The event brought us everything from emotionally-driven print campaigns that leveraged nostalgia to novelty-driven ads - and some that sadly missed the mark entirely.

With the dust now settled on the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, leaflet printing and branding experts Solopress look back at some of the most valuable marketing lessons learnt from this highly-anticipated event.

Print Keeps Its Crown

It’s no secret that print-based advertising is still as powerful and engaging as ever, with 82% of customers trusting print ads the most when making a purchase decision. Naturally, when it came to their Platinum Jubilee-themed marketing efforts, McDonald’s chose to capture the attention of its target audience with innovative, light-hearted campaigns that brought print to the forefront.

Official partners of Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant, McDonald’s was flooded with media attention after delivering its multi-channel Platinum Jubilee campaign. Offering a royal take on their instantly recognisable tagline, the brand introduced the temporary slogan “One’s lovin’ it”, creating iconic new packaging, out-of-home (OOH) installations, merchandise content and even a jingle to honour 70 years of service from the Queen.

The campaign demonstrates the power of innovative copywriting and the continued impact of print-based marketing materials, but it didn’t stop there. Transforming their recognisable five-note jingle with a regal orchestral twist, the brand paired up with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra to re-record the track which was showcased across all TV and Radio ads over the Bank Holiday weekend.

To heighten the Jubilee celebrations, the brand delivered exclusive, bespoke product packaging that was available to 70 lucky winners only. The hand-modelled, glaze-finished bone China iterations of the brand’s classic fries sleeve, milkshake cup and burger box were leveraged as part of a competition on the McDonald’s app, demonstrating the brand’s ability to take an innovative reactive concept and turn it into something that audiences can’t wait to get their hands on.

Nostalgia Sells

Mintel’s research in 2022 found that consumers globally are seeking exciting and enjoyable new experiences in their purchasing behaviours, alongside an appreciation for things that remind them of their past. 

The Times and Sunday Times rolled back the years with their heartfelt nostalgic campaign consisting of a giant pull-out poster, 20-page supplement and ad campaign utilising rare photographs to captivate readers. Marketing network The&Partnership produced montages of the Queen through the years to capture decades of her reign and cut through the noise of jubilee marketing activity.

In one touching scene, the campaign reveals an image of a 96-year-old Queen Elizabeth shaking hands with her younger self, tapping into the emotive aspect of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and how it marks a historical moment of great significance for many. Another scene depicts a group photo, featuring images of Queen Elizabeth aged 25-96 edited together into a single photo waving from the royal balcony.

This unique, creative and emotionally-charged editorial coverage is a great example of how to use heritage as a marketing tool and convey years of British history that so many hold close to their hearts.

Grammar is Everything

Although many brand campaigns rose to success during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, sadly, other brands were dethroned, making shameless public errors that won’t be forgotten in a hurry. A Chinese manufacturer delivered thousands of misprinted Platinum Jubilee-themed souvenirs reading “Platinum Jubbly”, failing to notice the spelling error ahead of time.

10,800 tea cups, mugs and plates were printed to mark the Queen’s 70-year reign, however, their loss was another company’s gain. The tainted stock was quickly snapped up for a reduced price by Wholesale Clearance UK, a company renowned for selling unwanted stock in bulk. They cleverly leveraged the misprint’s undeniable ties to Only Fools and Horses, Del Boy, and his catchphrase “lovely jubbly”. Making light of the manufacturing company's faux pas, Wholesale Clearance UK claimed “You will notice this is probably more at home on the shelf next to Peckham Spring as these are in fact celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubbly” and “If you close your eyes, you can almost hear those immortal words from Britain’s favourite businessman ringing through the halls of Nelson Mandela House” on their website as a way to entice lovers of both the Queen and the beloved British sitcom.

On sale in bulk for £32,400, Wholesale Clearance UK infers that a lucky buyer could make a potential profit of more than £291,492 with the infamous stock.

The misprinted souvenirs demonstrate how imperative it is to proofread copywriting ahead of taking products to print. In this instance, it seems that another company saw a profitable opportunity, serving as a lesson to those looking to invest in printed merchandise in the future. Not only does extra attention to detail help brands to avoid needless embarrassment when it comes to print marketing, but this also translates to digital platforms, where neglecting spelling and grammar can increase website bounce rate by 85% and reduce overall time spent on site by 8%.

Novelty’s a Winner

The Mintel 2022 Consumer Trends report highlights a need for brands to anticipate consumers’ heightened desire for fun and novelty by providing entertaining experiences, whether this be in the form of new foods, activities or events. A series of brands found success in their Jubilee marketing efforts doing just this, with many selling limited edition Jubilee versions of classic food, drinks and household items, from Heinz to Campari.

Heinz unveiled limited edition packaging reading “HM Sauce” and “Salad Queen” for two of their most well-loved products, brown sauce and salad cream, to mark the celebration. This was a simple yet effective tactic to boost sales during the Bank Holiday weekend.

Taking a very on-brand approach, luxury brand Fortnum & Mason released a limited-edition collection, taking inspiration from the defining moments in Her Majesty’s reign. The exclusive range included everything from homeware to indulgent teas, bottles of champagne and up-market preserves to offer their customer base something luxurious and unique for their celebrations. Products featured striking limited-edition packaging and labels including the Royal Crest to add an air of distinction to the range.

These products are evidence that novelty items and packaging work in terms of engaging audiences in a highly creative way by using instantly identifiable design features and sharp copywriting. Whether for a beloved family brand or an aspirational brand, novelty products have been proven to create buzz and establish an element of fun and light-heartedness.

Creativity Matters

Taking the level of personalisation and attention to detail a step further, Campari crafted an original take on the classic Negroni with a royal addition. The exclusive tipple was perfect for toasting to the Queen’s big day combining the Italian liqueur and gin with a royal twist of Dubbonet, which is known as the Queen’s favourite drink. 70 complimentary servings of the royal cocktail were served to those arriving first at Eve Bar in Central London as part of the limited-edition campaign.

By infusing a well-loved product with a personal touch that ties in perfectly with the event, Campari managed to deliver a timely yet relevant campaign that effectively leveraged immediacy with the first come first serve element of the drinks giveaway.

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee provided crucial marketing lessons on factors that can make or break the success of a timely campaign. From delivering memorable taglines to showing a sense of humour and appealing to the emotional side of the target audience, many Platinum Jubilee campaigns hit the mark and will go down in marketing history. However, the fundamentals of marketing still remain, and the case of “The Queen’s Platinum Jubbly” mistake emphasises the crucial nature of systematic reviews and implementing a stringent sign-off process ahead of launching campaigns.

“We’ve seen some innovative, memorable campaigns in the lead up to the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee that show initiative and many cases that leverage brand loyalty by offering long-standing customers something new and limited-edition,” says Glenn Eckett, Head of Marketing at Solopress. “On the other hand, it’s always important to take care when it comes to messaging, whether in terms of grammar or in the overall message you’re trying to send, to avoid the untimely demise of your brand reputation.”