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It’s 2020, and now native is often also referred to as sponsored, custom, paid, and branded content.
The native advertising campaigns featured in this article are the best promotional pieces of 2020.
Each week, we handpick extraordinary content campaigns. These are then featured in This Week in Native Ads (if you’re not a subscriber, sign up here), which automatically gets you considered for the best ads of 2020.
Submit your own work for consideration for 2020, here. (see best native of 2021/2022 here).
We’ve been highlighting the best native ads for a number of years – so, if you want to draw on inspiration from the best work from previous years, you can do so here: 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, and 2015.
Also visit Intel by Nudge, a free platform, which has all of the world’s branded content organized in one place. Simply search for whatever brand’s content you’d like to see, and off you go.
Summary of the best ads of 2020
- iShares [Financial Services]
- Autograph Collection Hotels [Hospitality]
- J.P. Morgan Asset Management [Financial Services]
- Netflix [Entertainment]
- Adidas [Retail]
- South Africa [Travel]
- Jameson [Alcohol]
- Watergen [Technology]
- Future + 1800 Tequila [Entertainment/Alchohol]
- Filson [Retail]
- Pandora [Jewellery]
- Epix [Entertainment]
- Visit Greece [Travel]
- Gucci [Fashion]
- HP [Electronics]
- PWC [Financial Services]
- Clorox [Consumer Goods]
- State Farm [Insurance]
- Acorns [Fin-tech]
- Ernst & Young [Consulting & strategy]
- Just Eat UK [Food]
- Veolia [Resource management & sustainability]
- Piaget [Jewellery]
- Esports Federation [Esports]
- Brandverge [Native]
- Oppo [Consumer electronics]
- Cisco [Technology]
- Sharethrough [Native]
- TikTok [Social]
- KFC [Food]
- Lucid [B2B/Tech]
- Peacock TV [OTT/Streaming]
- ICF Next [B2B]
- Alzheimer’s Association [Charity]
- Booz Allen Hamilton [IT]
- HBO [TV]
- Buffalo Bills [Sports]
- City of NYC [Gov]
- Adobe [B2B/Software]
- Firefox [Web browser]
- MSI [Hardware/Gaming]
- Samsung [Hardware/]
- Ford [Automotive]
- Amazon Music [Music / Ecommerce]
- Atlassian [Software]
- Vanguard [Financial services]
- 3M [Consumer goods]
- Adobe [B2B/Software]
- Sitecore [B2B/Software]
- Allbirds [Retail]
- Samsung [Hardware]
- Jack Wolfskin [Retail]
- USAA [Financial services]
- Air Mail [Newsletter]
- SalesForce [B2B/Software]
- Land Rover [Automotive]
- Twitter [B2B/Social media]
- Dropbox [B2B/Software]
- Barclays [Financial services]
Use your tax smarts
iShares partners with WSJ to de-mystify the benefits of ETFs, as narrated by Sasheer Zamata. Simple, easy, accessible. You only tune in if you want to learn more.
Category: Finance
Featured in: This Week in Native Ads 1/9
A shoemaker’s exploration of craft – part 2
Autograph Collection Hotels tells the story of a guest’s experience through Mickey Ashmore, founder of handcrafted leather shoe company Sabah. A bit cheesy midway but gets back on track. Nice mention of Yaletown Gin.
Category: Hospitality
Featured in: This Week in Native Ads 1/9
Solve it
J.P. Morgan Asset Management on CNBC with a content series called “Solve It”, where they cover investment topics that range from bonds to yield, retirement to public vs. private markets, and beyond.
Category: Finance
Featured in: This Week in Native Ads 1/17
We want someone to believe in
Netflix on The Atlantic with a piece that pushes off of their latest show series, called Messiah. In this article they ask ‘if a Messiah-like figure appeared today, would you follow him?’. An intriguing, thought-provoking, and well-executed article, which ends up putting the onus back on you, the reader, stating that when charismatic leaders rise to power, it says more about us than it does about them.
Category: Entertainment
Featured in: This Week in Native Ads 1/17
50 is the new 35: Looking back at Adidas’s most important sneaker collaboration
Adidas on Highsnobiety celebrates the 50th anniversary of their second most popular shoe, and their most important sneaker collaboration, by sharing its long and convoluted history. An excellent piece of content that really shows how much Adidas’s brand has shaped pop-culture as we’ve come to know it. Can someone get their hands on the pair from the ’70s? Asking for a friend…
Category: Retail
Featured in: This Week in Native Ads 1/17
Epic wildlife encounters
Bringing the vivid colors of South Africa with these community contributed photos on NatGeo.
Category: Travel
Featured in: This Week in Native Ads 1/24
How New York city speakeasies changed American culture forever
Jameson dives into How the New York City Speakeasies changed American Culture in this partnership with Vice.
Category: Alcohol
Featured in: This Week in Native Ads 1/24
How do we live without clean drinking water?
Watergen on WSJ with an eye-opening and highly educational piece, ’How Do We Live Without Clean Drinking Water?’
Category: Technology
Featured in: This Week in Native Ads 2/7
Future and 1800 Tequila Release Documentary on the Making of 1800 Seconds Vol. 2
Future + 1800 on Pitchfork released a documentary on the Making of 1800 Seconds. It’s good.
Category: Entertainment/Alcohol
Featured in: This Week in Native Ads 2/7
7 Spots to Strike Explorer’s Gold
Filson on Atlas Obscura: ‘7 Spots to Strike Explorer’s Gold’. In this piece, you follow the footsteps of 100,000 prospectors to Klondike Gold Rush spots in the Yukon. Who hasn’t dreamed of stumbling across a big pot of gold!
Category: Retail
Featured in: This Week in Native Ads 2/14
We Set This Couple A Valentine’s Day Challenge To Find Out How Well They *Really* Know Each Other
Pandora on Bustle: ‘We set this couple a Valentine’s Day challenge to find out how well they *really* know each other’. A fun and interactive piece, which finishes with some gift ideas from Pandora – a nice tie in.
Category: Jewellery
Featured in: This Week in Native Ads 2/14
“Slow Burn” and the Art of Scandal
Epix on The New Yorker with “Slow Burn” and the Art of Scandal. A piece pushing off of Epix’s new docuseries, exploring the experience of living through Watergate, helps contextualize our current moment. Eagle-eyed readers may pick out the New Yorker recommendation unit at the bottom – which only recommends branded content. Genius distribution ha.
Category: Entertainment
Featured in: This Week in Native Ads 2/28
Going Greece: Why This Epic Destination Should Be Your Next Vacation
Conde Nast Traveler demonstrates why it is Conde Nast Traveler with this piece on Greece. Simple to the point.
Category: Travel
Featured in: This Week in Native Ads 3/6
A Photo Diary of Berlin with Gucci’s Tennis 1977 Sneaker
Highsnobiety’s partnership with Gucci is great, the one exception, their ad server is serving ads for the competition. An easy fix.
Category: Fashion
Featured in: This Week in Native Ads 3/6
It’s 2020. Why Are We Still Working in Offices?
HP on VICE, ‘It’s 2020. Why Are We Still Working in Offices?’ – a piece that was clearly created before the pandemic, but still rings true. At the moment of writing, we are the case study.
Category: Electronics
Featured in: This Week in Native Ads 3/27
Uncertain Economic Times Lie Ahead. Are Your Strategic Priorities Clear?
The Atlantic with fast to market content on re-evaluating your strategic priorities with PWC.
Category: Financial Services
Featured in: This Week in Native Ads 4/3
Zone Cleaning Is The Tidying Method That Will Simplify Your Life
Bustle also fast to adjust with this piece on zone cleaning, how to keep yourself sane and the house clean.
Category: Consumer Goods
Featured in: This Week in Native Ads 4/3
Predictions | State Farm® + ESPN Commercial (featuring Kenny Mayne)
The ESPN State Farm ad during the Michael Jordan ‘The Last Dance’.
Category: Insurance
Featured in: This Week in Native Ads 4/24
Here’s how much you need to put in a 529 savings plan every month to have $100,000 for your child’s college
Acorns with CNBC, Here’s how much you need to put in a 529 savings plan every month to have $100,000 for your child’s college.
Category: Fin-tech
Featured in: Nudge newsletter, Weird Earnings 5/1
The Stewards of Stimulus
EY on CNBC – with a significant multi-episode partnership. Focused on the new now. The Stewards of Stimulus is a good one to start with.
Category: Consulting & strategy
Featured in: Nudge newsletter, Brand Balance Sheets, 5/8
10 Strangers Having Their First Online Dating Experience
10 strangers having their first online dating experience, brought to you by Just Eat UK and LADbible.
Category: Food
Featured in: Nudge newsletter, The Howard Stern move
A New Vision for Plastic
Veolia on NYT shares a new vision for plastic.
Category: Resource management & sustainability
Featured in: Nudge newsletter, George Floyd Response
Piaget’s Extraordinary Women
Piaget on FT with stories from extraordinary women. Women that are combatting old-fashioned attitudes in order to break through the glass ceilings and become successful in their chosen fields.
Category: Watches & jewellery
Featured in: Nudge newsletter, George Floyd Response
Gaming for the World
Esports Federation on WSJ with Gaming for the World. By joining Gamers Without Borders, the world’s best esports players raise funds for major charities supporting the global Covid-19 effort.
Category: Esports
Featured in: Nudge newsletter, George Floyd Response
How to make the direct sales process easier and quicker
[Nativeception – native for a native company] Brandverge on AdAge on how to make the direct sales process easier and quicker.
Category: Native
Featured in: Nudge newsletter, Facebook illicit drugs
Uncover Antarctica
Uncover Antarctica by National Geographic with Oppo.
Category: Consumer electronics
Featured in: Nudge newsletter, Facebook illicit drugs
Connected Cows
Connected Cows by BBC StoryWorks and Cisco. How 5G is powering the rural connectivity revolution, one farm at a time.
Category: Technology
Featured in: Nudge newsletter, On edutainment
New findings: Mid-pandemic, empathetic marketers are outperforming everyone else
Sharethrough on Digiday with the seven messaging strategies that have performed best in the wake of COVID-19.
Category: Native
Featured in: Nudge newsletter, On edutainment
How TikTok flips the script in digital advertising
TikTok on Campaign. How TikTok flips the script in digital advertising.
Category: Social
Featured in: Nudge newsletter, 231 tonnes of Gold
This Is How KFC Has Changed Since Lockdown
This is how KFC has changed since lockdown. KFC in partnership with LADbible.
Category: Food
Featured in: Nudge newsletter, Bold Parterships
Why better measurement is the secret to proactive branding
Lucid on Adage, Why better measurement is the secret to proactive branding.
Category: B2B/Tech
Featured in: Nudge newsletter, Snap Snap
Is Seeing Believing Or… Deceiving?
Is Seeing Believing Or… Deceiving? PeacockTV on Vox.
Category: OTT/Streaming
Featured in: Nudge newsletter, Snap Snap
Leveraging Customer Data and Traveler Insights to Drive Covid-19 Recovery
ICF Next on Skift, Leveraging Customer Data and Traveler Insights to Drive Covid-19 Recovery.
Category: B2B
Featured in: Nudge newsletter, Snap Snap
The Pandemic’s Hidden Victims
The Pandemic’s Hidden Victims. An important piece by The Alzheimer’s Association and Atlantic Re:think.
Category: Charity
Featured in: Nudge newsletter, Snap Snap
Shaping the digital battlespace
Shaping the digital battlespace. Booz Allen Hamilton on Politico.
Category: IT
Featured in: Nudge newsletter, Antitrust
Chasing a ghost
HBO on The Atlantic with a great piece that shines a light on new TV show ‘I’ll Be Gone in the Dark’.
Category: TV
Featured in: Nudge newsletter, Antitrust
A salute to the early risers
Buffalo Bills on The Player’s Tribute with a salute to the early risers.
Category: Sports
Featured in: Nudge newsletter, Antitrust
An Ode to New York This Summer
An Ode to New York This Summer by the City of NYC on NYT.
Category: Government
Featured in: Nudge newsletter, Hydra
T presents: 15 creative women for our time
Adobe on NYT with T presents: 15 creative women for our time.
Category: Tech
Featured in: Nudge newsletter, Content is king
No, your phone isn’t ‘listening’ to you — but it’s probably tracking you
Firefox on Upworthy with No, your phone isn’t ‘listening’ to you — but it’s probably tracking you.
Category: Web Browser
Featured in: Nudge newsletter, Content is king
How to build your ultimate back-to-school battle station
MSI on The Verge with How to build your ultimate back-to-school battle station.
Category: Hardware/Gaming
Featured in: Nudge newsletter, Content is king
Hanging out with
Samsung on Elite Daily with Hanging out with.
Category: Hardware
Featured in: Nudge newsletter, Content is king
Mustang Mach-E First Edition
Ford drops a car with Uncrate.
Category: Automotive
Featured in: Nudge newsletter, Consumer experience
Disclosure at Plitvice Lakes National Park, in Croatia for Cercle
Amazon Music with Cercle, hosting Disclosure at Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia. A great set to put on Friday afternoon as you close out the week. Cheers Amazon.
Category: Music / E-commerce
Featured in: Nudge newsletter, Shiny Toys
Medecision: Transforming Healthcare in the Age of the Coronavirus
WSJ + Atlassian, Transforming Healthcare in the Age of the Coronavirus.
Category: Software
Featured in: Nudge newsletter, Shiny Toys
Financial Advisors Swap Insights on Tough Client Questions
Vanguard on NYT, Financial Advisors Swap Insights on Tough Client Questions. A good, educational piece.
Category: Financial services
Featured in: Nudge newsletter, 300th Edition
9 Ways to Kill Germs Around the House
3M with Good House Keeping, 9 Ways to Kill Germs Around the House.
Category: Consumer goods
Featured in: Nudge newsletter, Advertising fortitude
Adobe is betting on the CMO and CIO partnership
Adobe is betting on the CMO and CIO partnership. Adobe in partnership with TechCrunch Brand Studio.
Category: Software
Featured in: Nudge newsletter, U.S. vs Google
Brands are rethinking content strategies to make personalization pay off
Brands are rethinking content strategies to make personalization pay off. A partnership between Sitecore and Digiday.
Category: Software
Featured in: Nudge newsletter, Tentpoles and content
Waves of change
Allbirds on Highsnobiety, with Waves of change. A great piece that facilitates a critical conversation around sustainability in fashion, in a push towards real change.
Category: Retail
Featured in: Nudge newsletter, Tentpoles and content
We asked big-time creatives what’s on their flash drives right now
Samsung on G/O Media Studios, where they asked big-time creatives what’s on their flash drives right now. A fun and lighthearted piece.
Category: Hardware
Featured in: Nudge newsletter, TV revolution
Into the wild: we put Jack Wolfskin’s latest gear to the test
Jack Wolfskin on Highsnobiety with Into the wild: we put Jack Wolfskin’s latest gear to the test.
Category: Retail
Featured in: Nudge newsletter, Podcast peak?
Honoring the brave
USAA on The Players’ Tribune, Honoring the Brave.
Category: Financial services
Featured in: Nudge newsletter, Podcast peak?
Air Mail collaboration
Air Mail (the email newsletter) is doing a brand collaboration with Stubbs and Wootton. Content + Commerce.
Category: Newsletter
Featured in: Nudge newsletter, Substackerati
Inside Mastercard’s digital experiences, LGBTQ+ work, and adventures in sonic branding
SalesForce + Muse by CLIO, speaking with Mastercard CMO Raja Rajamannar. These are a win for SalesForce, distribution + building relationships with key partners or prospects.
Category: Software
Featured in: Nudge newsletter, Substackerati
John Mayer goes outside
The Atlantic + Range Rover partnered with John Mayer to inspire people to get outside.
Category: Automotive
Featured in: Nudge newsletter, Creator Economy
How publishers and brands are reimagining video on Twitter
How publishers and brands are reimagining video on Twitter. Interview with the client really brings the pitch across.
Category: Social media
Featured in: Nudge newsletter, Creator Economy
The Drop in with Cameo CEO Steven Galanis
Drop In with DropBox, Wired Brand Lab, and Guy Raz. Chatting with entrepreneurs and business leaders on how they’re adapting.
Category: Software
Featured in: Nudge newsletter, 46 States
Podcast: Are we drowning in premium TV streaming platforms?
Barclays with Broadcast network, talking are we drowning in premium TV streaming platforms or spoilt for choice?
Category: Financial services
Featured in: Nudge newsletter, 46 States
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