Lessons from the Legends

The world of advertising has produced campaigns so powerful that they’ve become part of culture itself. These famous ad campaigns didn’t just sell products—they told stories, built emotional connections, and left lasting impressions. For designers, these campaigns are more than history—they’re blueprints for creative ad inspiration that remain just as relevant today.

1. Apple’s Think Different: Simplicity and Bold Messaging

In the late 1990s, Apple reignited its identity—and ultimately reshaped its future—with the iconic Think Different campaign. At a time when tech advertising was cluttered with product specs, busy layouts, and corporate jargon, Apple shifted the conversation entirely. Instead of showcasing computers, the ads showcased people: visionaries like Albert Einstein, Mahatma Gandhi, Amelia Earhart, and other pioneers who challenged convention. Rendered in stark black-and-white portraits, the campaign stripped away everything but the essence of the message—creativity, rebellion, and the courage to see the world differently.

The brilliance of Think Different lies in its restraint. The clean typography and minimalist composition did more than just spotlight these cultural heroes—they aligned Apple with them. The message was bold without shouting, emotional without sentimentality, and simple without losing depth. It wasn’t a campaign about buying a machine; it was about joining a movement. For designers and marketers, Apple’s approach remains a timeless lesson: great branding doesn’t depend on complexity. Sometimes one powerful image, one elegant line, and an authentic story are all you need to change everything.

2. Nike’s Just Do It: Emotional Resonance

When Nike unveiled Just Do It in 1988, the brand wasn’t simply launching a slogan—it was crystallizing a mindset. The brilliance of the phrase lies in its absolute simplicity. Three words, universally understood, yet powerful enough to ignite ambition in anyone who hears them. Paired with striking visuals of athletes pushing past exhaustion, overcoming adversity, or chasing impossible goals, the campaign tapped into something deeply human: the desire to rise above our limits.

Nike didn’t position Just Do It as a command. It felt more like a personal challenge, a whisper of encouragement, or the spark that lights a fire. The emotional resonance came from recognizing that greatness isn’t reserved for elite athletes—it’s something everyone can strive toward. Whether it was a commercial featuring a seasoned marathoner or an everyday person taking their first jog, the message stayed beautifully consistent. For modern creators and marketers, Nike’s approach is a testament to the power of emotional storytelling. When your message speaks to the heart, it doesn’t just sell a product—it inspires a movement.

3. Coca-Cola’s Holiday Campaigns: Consistency Over Decades

Few brands have woven themselves into the fabric of holiday culture quite like Coca-Cola. Since the 1930s, Coca-Cola has shaped the season’s visual language—most famously through its depiction of Santa Claus. Illustrator Haddon Sundblom’s warm, rosy-cheeked Santa in a bright red suit didn’t just sell soda; it became the image of Santa that generations grew up with. Over time, Coca-Cola continued to build on this foundation, introducing new characters like the beloved polar bears, yet always maintaining a sense of familiarity. Their holiday campaigns feel timeless because they blend tradition with just enough freshness to stay relevant.

What sets Coca-Cola apart is its unwavering commitment to emotional consistency. Whether it’s a classic painting of Santa, a family gathered around the table, or animated polar bears sharing a moment under shimmering northern lights, the message remains the same: warmth, joy, and togetherness. The brand evolves its design elements—modernizing techniques, embracing new media—but never strays from the heart of its story. For designers and storytellers, Coca-Cola’s holiday legacy is a masterclass in how thoughtful consistency can build brand mythology. When your visuals and message stay true across decades, your audience doesn’t just recognize your brand—they welcome it into their traditions.

4. Old Spice Rebrand: Humor and Reinvention

Before 2010, Old Spice was widely seen as a legacy brand—reliable but dated, more associated with grandfathers than millennials. Then came “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like,” and everything changed. In a single campaign, Old Spice reinvented itself through a perfect storm of humor, charisma, and clever design. The ads were fast-paced, surreal, and gleefully self-aware, breaking every rule of traditional grooming marketing. Instead of leaning into rugged stoicism or aspirational masculinity, Old Spice embraced absurdity—and audiences loved it.

The campaign’s visual style was just as bold as its tone. Quick cuts, unexpected transitions, and vibrant sets created a sensory jolt that made viewers want to watch again (and again). That replay factor was one of the reasons the campaign went viral long before “going viral” was a standard marketing objective. Most importantly, the humor wasn’t random—it was purposeful. It signaled that Old Spice understood its fading reputation and was willing to poke fun at itself while offering something fresh. For designers and marketers, Old Spice’s transformation is a powerful reminder that reinvention doesn’t always require a full brand overhaul. Sometimes all it takes is the courage to be weird, to break expectations, and to tell a story in a way only your brand can.

5. Volkswagen’s Think Small: Honesty and Simplicity

In the 1960s, while Detroit’s automakers were shouting about horsepower, tailfins, and oversized bodies, Volkswagen did the unthinkable—they embraced their little Beetle with disarming honesty. The now-famous Think Small campaign was a masterclass in minimalism long before minimalism became a design trend. Instead of boasting or overpromising, VW’s ads leaned into simplicity: a tiny car in a stark field of white space, paired with clean typography and refreshingly straightforward copy. It was advertising that didn’t try to be louder than the competition—it simply aimed to be clearer.

What made the campaign legendary wasn’t just the aesthetic restraint but the radical transparency. VW acknowledged that the Beetle wasn’t flashy or fast or enormous—and that was precisely the point. At a time when consumers were used to puffed-up claims and glossy exaggeration, this kind of candor felt revolutionary. It proved that honesty is a strategy, one that can cut through noise more effectively than the loudest billboard. For designers and marketers today, Think Small is a reminder that sometimes the boldest move is to be unapologetically simple, confidently authentic, and brave enough to trust the intelligence of your audience.

6. Absolut Vodka’s Bottle Campaign: Endless Creativity

Absolut Vodka’s long-running bottle campaign is one of the most celebrated examples of visual branding in advertising history. Rather than relying on flashy taglines or shifting trends, Absolut placed its iconic bottle shape at the center of every creative concept. The genius of the campaign was its simplicity: the silhouette stayed exactly the same, but the world around it constantly transformed. Artists, designers, and illustrators reimagined the bottle in countless ways—“Absolut LA,” “Absolut Manhattan,” “Absolut Rainbow,” and hundreds more—each with a unique style, mood, or cultural reference. Despite this endless variation, every ad remained instantly recognizable. One glance at the composition and you knew exactly what brand you were looking at.

What makes the Absolut campaign so enduring is its perfect balance between consistency and imagination. The bottle served as an anchor, giving the brand a cohesive identity across decades, while the surrounding artwork provided limitless opportunities for storytelling and reinvention. It invited viewers not just to recognize the product, but to interpret it—almost like an evolving gallery exhibit. For designers and marketers, Absolut’s creative legacy is a lesson in the power of a strong visual asset. When your brand has a symbol compelling enough to stand on its own, and you pair it with bold creative exploration, your advertising becomes more than a campaign—it becomes a cultural canvas.

7. De Beers’ A Diamond is Forever: Cultural Influence

When De Beers introduced the phrase A Diamond is Forever in 1947, they weren’t simply promoting a product—they were crafting a cultural ritual. At a time when diamond engagement rings were far from universal, the campaign reframed the gemstone as the ultimate symbol of enduring love. The ads were elegant and understated, often featuring delicate illustrations or refined photography paired with sophisticated serif typography. This minimalist approach allowed the emotional weight of the message to shine: love is eternal, and a diamond—strong, brilliant, unbreakable—became the perfect metaphor.

The power of De Beers’ campaign wasn’t in flashy visuals, but in the mythos it built. Through clean design and evocative storytelling, the brand embedded diamonds into the cultural imagination as essential elements of commitment. Over the decades, this idea grew so deeply rooted that the diamond ring tradition now feels timeless—even though it was largely shaped by a single, brilliantly executed marketing strategy. For designers and brand storytellers, De Beers’ campaign is a reminder of how design and messaging, when aligned with emotional insight, can reshape consumer behavior on a sweeping cultural scale. Sometimes the strongest campaigns are the ones that don’t just sell an item—they redefine what it means.

8. Dove’s Real Beauty: Relatable Visuals

In the early 2000s, Dove broke away from the narrow beauty standards dominating the industry with its groundbreaking Real Beauty campaign. Rather than relying on flawless, airbrushed models, Dove showcased real women—women of different ages, ethnicities, sizes, and shapes. The visuals were refreshingly honest, often photographed against clean white backgrounds with minimal retouching. This simplicity created space for authenticity, allowing the subjects’ natural confidence and individuality to become the focal point. At a time when beauty advertising felt increasingly aspirational and unattainable, Dove reintroduced something radical: relatability.

What made the campaign so impactful wasn’t only the diversity on screen but the message behind it. By celebrating real bodies and real stories, Dove tapped into a cultural shift toward inclusivity and self-acceptance. The design approach remained consistent: soft lighting, genuine expressions, and typography that felt inviting rather than authoritative. It was branding that looked and felt human. For modern creators and marketers, Real Beauty continues to serve as a reminder that audiences crave authenticity. When visual storytelling aligns with a deeper purpose, a campaign can transcend advertising—and help rewrite the social narratives that shape how we see ourselves.

9. Got Milk?: Everyday Simplicity

Few campaigns have achieved the effortless recognizability of Got Milk?—a masterclass in using simplicity to make a lasting cultural imprint. Launched in the 1990s, the campaign embraced a straightforward formula: bold, black serif typography paired with the now-iconic milk mustache. Whether the ads featured supermodels, athletes, actors, or even cartoon characters, the core design remained unchanged. The minimalistic approach allowed each personality to shine while keeping the message crystal clear: milk is an everyday essential.

What made Got Milk? so enduring was its blend of humor, accessibility, and clean visual structure. The stark white mustache contrasted against polished photography, creating a quirky, memorable focal point. At the same time, the adaptable design meant the campaign could evolve with pop culture—anyone could wear a milk mustache, and everyone instantly understood the reference. For designers and marketers, Got Milk? is a reminder that simplicity doesn’t have to be boring. When your visual identity is strong, flexible, and easy to decode, it can become a cultural icon—one that lingers long after the ad has left the page.

10. Share a Coke: Personalization at Scale

Coca-Cola’s Share a Coke campaign proved that even the simplest design shift can spark a global movement. By replacing the classic Coca-Cola logo with popular first names, the brand transformed an everyday product into something personal and interactive. Suddenly, a soda bottle wasn’t just a drink—it was a message, a gift, a social prompt. The design itself remained clean and familiar, preserving Coca-Cola’s signature red-and-white identity, but the addition of names invited a deeper emotional connection. People began hunting for their own names, their friends’ names, their crushes’ names—turning store shelves into a playful scavenger hunt.

What made the campaign truly revolutionary was how seamlessly it bridged physical and digital worlds. Finding a named bottle felt special, but sharing it online amplified the experience. Social media exploded with photos, hashtags, and user-generated content, giving the brand massive organic reach. And through it all, the design stayed remarkably simple—just a name, elegantly typeset in the iconic Coca-Cola script. For marketers and designers, Share a Coke is the ultimate example of personalization done right: scalable, emotionally resonant, and rooted in the brand’s core visual DNA. It didn’t reinvent Coca-Cola’s look—it reinvented the way people interacted with it.

How Small Businesses Can Apply Big-Brand Strategies

• Simplify Your Message: One bold phrase can be more powerful than paragraphs.

• Stay Consistent: Use repeatable motifs, colors, and fonts across campaigns.

• Tap into Emotion: Whether it’s humor, nostalgia, or empowerment, design should make people feel something.

• Experiment with Formats: Posters, digital ads, and social graphics should be adapted but cohesive.

• Think Long-Term: Great campaigns often build over years, not days.

The Timeless Blend of Message and Emotion

The most iconic advertising designs all share a simple truth: they balance creativity with clarity, design with storytelling, and visuals with emotion. By learning from these legendary campaigns, today’s businesses—big or small—can craft ads that don’t just sell but make history in their own right.

At Midnight Boheme, we’re inspired by these creative giants and bring that same level of intention and artistry into every campaign we design.