When Did Marketers Become So Scared of Weird?
Not long ago, weird was the lifeblood of marketing. The oddball energy of a late-night infomercial or a 90s toy ad. Memes before memes. Fast forward to 2024, and much of what hits our feeds feels algorithmically cautious. Friendly, digestible, not unlike an oat milk press release.
But then I stumbled across a promo video that stopped me mid-scroll. For a solar panel startup. Of all things. A guy in a full astronaut suit screaming about the sun being a big dumb jerk. It was loud, unhinged, and — crucially — unforgettable. Not more chaos for chaos’ sake, but confident weird. And it worked. Their sales jumped 300%. I looked into it. Turns out the CMO had a background in puppet theatre. Of course they did.
The point is, campaigns that actually risk oddness end up feeling honest, memorable. Because they haven’t been over-sanded by market research. You notice them like you notice a pigeon wearing a tiny hat. It breaks the trance. That’s something you can’t optimise into existence. Not with A/B testing or retargeting.
So here’s a thought. Instead of asking “Will this offend anyone?” or “Does it match our tone?”, maybe run it by your mate who speaks in riddles and owns a ceramic trumpet. If they laugh, you’ve probably got something. Weird is a compass, not a gimmick. And the brands who get that? They’re already winning.
But then I stumbled across a promo video that stopped me mid-scroll. For a solar panel startup. Of all things. A guy in a full astronaut suit screaming about the sun being a big dumb jerk. It was loud, unhinged, and — crucially — unforgettable. Not more chaos for chaos’ sake, but confident weird. And it worked. Their sales jumped 300%. I looked into it. Turns out the CMO had a background in puppet theatre. Of course they did.
The point is, campaigns that actually risk oddness end up feeling honest, memorable. Because they haven’t been over-sanded by market research. You notice them like you notice a pigeon wearing a tiny hat. It breaks the trance. That’s something you can’t optimise into existence. Not with A/B testing or retargeting.
So here’s a thought. Instead of asking “Will this offend anyone?” or “Does it match our tone?”, maybe run it by your mate who speaks in riddles and owns a ceramic trumpet. If they laugh, you’ve probably got something. Weird is a compass, not a gimmick. And the brands who get that? They’re already winning.