The Internet enables marketers to promote their products and services to millions of consumers around the world. At the same time, it exposes brands to vocal and widespread criticism each time a company does anything remotely wrong.
Bold marketing attempts can quickly blow up in a business’s face. But there is still a number of brave marketers who know how to tactfully execute unconventional campaigns. Here are three anecdotes about companies that took large risks, all for the glory. In the end, they each elevated the overall standard of marketing and won over customers thanks to gutsy marketing.
1. Bathroom humor.
On July 30, 2014, Charmin declared, “While they’re out guarding the galaxy, we’ll take care of Uranus. #astronomy #tweetfromtheseat.” The tweet quickly spread throughout the Twitterverse. To-date, it has generated nearly 3,000 retweets. Its timing was impeccable, as it was sent out less than a week after the box office blockbuster Guardians for the Galaxy hit theaters.
Toilet jokes rarely turn out well. Despite those odds, Charmin executed this witty post in fewer than 140 characters only to receive praise for its work. While still nowhere near as popular as Oreo’s famous “dunk in the dark” tweet, Charmin’s Uranus quip is a textbook example of how brands can riff on popular culture and delight consumers.
3 High-Risk Marketing Campaigns That Amazed Everybody by Working
