Requires a fresh, original message, a catchy tone, and a well-selected station to reach the target audience.
Radio reaches over 39 million listeners, remaining a powerful driver for brand awareness and traffic.
Pricing varies based on criteria (message, tone, station), requiring a balanced approach between budget and impact.
💡 Creative radio ad examples (Top 8 campaigns)
Alliance de la radio: Leveraged humor and a sound curiosity effect ("Non Non Non") for maximum memorability. Integrated strategy (radio + digital audio).
Ensemble pour le DAB+: Multi-channel campaign (radio, OOH, digital) launched in summer to promote the superior sound quality and stability of DAB+.
Decathlon (Christmas): Humorous, situational ad to highlight a promotion. Uses a highly recognizable sound identity (audio branding).
FDJ (French Lottery): Artistic campaign with a distinct, musical voice that sticks in your mind.
Auchan (Black Friday): Promoted high-tech products (e.g., refurbished iPhone). Adherence to mandatory translation rules for non-French terms (e.g., "Vendredi Noir" for "Black Friday").
Burger King (Recruitment): Simple, high-impact, and humorous spot aimed at attracting candidates, cleverly showcasing future employees.
Intermarché (Summer): Featured its brand slogan for retention. Included required **informative messages for food advertising.
La Poste (App): Situational scenario (package tracking) to encourage app downloads and help consumers relate.
This summary highlights the key takeaways for running an effective radio spot campaign.
Making a good radio spot is not a simple task for advertisers. It is important to stand out from the competition with the creation of an original, creative and emotional radio spot, but also to choose the right radio station with the right frequency. In short, your advertising message must be memorable for the listeners!
Radio is the 2nd most consulted media in France and represents more than 39 million listeners over 13 years old; broadcasting your advertisement via this channel is therefore a good strategy to work on the notoriety of your brand, the traffic at the point of sale as well as on a local and national scale!
Alliance de la radio: The "Non Non Non" Audio Campaign
To prove the effectiveness of radio as a medium to advertisers, Alliance de la Radio launched a campaign that leveraged the intrinsic nature of audio. Rather than using a direct message, it relied on humor and a sound curiosity effect (the repetition of "Non Non Non") to surprise the listener and ensure maximum recall. The strength of this approach lies in its integrated media strategy: targeted broadcasting wasn't limited to traditional airwaves but extended across all digital audio platforms (web radio and podcasts). This combination positions the campaign as a model for adapting to new audience consumption habits, creatively and measurably demonstrating the value of the radio medium to both the public and industry professionals.
Ensemble pour le DAB+: Summer Promotion for Digital Radio
The Ensemble pour le DAB+ (Digital Audio Broadcasting Plus) Association used a strategic insight to accelerate the adoption of digital terrestrial radio. By targeting the summer season, the campaign found the most relevant time to highlight DAB+'s technological benefits: superior sound quality and stability without changing frequencies. The cleverness of the communication strategy is its multi-channel approach: it pairs radio support with out-of-home (OOH) advertising and digital platforms for maximum visibility and synergy. This campaign goes beyond simple promotion, serving a vital educational role in guiding the public toward an essential digital technology of the future.
Decathlon and their Christmas Holiday Sales
The sports brand Decathlon ran a humorous radio commercial during the Christmas holiday season.
Many brands communicate during the festive season by offering discounts and products exclusively available duering this period. The end of year festivities are important times for many brands. And Decathlon has understood this by sharing this advertisement on the radio !
Decathlon provided a great gift idea by showcasing a product in an everyday situation to promote a Christmas sale. By placing the listener in this scenario, they can identify with it or think of someone they know who might need the product. It’s also notable that Decathlon's audio spots generally feature a highly recognizable sound identity at the beginning and end of the ad.
This first example contains all the necessary ingredients for a successful radio spot!
FDJ goes on the radio !
If you are a motorist or even a passenger, then you will recognize this ad very easily! Indeed, the FDJ (Française Des Jeux) has bet on the quality of this audio advertising campaign with its artistic side.
Note that ads for sports betting are subject to regulations that mandate the following disclaimer:"Gambling involves risks: debt, addiction... Call 09-74-75-13-13.
On November 26, 2021, NRJ radio broadcast an advert from Aunchan for Black Friday. This advert was audible in Poitiers, received in Buxerolles at 5:45 PM.
This ad from the Auchan supermarket aims to sell high-tech products. Listeners heard an attractive promotion that made them want to buy a refurbished 64GB iPhone.
At the end of this audio ad, the phrase "Black Friday" is translated as « Vendredi Noir » (Black Friday). This is a mandatory clarification for all French ads that include an English term; it must be translated into French.
A radio ad for the communication giant : Burger King
Last April, Burger King produced a radio advert. A 30-second spot that is simple, punchy and humorous, and that will catch the attention of listners... especially those looking for a new job!
The communication master this time ran a recruitment campaign via a radio ad that starts with (more) humor: "Another spot no one will listen to". Later in the ad, Burger King expresses its desire to hire talented new employees (which successfully flatters potential candidates); Burger King masters the art of making applicants want to apply with this great commercial!
To promote summer fruits, Intermarché aired this radio commercial during the summer period from July 23, 2021, to August 29, 2021.
This 30-second advert showed the importance of a brand’s slogan. Listeners heard "Intermarché, all united against the high cost of living". This approach was very effective for brand memorability.
For food advertising, informative messages are mandatory for certain products. Disclaimers such as "For your health, avoid snacking between meals" or "For your health, avoid eating too much fat, sugar, or salt" must immediately follow the commercial.
Starting July 23, 2021, La Poste (The french post office) began promoting its application for tracking customer-ordered packages. The radio ad featured two protagonists: a man reassuring his wife about tracking her packages using the La Poste app. This realistic scenario allows consumers to identify with these everyday moments, a great example of encouraging customers to download the application.
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