I planned to write to you today as a continuation to our discussion on Wednesday (the 1 where we talked about creative that's actually creative and how to accomplish that).
And the plan stands. HOWEVER, we have some breaking content that has rocked my little marketing world and it dropped Friday night. (Screenshotted above).
The David Protein clap back to the Mean Girl's Kälteen Bars accusation / lawsuit that their protein bars are not 150 calories. I worked with this brand and I love them but even if I didn't know them at all I would have DIED OVER HOW GOOD THIS CONTENT IS.
It's my favorite thing I've seen this entire year. By a mile. By year I mean last 365 days not January - March. IT'S AWESOME.
I've liked it on every platform that they've published on (it's popped off on TikTok). I've sent it to 20 people. I'm now gushing about it to you.
IT ALL RELATES BACK TO WHAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT. CREATIVE IDEATION!!! BUT PAIRED WITH CREATIVE EXECUTION!!!!
And another thing... if you find yourself thinking that was my idea you need a new idea. 🙂
I never could have thought of that David idea. That's my honest truth. It's so good because it's so bold and they are so brave.
Yes I said brave.
Most brands and people don't have that room to be that brave. So the ideas are smaller. More on the nose. More predictable.
Worse.
Put tangibly: They used the actual Mean Girls song. Do you know how many brands would be forbidden in their approval process to use that sound?
Almost all. You know it. I know it. FORBIDDEN! Nobody would think of this because nobody would have access to that sound. Because most people phone in the music and lie to themselves that it doesn't matter.
What comes before dead on arrival? Failure to dream?
Put tangibly again: In the past I briefed in a hero homepage that I thought was great. Smart. Of the season and on brand. We got it ready. Then, before we went live, I casually looked at a few brands that sell a similar product to a similar customer. My smart idea wasn't actually smart because it wasn't unique. They all got there, too. And they got there 1st. Basically verbatim to what we thought of. Because it was easy to think of it because it sucked.
WAS CLEARLY TOO OBVIOUS.
We scrapped it and went the opposite way because why would we put up the same shit? BORING! It wasn't copying it was just so available that it was the same. Not good.
Put intangibly: They say the only way to be a successful writer is to be very online. The only way to be a good writer is to be very offline.
The only way to be like David Protein is to be free. They are so online but at the same time behaving like they live on another planet and I love that. THEY ARE FREE! And really, what did they have to lose?
The narrative was out of control and so they clapped back and did so quickly and fiercely and in the spirit of true originality.
Went live on a Friday night. Because that's when it was ready.
You know what most brands would have done? Turned off commenting. Hidden the words 'mean' 'girls' 'cal teen' 'Kälteen' etc.
Laid low. Waited until the coast was clear.
And we all know that never works. Ever.
