At Pressboard, we’re invested in growing the sponsored content industry, whether that involves connecting advertisers and publishers through our own platform or celebrating the incredible work of our peers. That’s why we write about our favorite sponsored content campaigns every month. So without further ado, here are 10 incredible pieces of sponsored content that publishers and advertisers created together in January, 2019.
“What if Plastic Never Became Waste?” – The Washington Post + Coca Cola
At the center of the Pacific Ocean lies an enormous cloud of trash known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It exists as a physical reminder of the environmental impact of consumer waste — something that Coca Cola and The Washington Post are seeking to raise awareness of with this thought-provoking piece of branded content. Laid out in the sophisticated scrollable format that the publisher is adept at creating, this collaboration does an incredible job of both promoting Coca Cola’s recycling initiatives and telling an important story about the life cycle of plastic products.
“Paranormal Occurrences” – New York Post + The CW
This out-of-this-world collaboration between the New York Post and The CW draws from the Post’s archives to explore the titular question: are we alone? The article promotes The CW’s rebooted series, Roswell, New Mexico, using a combination of hair-raising stories and spooky graphics. The storytelling in this piece is so masterfully done that it would work just as well as an editorial as it does sponsored content, which is the mark of great brand journalism if we’ve ever seen it.
“Apothic Wines” – Multiple Publishers + E&J Gallo
For E&J Gallo Winery, it’s not just the taste of the wine that matters — it’s how it makes you feel. This collaboration with Daily Hive and Narcity evokes the emotive quality of a great glass of wine by using copy that speaks to the publishers’ largely millennial audiences. The Daily Hive piece in particular promoted the product by linking it to experiences such as finding a song you can listen to on repeat or discovering a new dish you love to cook, creating a perfect bridge between their readers’ interests and the brand’s core messaging.
(Disclosure: this content was published through Pressboard’s platform)
“Travel, Eat, Repeat” – Eater + Hotels.com
This partnership brilliantly showcases the role that influencers play in crafting stand-out branded content. Eater and Hotels.com paired up with YouTuber and Instagram star Iz Harris to create the series “Travel, Eat, Repeat,” which explores the culture and food of cities across the world. In the most recent episode, Harris and her family travel to Aveiro, Portugal, uncovering hidden gems along the way. The personal nature of the video adds to Eater’s credibility as a source for top-notch food-focused travel content, and the integration of Hotels.com’s brand messaging is done in a way that doesn’t disrupt the flow of the story.
“The Art of Flavor” – Bustle + Teavana
This partnership between Bustle and Teavana uses every color on an artist’s palette to illustrate what it means to live vibrantly. A triumphant collection of videos, written content, visuals and even a quiz-style flowchart, this campaign is a beautiful representation of what happens when art and tea come together. Bustle benefits from the editorial boon of interviewing artists about what fuels their passion, and Teavana gets a brand boost from being portrayed as the perfect product to accompany the act of creating.
“30 Days of Doable Change” – Greatist + Daily Harvest
Instead of setting mountainous, unrealistic New Year’s resolutions, why not choose some that you can actually stick to? Greatist and Daily Harvest team up in this lighthearted take on self-improvement, offering a range of “doable to-dos” for readers seeking a change in 2019. Their advice varies from charming suggestions like turning an acquaintance into a new friend to manageable health goals like working out for just seven minutes. This content feels natural on Greatist, which champions helpful lifestyle content, and promotes Daily Harvest’s clean eating products in a low-key yet effective way.
“Secrets of the Garden” – National Geographic + Herbal Essences
National Geographic kicks off another great year of branded content with this collaboration with Herbal Essences. The multi-part video series launched this month and includes informative pieces on things like aloe, rosemary and argan oil. The goal of the content is to explore the health benefits of plants and botanicals — a subject which is certainly key to Herbal Essence’s brand messaging. National Geographic’s expertise really shines in the 22-minute video, “Secrets of the Garden,” which leverages the expertise of scientists at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew, England.
“The New Trends in Color” – PureWow + Valspar
What’s the next “millennial pink” of interior design? This collaboration between PureWow and paint company Valspar aims to answer just that with this predictive piece on the top color trends of 2019. Readers can interact with the piece (and shop the paint, furniture and décor in each room) by clicking on the color swatches to see how each is being brought to life by designers. PureWow’s trendy audience is the perfect choice for this style of content, which positions Valspar as the year’s go-to color experts.
“Superfoods Menu” – Multiple Publishers + Milestones
This collaboration saw major restaurant chain Milestones and multiple Canadian publishers team up to promote nutritious dining in the new year. The goal of these articles, which were placed on Vancouver Magazine, Daily Hive, Narcity and Ottawa Magazine, was to promote Milestones’ new Superfoods Menu. Though each one explored the exciting new dishes readers could look forward to on this nutrient-filled menu, the Vancouver Magazine piece took a more alternative approach by offering tips for staying healthy while dining out, positioning Milestones as the experts on feel-good food.
(Disclosure: this content was published through Pressboard’s platform)
Hackable?: Episode 22, “Rat Attack” – Pacific Content + McAfee
And now for something completely different: a branded podcast! This smart collaboration between Pacific Content and McAfee tackles security issues close to the hearts of anyone living in the digital age, such as password protection, online identity and hacking. One of the latest episodes, “Rat Attack,” explores the role of a RAT (or Remote Administration Tool) in gaining control over a computer remotely. The episode, and the podcast as a whole, allows McAfee to share their expertise to a larger audience than would have ever been possible without the help of a podcast creator like Pacific Content.