The world's funniest marketing tricks (that made millions) 🧪
Try them yourself — the 13 most bizarre marketing ideas of all time
1. Say your product might break *on purpose*
This poor-quality ring breaks BY DESIGN (to make you buy a new one).
Why it works: When a flaw becomes a feature —> customers celebrate it (instead of complaining about it).
2. Hack every text box into an ad
This startup founder followed 1,000s with this genius Twitter username. 👇 It reminds me of how Slack uses the “Release Notes” section of the app store for marketing. Find ad space where no one’s looking.
Why it works: The most overlooked spaces have the least competition and the most attention.
3. Call your business like a popular SEO keyword
Fool search engines by changing your name to the search query. It’s like naming your Spotify song “Alexa Play Music”.
Why it works: Don’t fight the algorithms – become one with them :)
4. Steal viral moments to make ads out of them
Nike took a viral image (above) and created this ad (below) from Argentina’s Copa America 2024 showdown with Chile.
Why it works: Perfect timing and observation > expensive production. The best ads often come from watching what’s already working.
5. Do the opposite of what everyone expects
Calm’s ultra-quiet TV ad in the middle of election night really stood out (when all other ads were noisy and loud). Reminds me of their donothingfor2minutes.com website.
Why it works: When everyone screams → whisper. When they whisper → scream.
6. Make your competitors do the marketing for you
Burger King asked McDonald’s to help create a “McWhopper” for World Peace Day, knowing they’d refuse — the refusal generated more publicity than if they’d agreed.
Why it works: By creating situations where both “yes” and “no” work in your favor, you win either way.
7. Partner with an unlikely brand.
KFC and Crocs teamed up to create shoes that smell like fried chicken (for real).
Why it works: When partnerships make people say “wait, what??” - they go viral.
8. Tell your audience *not* to do something!
Patagonia asked people to “buy less” for the environment, which led to more jacket purchases. One of my most-read articles is about exactly that.
Why it works: Psychological reactance - when people feel their freedom to choose is being restricted, they rebel against it.
9. Use job posts as PR stunts
Your ‘careers’ page is an excellent marketing engine if you treat it well. Beehiiv’s 'Remote Office Manager' position is one of my favorites: Isn’t an Office Manager supposed to be... well, in the office?
10. Trick people with a celebrity name ;)
Surreal (a cereal brand) ran ads saying they were “loved by Michael Jordan” — but the Michael Jordan they quoted was just a random person who happens to share the name with the basketball legend.
Why it works: The best clickbait admits it’s clickbait. Honesty > trickery.
11. Host weddings
Taco Bell actually has a wedding chapel in Las Vegas. Why can’t you marry your B2B SaaS users as well?
Why it works: Give customers a story to tell (even if they’re not participating).
12. Advertise on completely *wrong* platforms
For Deadpool 2, they created profiles on Tinder and sent inappropriate pickup lines to matches. He became one of the most right-swiped profiles in Tinder’s history.
Why it works: The worst possible platform is often the best one (if you fully commit to the bit).
13. Make the cheapest [something] ever…
Reddit bought just 5 seconds of ad space during the Super Bowl—just enough time for viewers to barely catch a message about the power of communities. The ad went viral online afterward.
Why it works: It made people wonder “what just happened”.
The golden marketing lessons:
🌎 EVERYTHING. IS. MARKETING.
🔥 A tiny budget + perfect timing > huge budget + safe idea
💚 The best marketing often looks like it shouldn’t work (until it does)
🌶️ Discomfort creates attention
🍿 Being unexpected pays off
🌀 Let your brand be weird and quirky if it fits your audience
🎲 High risk = viral potential
🧩 The medium is the message (HOW you deliver your message matters more than WHAT you’re saying)
What’s the funniest marketing idea you’ve ever seen? 👀 Drop it in the comments!
See you next week ✌️
Tom
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