“I think it’s hilarious and it got us talking, so it’s effective.”
That was a response to an ad posted in a Facebook group I’m in. The ad seemed to receive mixed reviews. When you looked at it, it seemed a bit crass and, well, a little NSFW. Someone else noted, “Excellent demonstration of the utility of their product. Looks good to me.”
It got me thinking, “If they’re talking about you, does that automatically equal effective success?”
The short answer: It depends.
It goes back to—and this should be no surprise—your goals.
1. Are you raising awareness about a specific cause?
2. Are you demonstrating your product’s durability?
3. Is there a call to action you want people to take?
4. Are you sharing your brand’s values?
Those are pretty solid goals to attain.
However, if you’re trying to stay relevant by keeping up with the kids … well, sometimes if you try too hard, you’ll end up looking like this. And no one wants that.
Whatever the end goal is, remember to go back to it and adjust for it. Just because a campaign sounds good or an idea is interesting, it might not fit the end game you’re trying to achieve. Save it for later. And please, please don’t ever think this is a good idea.
Some of my top favorites:
3. Washington Post — “Democracy Dies in Darkness”
4. Jeep: See What You Want to See
You can probably guess what each brand was trying to achieve. I think they are very powerful campaigns and push you a little further than others. Sure, everyone loves a funny ad that makes you chuckle. Case in point: Little Caesars Pizza. But am I actually going to go out and purchase said pizza? Probably not. Thanks for the laughs, though.
If you want to debate the effectiveness or integrity of my faves, I’ll buy you a beverage and we can talk about it.