The dust has settled on 2022, and what a year it was for marketing campaigns. From epic wins that had everyone talking to cringe-worthy disasters that brands would rather forget, we witnessed the full spectrum of creative ambition. As B2B marketers, there’s tremendous value in examining what worked, what didn’t, and what left us genuinely impressed.
The Brilliant: Campaigns That Set New Standards
Spotify Wrapped: The Gift That Keeps Giving
Spotify’s annual Wrapped campaign continues to be a masterclass in personalised marketing. In 2022, they took it further by incorporating social sharing features that felt natural rather than forced. The campaign generated over 60 billion streams worth of data into shareable, colourful graphics that users genuinely wanted to post.
What made this brilliant? It turned customers into brand ambassadors without asking them to sell anything. The personal touch combined with social proof created a viral effect that money simply can’t buy. For B2B marketers, this demonstrates the power of making your customers the hero of their own story.
Nike’s Play New Campaign
Nike’s focus on inclusivity reached new heights with their Play New campaign, featuring diverse athletes and everyday people embracing sport. Rather than just talking about inclusion, they showed it in action across every touchpoint, from store layouts to product development.
The campaign succeeded because it felt authentic rather than performative. Nike backed their messaging with genuine action, investing in community programmes and accessible products. This alignment between values and actions is crucial for modern B2B brands looking to build trust with increasingly sceptical audiences.
The Good: Solid Execution with Room for Improvement
John Lewis Christmas Campaign
The beloved retailer’s 2022 Christmas campaign, “The Beginner,” was competent but lacked the emotional punch of previous years. While it delivered the expected warm feelings and quality production values, it didn’t generate the same cultural conversation as campaigns from 2019 or 2020.
This highlights an important lesson for B2B marketers: consistency is valuable, but complacency is dangerous. Your audience’s attention is constantly being pulled in new directions, and what worked brilliantly two years ago might feel stale today.
McDonald’s Famous Orders
McDonald’s collaboration with celebrities continued in 2022, but the novelty had worn thin. While sales remained strong, the campaigns felt increasingly formulaic. The strategy worked from a revenue perspective but missed opportunities to create genuine cultural moments.
For B2B brands, this demonstrates the importance of knowing when to evolve your approach. Even successful campaigns need refreshing to maintain their effectiveness over time.
The Bad: Lessons in What Not to Do
Meta’s Metaverse Push
Facebook’s rebrand to Meta was accompanied by marketing campaigns that felt disconnected from reality. The animated avatars and virtual world demonstrations failed to convince most people that the metaverse was either desirable or ready for mainstream adoption.
The fundamental issue was solving a problem that didn’t exist for most consumers. B2B marketers should take note: technology for technology’s sake rarely resonates. Your solution needs to address genuine pain points that your audience actually experiences.
CNN Plus Launch
The streaming service’s marketing campaign promised premium content and exclusive access, but failed to clearly differentiate from existing news sources. Despite significant investment in promotion, the service shut down after just one month.
This failure underscores the importance of market research and positioning. Even the best marketing campaign cannot save a product that doesn’t have clear market fit or compelling differentiation.
What B2B Marketers Can Learn
The most successful campaigns of 2022 shared common characteristics that B2B marketers should embrace. They focused on authentic storytelling rather than feature lists. They made customers the hero rather than the product. They delivered value before asking for anything in return.
Conversely, the failures often resulted from inside-out thinking, where brands focused on what they wanted to say rather than what their audience needed to hear. They prioritised novelty over substance and technology over genuine human connection.
The Future of B2B Campaign Strategy
Looking ahead, the campaigns that will succeed combine emotional resonance with practical value. B2B buyers are still human beings who respond to stories, authenticity, and genuine problem-solving.
At SendIQ, we’ve seen how personalised outreach campaigns that focus on genuine value creation consistently outperform generic messaging. Whether through targeted LinkedIn automation, thoughtful email sequences, or strategic cold calling, the principles remain the same: know your audience, solve real problems, and build genuine relationships.
The best campaigns of 2022 remind us that great marketing isn’t about the biggest budget or the flashiest technology. It’s about understanding people and creating genuine connections that drive business results.
