How to Break the Internet 101: Campaign Referencing

Campaign referencing is the perfect recipe to get the internet buzzing. 

Be it directly mentioning your biggest competitor, recreating an iconic campaign, or a subtle colour to reference a famous ad, campaign referencing always stirs up the public. A sure to receive high rates of engagement and excitement, campaign referencing has become an increasingly popular tactic in the marketing community. 

That being said, some in-ad references stand out amongst the crowd as true stars of the genre. Read on to find out the top campaign referencing the internet couldn’t get enough of. 

RHODE SKIN REFERENCES VERSACE

@rhode

rhode girlies 🎀

♬ original sound – rhode skin

Rhode Skin’s effortless reference to Versace’s iconic ‘90s ad is truly one for the ages. 

Originally released in 1994, Versace’s AW94 campaign has defined their brand ever since. Featuring some of the biggest names in fashion (Cindy Crawford, Nadja Auermann, Christy Turlington, Claudia Schiffer and Stephanie Seymour), the ad is bold, unique, youthful, and creative.

As such, it makes perfect sense as a reference for Hailey Bieber’s Rhode. Known for being young and trendy, Rhode never fails to get the internet talking. The campaign referencing in Rhode’s latest ad sees Bieber and several other models in similar outfits and poses to Versace’s icon ad. The reference is effortless, not overdoing itself and staying true to Rhode’s identity whilst still invoking that unmistakable Versace energy. 

WINNIE HARLOW FOR MAC VIVA LA GLAM 

Mac has never been just a beauty brand. This powerful company built its legacy on challenging the status quo and advocating for social issues through vibrant and bold campaigns. The most famous of the bunch? Ru Paul for Viva La Glam lipstick. 

Released at a time when AIDs was still a word whispered behind closed doors, Mac’s Viva La Glam campaign not only featured a drag queen as its model but donated all of its proceeds to HIV and AIDs programs in the UK and Ireland. The ad is, as a result, one of the most memorable beauty campaigns in the last fifty years. 

So, with the campaign’s 20th anniversary rolling around, the brand knew they had to do something big. Enter Winnie Harlow. 

Known for her modelling career and advocacy of people with vitiligo, Harlow has become a strong figure in the beauty and fashion industries. As such, she was the perfect face of the Viva La Glam revamp, which saw Harlow recreate Paul’s iconic campaign outfits, poses and all.

TWIGGY FULL CIRCLE WITH EBAY

@sourdoughandbutter

fav ebay find 🤎 #twiggy #twiggyfullcircle #fyp #foryou

♬ ur the secret recipe – david kushner

There is no denying that Twiggy is one of the most iconic figures of our time. 

With her trademark eye shadow and signature smirk, Twiggy is recognisable across the world. eBay jumped on this incredible star power to advertise circular fashion. In a unique take on campaign referencing, Twiggy recreated her famous 1967 spread for Vogue, donned out in the same accessories all sourced from eBay. 

The recreation is genius, perfectly embodying Twiggy’s timeless appeal, and proving the power of eBay as a source of ethical fashion. 

PEPSI X COCA-COLA “HALLOWEEN” AD 

@becauseofmarketing_

The best Halloween marketing ad by Pepsi & Coca Cola!! 👻🥤 #marketing #becauseofmarketing #halloweenmarketing #halloweenads #cocacolamarketing #pepsihalloween #pepsimarketing #marketingtiktok

♬ original sound – Because of Marketing

One of the most famous examples of campaign referencing of all time, Halloween 2013 saw Pepsi poke fun at Coca-Cola. 

The ad sees a Pepsi can dressing up as the scariest thing it can imagine; Coke. Simple and to the point, the campaign was a raging success, sparking immediate discussion across the internet. Pepsi played into a long-standing rivalry, finding instant popularity online. 

What is interesting about this example, is that its real fame was boosted by a fan response. Whilst Coke itself never responded, its fans did, recreating the ad with the phrase “everybody wants to be a hero”. 

BURGER KING WHOPPER HIDDEN BIG MAC

In 2019, Burger King shocked audiences with a Whopper of a confession. Throughout the year the brand hid a Big Mac (their ultimate competition) behind every single Whopper they photographed; proving just how much bigger their signature burger was than McDonald’s. 

The idea was genius, taking a unique approach to the classic brand reference, and sparking an intense rivalry online, all through some simple campaign referencing.

Our influencer marketing agency and social agency are located worldwide, with our agency network based in the USA, UK, UAE and China.

If you want to find industry insights, visit our influencer marketing and social media blogs.

@sociallypowerful