3 Ways Ideas Can Invade Culture
Why
is tapping into culture important? Well, everyone tunes out
advertising. People watch the things they like and Tivo past the
commercials or completely tune them out.
However, when your content
blurs the line between what people tune into and what they tune out,
your usually going to win.
Here are 3 ways to pull this off:
1. Use cultural levers, tap into a trend, make fun of a fad and "lampoon" pop culture.
There is even
whole shows dedicated to this philosophy. One of my favorites is Robot Chicken. In short, align yourself
with things people are watching, consuming, buzzing about. Simply make it follow the behavior of
another culture, like the internet. Think consumer-generated, home video-looking commercials.
2. Follow a pre-existing story line, myth, fantasy, or movement that's very familiar to people.
Sometimes it's mass culture other times it's sub-culture. Think vampires, Tetris, an Olympic event, or a
reality TV weight-loss game show—there's always a lot to choose from. That's what makes the idea
stick. It's current.
3. Have your brand or advertising add commentary on these subjects and recreate the story in your
own way. Build your brands self-awareness by letting people know that you know they know.
Go ahead—read that line again. I'll wait...
It's
more social to borrow from culture and no you don't have to lose your
brand in the process or parody everything that's popular. You should
use it as a way to "remix" your brand in a way that's current, and
refresh the way your consumers see you.Trust me, they'll thank you.
Below are some of my free creative offerings:
A:
The Jersey Shore is ripe for a lampooning. What brand is up for it? Anyone want to make a cologne
for men called "Your Situation"?
B:
Target runs an ad campaign that affects their business as a service. They let consumers vote some of
their products "off the island" or in essence out of their stores to prove that they only carry
the products with the best customer reviews.
I'm
sure you can see where I was going with this. You're brand can partner
with culture and say "I deserve to be here" instead of "I paid to be
here."
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