficient appliances easier to afford by linking payment to the energy savings they create. Created with DM9 São Paulo.
Small-business version: frame your price around the savings or value it creates. An HVAC company can show "this new unit pays for itself in X years at your current bill"; a solar or insulation installer can quote monthly savings next to the price; a meal-prep business can compare cost per meal to takeaway.
4. GoDaddy, "Act Like You Know" (Cannes Lions 2025, Creative B2B Grand Prix)
The idea: in its 2025 Super Bowl ad, actor Walton Goggins jokes that acting is pretending you know what you're doing, then launches his own goggles brand using GoDaddy Airo, the company's AI tool for a logo, website and social content. The line: with Airo, "it's like you know what you're doing." Created with Quality Meats.
Small-business version: humour about the customer's real problem. A bookkeeper could post "Me pretending I understand my receipts in April"; a web designer, "My website, built by my nephew in 2014". Self-aware, relatable posts that end with "this is what we fix" get shared far more than service lists.
5. Budweiser, "One Second Ads" (Cannes Lions 2025, Audio & Radio Grand Prix)
The idea: one-second ads on TikTok, each playing only the opening notes of a famous song from artists linked to Budweiser-sponsored festivals, with fans challenged to guess the song. Tiny ads, big participation. Created with Africa Creative DDB. The campaign was also criticised for using the music clips without paying rights holders, and the brand and agency later apologised.
Small-business version: a quick "guess what this is" post: a close-up of a dish, a half-finished haircut, a tool from your van, a one-second sound from your kitchen. Ask people to guess in the comments and reveal the answer the next day. Use your own sounds and images, or properly licensed music, so you don't repeat Budweiser's rights problem.
6. Duolingo, the "death" of Duo the owl (2025)
The idea: in February 2025 Duolingo announced its famous green owl mascot had "died", turning its social channels into a playful mystery that got huge attention before the owl's comeback. It worked because the brand had spent years building a recognisable, slightly chaotic character.
Small-business version: a personality people know. Many local businesses have one already: the shop dog, the owner's catchphrase, the old delivery van. Give it a recurring role in your posts. You don't need a stunt, just consistency, so people feel they know you.
7. Spotify Wrapped (every December)
The idea: each year Spotify shows every user a personal summary of their listening, designed to be shared. Millions of people post their results, which spreads the brand without a single paid ad.
Small-business version: a "your year with us" message for regular customers. A gym can send members their total classes; a coffee shop loyalty card can say "you had 64 coffees with us this year"; a groomer can share a dog's yearly photo collage. Personal, a bit fun, and very shareable.
8. Dove, "Real Beauty" for the AI era (Cannes Lions 2025, Media Grand Prix)
The idea: Dove carried its long-running "Real Beauty" idea into a time when AI-generated images shape what people see, including a public commitment not to use AI-generated images to represent real women in its ads. The media work was credited to Mindshare New York.
Small-business version: show the real thing, on purpose. Use your real team, your real customers (with permission) and your real work instead of stock photos, and say so. In a feed full of AI images, "this is actually us" is becoming a selling point.
Sources: Grand Prix winners and agencies as listed in coverage of the 2025 Cannes Lions festival by Adweek and LLLLITL; Budweiser details from Inside Radio; GoDaddy details from Adweek.
11 campaign ideas for local businesses
| Campaign | Works well for | What you measure |
|---|---|---|
| Receipt raffle of the month | Cafes, restaurants, retail | Visits and average spend |
| "Guess what this is" posts | Restaurants, salons, trades | Comments and follows |
| "True or false?" myth videos | Trades, trainers, clinics, detailers | Followers, saves, enquiries |
| Slow-day price (e.g. Tuesday deal) | Salons, barbers, restaurants | Bookings on that day |
| "Your year with us" message | Gyms, cafes, groomers | Shares and repeat visits |
| Before/after of the week | Contractors, cleaners, detailers, salons | Quote requests |
| Neighbourhood partner deal | Any two non-competing local shops | Redemption codes used |
| Limited spots launch offer | New services, new locations | Spots filled by deadline |
| Seasonal checklist (free download) | HVAC, landscaping, pest control | Downloads and bookings |
| Meet the team series | Clinics, law firms, small teams | Profile visits, calls |
| Text-back to past customers | Anyone with a customer list | Replies and rebookings |
If you run any of these as paid ads, aim them at people near you and send them to a page with one clear button. More on that on the Facebook & Instagram ads page.
Plan your own campaign in one page
- Goal: one number. "30 new bookings in March", not "more awareness".
- Audience: who exactly, and where. "Parents within 5 miles", "offices on Main Street".
- Offer: a reason to act now, with a deadline or a limit.
- Message: one sentence that explains the offer and why it's worth it.
- Channels: where the audience already is: Google profile, Instagram, SMS list, a flyer in the window.
- Landing spot: where people go to act: a booking page, a call button, a form.
- Measure: track the number from step 1 weekly and stop or change what isn't working.