A “Phony and Boring” Article

March 25, 2020

Tags: creative instagram ads, creative marketing, digital advertising, digital marketing,

Seth Godin, the king of internet marketing, said, “If the marketplace isn’t talking about you, there’s a reason…The reason is that you’re boring.” So what do you do if you have a typical business that could be classified as boring? You need to make it stand out by doing things differently. See below for a few ways that companies are flipping the script and making creative choices in their digital marketing.

Vanity Fair

This is a very clever ad from Vanity Fair that ran on Instagram. Vanity Fair used a Trump quote that could have been very damning and used it as a headline in a digital marketing ad. For those that oppose Trump, it was almost like a sign of approval. For those that don’t follow Vanity Fair, they now seem more intriguing, like something I’d want to check out. The ad is most certainly not “phony and boring.”

Joe Dough Sandwich Shop

Here’s an example of how Joe Dough Sandwich Shop used a negative Yelp quote and turned it into its “new sales pitch.” Way to go Joe Dough!

Food Challenge Store

And what about the 100oz steak challenge? You see the absurd video title “UNDEFEATED 100oz STEAK CHALLENGE in South Dakota!!” and know it’s both A] something you need to immediately watch, and B] tempting to try. Randy Santel, aka Atlas, used this digital marketing video to showcase his foodchallengesstore.com company. The video worked – it drummed up over 700k views for his business, and Doc’s Bar in Freeman, South Dakota received a ton of secondary press. Not bad for a comped $75 steak.

Readers, how will you be different in your marketing? Will you push the envelope and try things that haven’t been done? Or will you be boring?

It’s your choice.