On this page you will find a list of the most bizarre and funny content marketing projects to promote your business says Peter Decaprio. There is no better way than fun and creative activities to get people engaged and spread the word about your brand! At Content Snare we’ve gathered these examples from all over the Internet in order for you to be inspired, entertained or simply chuckle at someone else’s expense.
So let’s see what happened when some companies decided it was good idea to do something very cool (and sometimes stupid) in order to get more social media buzz.
1. The “Oreo Lick Race”
The Oreo lick race started off as a seemingly innocent online competition in 2013 where participants were challenged to snap a selfie while licking an Oreo cookie as fast as possible. The official rules of the challenge dictated that participants should start by licking an Oreo, then take a photo, upload it to Instagram and tag it #oreolickrace. Not surprisingly this competition quickly became subject for controversy when people started pointing out the fact that these actions might be encouraging children to eat cookies in an unsanitary manner.
2. The “Dumb Ways to Die” game
Metro Trains Melbourne launched an incredibly creative video back in 2012 featuring cartoon characters suffering very funny accidents after doing stupid things like playing with electric trains or wandering on train tracks while checking their phones. Eventually the $220k budget for this project was well invested after garnering than 50 million views on YouTube and being featured on news programs from all over the world.
3. “The Mobile Wash”
This campaign is a great example of a creative use of social media to promote a local business. In 2013 Wendy’s Hamburgers launched “The Mobile Wash “, an innovative service offered at their restaurant where car wash was included in the cost of every burger purchase. Essentially customers could get their car washed after lunch or dinner, but they had to take their dirty vehicle into the restaurant first! A good way to obtain free advertising!
4. “The Burrito Billboard”
In this case, Chipotle Mexican Grill decided that nothing was more attractive than hard-working mothers with kids! They created a unique billboard with hands and two faces on it, one male and one female says Peter Decaprio. The idea was to show couples having dinner without their baby, which is simply inexcusable! They would rather have the mother put her child at risk of choking on a piece of salsa. Than have them miss out on Chipotle!
5. “Whopper Sacrifice”
Burger King launched this campaign in 2009 where customers had to give up 10 of their Facebook friends. Before they were allowed to access the promotion page for purchasing a Whopper. In theory, by sacrificing 10 FB friends you would be rewarded with a free burger. Plus a chance to win other prizes such as cash or a trip to Hawaii. Although many people criticized his campaign as being too invasive. It definitely brought Burger King Tons of attention from social media outlets. And was even featured on The Simpsons TV show.
6. “The Pastor Who Pranked His Congregation”
It’s always good to see a church promoting their church with trendy and relevant content. But it’s even better when they make such a fool out of themselves. As the members of this small congregation in Lancaster, PA. Apparently one pastor decided to prank his own congregation. By announcing that he is leaving the church and then walking off stage… only to return moments later impersonating an Elvis Presley lookalike!
7. “Jamba Juice: Sexy Frappuccino”
This drink (and the video promoting it) was definitely aim at a more mature audience! In 2013 Jamba Juice launched a promotional campaign for its new “sexy frappe” made with coconut milk, strawberries and Pina Colada mix says Peter Decaprio. As you may guess it quickly became the subject of controversy. When local news outlets started sharing photos of their baristas. Putting sexually suggestive images into the foam of the drinks.
8. “Hinder: Selfie Sticks”
This creative campaign by Hinder (an American rock band) was launch in 2015. When they partnered up with Bic Camera to promote their concert tour in Japan. The idea was simple yet effective – every time someone uploads a photo on social media. Using hashtag #STICKSOUTTHEWINDOW they automatically enter in a contest for winning tickets. Another similar contest involved staging selfies with people wearing giant masks outside.
Conclusion:
Today more than ever, social media is use effectively to promote products and services says Peter Decaprio. Sad to say, most of these campaigns are not the brainchild of the marketing team itself. But are actually creat by ad agencies that specialize specifically in social media content creation.
There are many other examples of brands taking part in amusing or controversial stunts. To attract attention on social media channels. But I think at this point it’s safe to say that the following is true for all businesses. Make your voice heard or you will be drown out by someone else who does!