Why This MeUndies' Marketing Campaign Kicked Ass!
Updated: Dec 28, 2021
Table of Contents:
2. The Hero
3. The Suspension of Disbelief
Does anyone know who MeUndies is? Well, we're sure you can guess by the name. But it is an all-inclusive, body-positive underwear company with a PHENOMENAL marketing department. If you subscribe to their email list, you may have already heard, but if not, buckle up (and make sure you take notes for your own brand!).
1. The Gasp Effect
One of the first things people do in the morning is to check their emails. And on Tuesday, March 23rd, 2021 I got an email with the subject line - "Fwd: Hey team, here's 25% Off". I thought it was weird that a company was forwarding an email with a discount code, but I shrugged it off and didn't read it. (I was busy that day, don't judge!). Two days later, I get another email from MeUndies that said: "Fwd: Sharing 25% Off Promo Code".
Now, this is SUPER weird. TWO Forwarded emails in two days? I checked the most recent email and started reading...
The rest of the email was the email that was forwarded, which went on to say:
Dear Nick, It has come to our attention that you have forwarded a private, internal message to our entire email list. As a result, many thousands of people have used a promo code without authorization from our finance team This was both careless and extremely unprofessional. We have always considered you a valuable member of our team, which is why we were extremely dismayed when, after being confronted, you screamed, “YOLO!” and then ran out of your own room while our call was still active. This perplexing behavior, as well as your recent hack of our Instagram account, where you posted bizarre thoughts unrelated to our business, is extremely concerning. Please consider this your one and only warning. All internal emails are meant to remain internal. If we find reason to believe you have leaked private information again, you will be receiving a very different email from me. Best, Alice Mackey Human Resources Manager MeUndies.com
And that was when the "gasp effect" came into play. I jumped up and had an audible gasp!
"What is going on here? Can this be TRUE?! A rogue employee is giving out promo codes that were meant for the inside team?? What is going to happen to him?!"
2. The Hero
The email came from "Nick at MeUndies" and I immediately searched the web to find my new hero. Someone who was giving away promo codes no matter the consequence! And he ran out of the office screaming YOLO?
Who IS this guy?
I went to Google and searched for "Nick from MeUndies" immediately and I found him...sort of...He had taken over their Instagram stories and asked viewers to ask him anything. He posted responses like this:
MeUndies created a caricature of a person who ultimately was the hero of this campaign. He was the person we all wanted to be: Bold, Fearless, and Funny all at the same time. But was he real or fake?
3. The Suspension of Disbelief
When looking through all of their social media channels, I stopped thinking about any possibility that this could be fake, or a joke, or a marketing ploy. I just loved the idea that this person was real, the situation was real, this STORY was real.
And that is the goal when pulling off an amazing campaign like this. The suspension of disbelief. It's like watching a fantastic movie. You can't stop watching, and though you know it is totally unrealistic, you don't care because you are so involved in this world you are watching on the screen.
Summary and Key Take-Aways:
This campaign was so simple, yet so brilliant. And really only consisted of a few things.
A shocking Email Campaign
A character to follow through other channels (in this case, directed to their Instagram)
And a story so amazing, you want to believe it's true
So how will you change your marketing strategy to make your brand stand out? We'd love to hear from you!