Weirdvertising, marked by unpolished and disruptive content, is reportedly on the rise.
eMarketer from Insider Intelligence uses the term weirdvertising for an ad that probably shouldn’t work but does.
Generally these have a lower quality feel, by intention.
“Weirdvertising may abandon some design principles, but it doesn’t actually abandon all marketing principles,” says eMarketer.
“The ads still feature basic brand info, and they’re true to brand identity. For instance, this weird ad format probably wouldn’t work for a luxury brand, but it does for a younger, more accessible brand.
“The ads are relatable, giving the feel that anyone could have made or thought of them. They’re often nostalgic through the use of vintage Microsoft Word tools like Clip Art and WordArt. And they can be funny, attention-grabbing, and recognisable.”
Take a look at the Skittles Beard commercial.
And Mountain Dew’s Puppy Monkey Baby
And cereal company Surreal’s billboards, described as sarcastic and slapdash, complete with typos and low rent design.
Examples via X, formerly Twitter.
And cranberry marketer Ocean Spray’s Power your holiday:
We Love the Subs - Spong Monkey
“With TikTok dominating the social media landscape, it seems like big ideas are being traded in for an army of smaller, weirder ones,” writes Chris Kocek of TotalRetail.
“With the average TikTok user swiping up every three-to-five seconds, there’s less and less time for an actual story to get set up.”
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