Are Hotlines Outdated? These Ad Campaigns Prove Otherwise

Every great campaign needs a human touch. Customers want to feel involved, not just marketed to. That’s why interactive ad campaigns stick! Usually, there’s a task or experience tied to it that motivates the individual to get involved.

Let’s talk about how these 4 brands successfully created interactive experiences and captivated their audience by using a hotline!

1.  323-622-SOUR

In a stroke of brilliant marketing, Olivia Rodrigo’s team released this retro commercial advertising 323-622-SOUR. If “heartbroken” callers dialed the number, they could hear a snippet (or free taste) of one of her new songs before the album was released! What a clever way to make fans feel like they’re in on a secret.

Even after the album was released, you could still call the number up to hear a personal voicemail from Olivia herself – “hey you’ve reached olivia. i suck at voicemails but leave me a text and i’ll get back to you by june 30th. mwah, bye!” Way to make use of that number!

2.  866-JAZZ-BATH

Adding to its lineup of characters, State Farm introduced us to Jeff, an equipment manager. The ‘Jazz Bath Hotline’ was an opportunity for anyone to call and receive advice. Depending on the cause of the caller’s stress, a specific song would be played.

The CD mentioned in the commercial was the real deal, featuring 6 songs!  It could be ordered for free for a limited time, and today you can still listen to all 6 on Spotify.

Their use of humour in this charmingly cheesy commercial resonated with their audience, prompting people to talk and share it with their friends.

3.  833-MLT-DOWN

A viral video of a 4-year-old boy who called 911 after his mom ate his ice cream sparked this hilarious hotline campaign over at Tillamook headquarters.

“The experience of having your ice cream stolen is universally relatable,” said Dean Paradise, executive creative director, Leo Chicago. Very quickly, content for social media was developed, and a hotline number was obtained.

Consumers were told to call the Tillamook Meltdown Hotline, where those victimized by ice cream theft could receive a free tub of ice cream (while supplies lasted, of course). And who couldn’t relate to that?

4.  866-OAT-LINE

Speaking of relating to your audience. . .Oatly’s hotline campaign spoke directly to those struggling with friends and family who don’t understand their dietary choices.

PRESS 1 “to hear some positive affirmations and positive validations about attending a meat and dairy-based Thanksgiving dinner.”

PRESS 4 “to record up to 30 seconds of unrestrained venting about how frustrating it is to constantly repeat what you do and don’t eat to friends and family. Primal screams welcome!”

PRESS 6 “to hear suggestions on how to deflect questions about your dietary lifestyle further, if the easy-to-use examples of how to subtly weave in the benefits of plant-based eating into casual conversation somehow fail to work.”

The hotline launched a week before Thanksgiving, and even employed 2 LIVE operators on the holiday itself. Not only that, but paper flyers advertising the number were strategically posted in busy areas. In this digital age, going for something tangible like tear-off flyers was a clever move that played right into the campaign’s nostalgia!

Would your customers call your hotline?

The most important part of a hotline is the phone number!

Make sure you pick one that is memorable and easy to dial. You can also connect it to the brand or product being promoted. Maybe use a catchy word from your company’s slogan. Alternatively, use a CTA (call to action) or another memorable keyword.

Toll free numbers (ex. 866, 833, 800) are commonly used as well since they are often perceived as being more legitimate and having a national presence. However, local numbers can be used, as in the case of ‘323-622-SOUR’. If you are looking for more tips on choosing a hotline phone number, visit our blog post How To Choose the Perfect Memorable Phone Number.

What do you think? Would a hotline campaign work for your company?