Weird is cool. Yes, you heard us. Sometimes being weird and wacky is a good thing because it makes a statement and helps you stand out. It is easy to get caught in a whirlwind of content in today’s world. Being bold and thinking out of the box when you put your content out there is just what you need to craft a successful marketing campaign for your brand. This article outlines three inspiring content marketing campaigns that are wacky and fun and the lessons you can learn from them.

1. Snickers – You’re Not You When You’re Hungry

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Who hasn’t enjoyed this bar of peanutty and chocolaty goodness? Snickers is a globally recognised confectionary brand sold by the American company Mars. In a highly competitive market for chocolates and candy, Snickers has successfully made its mark and used the tagline, ‘You’re Not You When You’re Hungry’ for over ten years.

The idea is that people tend to “act funny” when they’re hungry, and a bar of Snickers can solve the problem. This basic theme has featured in many Snickers’ advertisements, featuring iconic stars like Betty White. Not only that, Snickers has maintained the same consistency with the colour palette and brand images they use, such as the brown and gold packaging.

In a recent iteration of their famous slogan, Snickers UK paired up with Spotify to create a fascinating digital campaign that was wacky to the core. The Hunger Spotter campaign essentially used an algorithm that analysed the audience’s favourite music genres – say rock and roll or hip hop. If a user were found listening to something other than their typical genre, they would hear a Snickers ad.

This ad would inform them that they were likely hungry, which explained their ‘unexpected behaviour.’ The advertisement offered them a cure in the form of a Snickers bar and a personalised playlist. This Hunger Playlist would have music selected according to the listener’s typical favourite genre.

Key Takeaway: In the age of customised content, this ad was the perfect way to show your audience that you care and to form connections!

2. Oreo – You Can Still Dunk In The Dark

Image source: twitter.com

Back in 2013, Oreo surprised its customers with a tweet that went on to become incredibly famous, with about 15,000 retweets in a day. What could have been so special about one tweet? It was during the NFL Super Bowl season in the US that there was a blackout while the game was being played at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome stadium. The power outage lasted a little over half an hour. In that brief window of time, Oreo published a tweet that would still be talked about years later. What did it say? Just seven words and a picture.

A single cookie featured against a dark background, and the words: “You can still dunk in the dark.” Oreo captioned it, “Power Out? No problem.” We all know and love the tagline that Oreo has used for over thirty years, ‘twist, lick, dunk,’ which tells us the perfect way to eat the cookie. It is fantastic that the company was still able to put a new spin on such an old classic motto. Moreover, they did it not in a planned ad but rather a simple, creative tweet that utilised an unexpected opportunity.

Now, you might be wondering how this unforeseen occurrence can be a strategy. They simply got lucky, right? Not exactly. What is weird and wacky about this is using spontaneity itself as a strategy. Even as we underscore the importance of planning and organisation, leaving room for creativity and on-the-spot judgement calls is a bold content and marketing strategy, but one that can pay off at moments like these. Check out the Mastercard Sound of Priceless campaign that similarly used a major sporting event to maximise its reach.

Key takeaway: It is crucial to have a creative team who can pounce on a chance like this and just as vital to maintaining the infrastructure to support and implement an innovative idea.

3. Deadpool on Tinder

Another ol’ favourite, the marketing for the movie Deadpool is an excellent example of guerilla marketing done right. What is guerilla marketing? It is an unconventional way to draw attention to a brand, usually by making a big and bold statement in public – it may be a colossal hoarding or installation in an unexpected location or a public performance such as a flash mob. Guerilla marketing gets attention and gets shared. With word of mouth advertising and user-generated publicity, this type of marketing is also cost-effective.

Now, you might think that guerilla marketing does not exist in the age of digital marketing because you cannot put up physical installations online. But, it does exist. The basic principle remains the same – place your advertisements in spots where people least expect them and make them bold and different! Before the movie ‘Deadpool’ came out in 2016, a lot of innovative marketing was done to promote this film.

The marketing campaign idea might simply have been to try anything and everything that went against the norm. Apart from the conventional platforms, Deadpool was advertised on Tinder in a weird and cool fashion. As users on the dating app swiped right or left, they would stumble upon this profile of Deadpool, aged 39, and ‘verified.’ Whether you had heard about the movie or not, this was a fun way to catch the audience’s eye and get them interested to learn more about the film. Unusual things are more memorable, especially in a flood of content.

Key takeaway: The element of surprise goes a long way to pique someone’s curiosity and interest. The more absurd your content, the more likely your audience is to remember you.