As we enter into Q3, advertisers are forced to plan for one of the most unusual summers of all time. It’s the summer of at-home entertaining, postponed events, socially-distanced dinners, and getting out in the fresh air.

Original budgets have been flip-flopped, and planned campaigns have been scrapped for more time-sensitive ones. What’s more, marketers are hard at work staying ahead of consumer behaviors brought on by months of quarantine and social distancing guidelines. Still, more than half of advertisers plan to ramp up ad spending for this quarter.

Although lockdowns are easing throughout the country, it’s a dangerous time to experiment and revert to pre-pandemic messaging. Advertisers, marketers, and brands need to reroute as they go, ensuring they’re hyper aware of how their messaging resonates with their consumers. Brands have been particularly focusing on shifting consumer behavior and pent up product demand.

In this article, we’re exploring how brands have been navigating their marketing plans — particularly as they relate to the pandemic — as the summer season is upon us.

Connecting with younger generations on social

Everyone is missing out during quarantine — on traveling, dining out, and other life pleasures we used to enjoy without a second thought. However, it’s particularly younger generations who feel that lockdown life has deprived them of living their lives to the fullest while they’re young, and brands have recognized this.

Malibu, the rum liquor brand, wanted to add a hint of sunshine to lockdown life with its new digital campaign giving consumers the chance to win a Malibu gift pack. The campaign is aimed at Malibu’s target audience of “Young Fun Starters” — Gen Zers, that is. 

For the campaign, the brand partnered with lockdown content creators to launch a user-generated “Holiday at Home” content series, encouraging consumers to make the most of the time they're spending at home when they might otherwise be off traveling. By simply tagging @MalibuRumUK with the #MalibuHoliday hashtag on social media, consumers will be entered into a competition giving them the chance to win an at-home pack.

“During these uncertain times, consumers are looking to learn new skills and are seeking moments of joy within their home. Memories are able to bring sunshine to any cloudy day and Malibu is all about inspiring our Young Fun Starters to create summer memories that last a lifetime,” said Raja Banerji, the brand’s Marketing Director.

Other alcohol brands are joining in on this trend as well. To help celebrate the warmer weather and the launch of its new beer can packaging, Coors Light recently launched a sunglasses giveaway. The campaign took on a new seasonal look that marries the brand’s famous snow-topped Rocky Mountain iconography with a pair of shades.

“Sunglasses are an iconic symbol of summertime chill, and we’re hopeful that linking the technology to the frames on our can will introduce a new wave of legal-age drinkers to a truly unique element of our packaging," said, Katie Powell, Associate Marketing Manager for @CoorsLight. To enter, all fans had to do was post a picture on Twitter or Instagram with the can sunglasses over their eyes accompanied by the hashtag, #TakeTimeToChill.

Keeping people entertained 

During quarantine, people have been actively seeking out novel entertainment opportunities to keep the lockdown boredom at bay.

Recognizing this desire for entertainment, Häagen-Dazs partnered with Secret Cinema, an immersive storytelling company, to bring ice cream and cinema lovers “Secret Sofa.” This weekly film series will feature thematic pairings of @Häagen-Dazs ice cream.  As part of the brand’s #HaagIndoors initiative, this campaign not only encourages people to stay inside, but also offers solutions for having fun during one of the most untraditional summers of all time.

Another form of entertainment that has gained massive popularity during quarantine is puzzles. In fact, companies have jumped at the chance to create their own branded puzzles for their fans to piece together.

In May, Heinz released a ketchup-inspired puzzle that's made up of 570 entirely red pieces. The 570-piece puzzle immediately went viral, Heinz is also making a $10,700 donation — or 107,000 meals — to Feeding America, which represents the U.S. profits of sales from the puzzle.

Similarly, the beer brand Busch recently created a jigsaw puzzle with a photo of its spokesperson Busch Guy. The brand made the announcement through a clever tweet: "An indoor activity could lead to amazing outdoor adventures!" By purchasing the 525-piece puzzle, consumers have the opportunity to enter a sweepstakes to win a $5,000 vacation “to the Great Outdoors.” But even if they don’t win, $5 from every puzzle purchase goes to the National Forests Foundation.

Tapping into the gaming trend

With a heightened consumption of gaming in lockdown, many brands have started targeting gamers themselves and introducing in-game elements. 

Brands have even been turning to Animal Crossing as a launchpad for marketing concepts, since the game has captured the hearts of many Millennials and Gen Zers throughout quarantine. For instance, major fashion labels such as Marc Jacobs and Maison Valentino created Animal Crossing clothing download codes, providing an interactive enhancement that engages consumers

General Mills’ brand Chex Mix also tapped into the gaming trend — as well as consumers’ nostalgia toward the 90s — by releasing an updated version of its branded video game, Chex Quest. The game was originally launched in the 90s, but General Mills added modern details to the game including high-definition graphics, five-player mode, and a local split-screen multiplayer mode.

Spotlighting purpose

There has been an increasing amount of conversations around brand support for minority communities, with protests like #BlackLivesMatter taking place countrywide. Through well-thought initiatives, brands have shown their integrity and support for social issues like these. In addition, with June being #PrideMonth, many brands have launched campaigns to commemorate members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Proctor and Gamble released an ad spot titled, “The Pause”, which shows the three or so second “pause” LGBTQ+ people take before describing themselves to others. They are seconds of apprehension, as they know their response can strongly influence how someone new perceives them. The ad spot urges viewers to consider how they can make a difference in the struggle against prejudice. The film features reflections from members of LGBTQ+ community as they cope with anxiety around social stigma and insecurities surrounding self-affirmation.

Samuel Adams also launched a new digital initiative showing its support for Pride Month. By giving a platform to notable voices from the LGBTQ+ community, Samuel Adams hopes to connect with consumers on a deeper level. In addition to unveiling a video series, the brand has pledged donations to GLAAD and built a “Love Conquers All” microsite, so consumers can easily donate themselves.

Many other alcohol brands have followed suit. Truly Hard Seltzer, owned by the same parent company, is taking over the Times Square billboard and calling on consumers to share photos of their #Pride celebrations on social media. Jack Daniels Tennessee Fire launched a branded web series spotlighting drag queen brunches.

Promoting social distancing

As social distancing continues to prevail, brands are looking for novel ways to keep everyone safely separated while still having fun.

Recently, Dos Equis unveiled its own branded ‘Seis-Foot Cooler. That’s right — a 6-foot cooler that allows for socially-distanced beer drinking. The best part? As the pandemic continues throughout the summer, Dos Equis is giving away a select number of 6-foot coolers.

By submitting a receipt proving the purchase of any quantity of Dos Equis on the brand’s website, fans will be entered to win a cooler for a limited time. “With the new seis-foot cooler, beer drinkers can reclaim a piece of the vision they had for a normal summer, hanging out and drinking beer with friends,” Edith Llerena, senior brand manager for Dos Equis.

Dos Equis’ marketing approach seamlessly combines summer fun, drinking responsibly, and social distancing all into one campaign. Like the beer brand, many other marketers are finding ways to promote safety and responsibility in their campaigns.

Being agile

Because of how unpredictable the world is right now, brands have had to be agile and adaptive. In fact, many marketers have had to switch their marketing plans on a whim.

Take Barefoot Wines, for instance. Back in January, the wine brand filmed a commercial to promote the summer launch of its seltzer brand. Then, the coronavirus happened. However, Barefoot Wines still stuck to its original media investment, but repositioned its messaging to align with the world’s new climate. The alcohol brand re-cut the commercial to Keenan Thompson and Aubrey Plaza dueling over which option is better: Barefoot Seltzers or Barefoot Spritzers.

Barefoot called this campaign #SummerDream to signify that although social distancing is happening, people can still dream about summer. The ad spot effectively promotes both product lines that pair perfectly with a hot summer day.

Invoking nostalgia

Tapping into familiarity — especially in these uncertain times — has been a great way for brands to connect with consumers.

In an attempt to lure drinkers back to bars, Budweiser reunited two of its old mascots — an adorable Golden Retriever puppy and stoic Clydesdale horse.

The new commercial is titled “Reunited with Buds.” In a tweet unveiling the ad spot, Budweiser writes “Welcome back, Buds. Remember to reunite and drink, responsibly.” The spot begins with a Budweiser sign flickering to life. It then shows a Clydesdales horse jumping over a fence and running toward the puppy — presumably after spending several weeks social distancing.

It’s been a long journey for Budweiser’s iconic horse and puppy — in fact, they first appeared together in a commercial titled “Puppy Love.” By bringing the two furry friends together again, Budweiser invokes nostalgia about the good old days, and builds anticipation for consumers who prepare to safely see friends and family again.

Final Takeaways

This summer is certainly not a typical one. No big summer vacations, and no big summer blowouts.

But by zeroing in on shifting consumer behaviors — like more time spent inside doing puzzles — not all brands have had to pay the price of quarantine. Marketers have been able to feed consumer demand for products they are seeking most, making this summer quite the success from a marketing standpoint. By being agile and staying dialed in to our world’s shifting climate, brands have certainly made their voices heard during this summer on lockdown.