“We can’t win without a bigger ad budget”
Really? Hold my beer.
Anyone can throw money at a problem. But unless you’ve got Geico’s budget, you’ll get ignored. Reaching people starts with a clever idea that taps an emotion. Make us laugh, or cry or care about your brand. Of course, that connection can’t be measured by gross impressions. But it’s what matters most.
Which brings us to Saxx Underwear.
Sergio Romo, a pitcher for the Oakland As, was recently accused of doctoring the baseball during a game. In his rage, Sergio pulled down his pants, exposing his underwear for all to see.
And he lit up the internet.
Sergio’s stunt triggered an idea at Saxx Underwear. They seized the moment and shipped 365 pair of briefs to Sergio, and offered to pay his fines. In one, swift move, Saxx looked like a hero, gave a smile to sports fans and became the underwear brand worn by sports stars.
The cost to Saxx was virtually nothing. Just a little creativity.
Here’s my take. When I ran KISW in Seattle, our owner said, “You don’t need a promotion budget, you’ve got 100,000 watts. Fair point. So, we dreamed up crazy promotions that showed our young, male listeners that we ‘got’ them.
One such idea was called Balls Of The Stars.
Seattle loves their sports. So, we approached every pro team and requested autographed baseballs, footballs, basketballs to give away on-air. Local sports stars recorded funny promos, encouraging listeners to ‘win their balls’.
This wasn’t about winning a contest. It was about being in on the joke. Sure, it was dude humor. But it broke through the clutter and reinforced our irreverent brand.
The buzz was electric – the cost was zero.
