Disruptive marketing and advertising, if done effectively, can help boost a company’s conversion rate. In reality, success is how companies communicate their entire brand, and not just one or two executions of a brilliant or eye-catching campaign.
What is Disruptive Advertising?
Disruptive advertising is a tactical marketing approach that deliberately breaks conventional advertising norms to capture audience attention and create memorable brand experiences. It uses unexpected, provocative, or innovative methods to stand out from traditional advertising clutter, often challenging audience expectations and industry standards.
Notable Examples of Disruptive Advertising
1. Dollar Shave Club (2012)
- Their viral video featuring CEO Michael Dubin used irreverent humor and direct communication
- Challenged traditional razor advertising with raw authenticity and humor
- Generated 12,000 orders within 48 hours of launch
2. Deadpool Movie Marketing (2016)
- Used unconventional billboards with emojis
- Created fake romance movie posters for Valentine’s Day release
- Produced satirical PSA videos
- Broke the fourth wall in advertising, matching the character’s personality
3. KFC’s FCK Bucket (2018)
- Response to chicken shortage crisis in UK
- Rearranged their letters to spell “FCK” in newspaper ads
- Turned crisis into viral marketing opportunity with honest apology
4. Spotify’s “Wrapped” Campaign
- Transformed user data into personalized, shareable content
- Created FOMO and social media buzz
- Made advertising feel like personal content
5. IKEA’s “Pee Ad” (2018)
- Print ad doubled as a pregnancy test
- If positive, revealed a discount on cribs
- Combined utility with advertising in unprecedented way
6. Old Spice “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” (2010)
- Subverted masculine product advertising tropes
- Used surreal humor and rapid scene changes
- Created a new template for viral marketing campaigns
Disruptive Advertising Pushes the Envelope
You might also think of disruptive advertising as being a movement, rather than being a complete marketing strategy. Of course, there are definite benefits to brainstorming a campaign with advertising that can create high impact.
1. Advertising possibilities can be extremely affordable.
In fact, it may cost next to nothing to invest in. The idea is to create advertising that elicits emotional reactions that can lead to a buying decision for the consumer. Companies can revamp their current campaign or come up with creative ways to implement new strategies.
2. Disruptive advertising can also solve common issues and problems.
Find a solution that no one has ever thought of and tell the story in a way that sticks in the mind of consumers. Remember, marketing is all about addressing and solving problems in ways that no one else can.
3. Disruptive advertising has an emotion element when it’s working.
It’s the type of advertising that sends messages in a highly acceptable way—through storytelling. Disruptive advertising gets to the heart of the matter. Disruptive advertising also allows business owners to get creative and experiment for the moment.
Is Disruptive Advertising Still Working?
The other side of the coin is that it takes a lot of time and effort for companies to build trust with their base. People aren’t always inclined to jump on the bandwagon because they see a pretty Internet or television ad that makes its way into their life.
Companies have taken keen interest in digital advertising, and spend less of their budget for the more traditional forms like billboards, radio, TV ads, and newspapers. As such, there are three main forms of digital disruptive advertising.
Through Social Media
Everyone is connected to social media in some way. The majority of people have at least one social media account. People love to stay connected, and companies have taken advantage of this obsession. Targeted campaigns allow companies to target who they want to see their creative ad. This saves time and money for the business owner.
Through Content Marketing
Content marketing is also about pitching the right message to the right audience. Don’t try to please everyone, because that’s not going to happen. Target the audience where the most impact will likely occur.
Through Video Advertising
Of course, there’s video advertising which is gaining a ton of popularity. Video advertising in such venues as Facebook and YouTube can reach millions of viewers, and is a lot cheaper that advertising on television.
Disruptive advertising can have a huge impact. Marketers and businesses owners just need to remember that it took time to find and build loyal customers. People today have more choices in buying products or services, and marketing can no longer be effective if it’s not personal. If it’s disruptive, it has to also be personal.
Traditional Advertising Still Has a Heartbeat
You can’t say that traditional advertising is dead. It still has its place in the world. However, there are new ways now to capture the consumer’s attention and gain trust using disruptive advertising that is well timed and consistent with a company’s advertising theme across their digital media spectrum.
