How to be Successful with Lazy Branding
Newcastle is at it again. Lazy branding, that is. Their new effort takes fan photos and uses poor photo shopping to create ads that are both amusing and engaging. Earlier this year, actress Anna Kendrick was angry because Newcastle promised her a spot in their Super Bowl ad, but then supposedly ran out of money (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5xrl8cb3fw). They followed that up with their “fumbled” July 4 ads (https://theartistevolution.info/fumbling-product-name-to-boost-product-effective-marketing/). Their self-deprecating, casual tone keeps them down to earth and by asking for fan photos to then make “into obvious, exaggerated, poorly executed ads,” they engage with their base in a creative way.
How to properly use this kind of marketing is contingent on two things: a solid product that you have confidence in and a steady following. Newcastle already has an established product with a strong following (upwards of 45 million on Twitter). To willingly paint yourself as cheap and still see success is evidence of a strong belief that your brand/product is worthwhile. And then, of course, the willingness to have some fun never hurts either.