Digital marketing continues to evolve, and brands have always attempted to be creative to capture the attention of their audience. In fact, from the beginning of the internet right up through the present era of social media dominance, we have seen some unique and interesting offers and promotions intended to catch the eye of potential customers.
Quirky and strange promotional offers can be very successful in attracting new customers. Over the years, we have seen some interesting promotions that were definitely well-thought out and executed.
Below, we look at some of the most interesting promotions.
The age of domain name giveaways
With the boom of the internet in the late 1990s and the early 2000s, companies realized that it was becoming important for them to be online. As more and more companies began to move online, some of the earliest forms of unusual online promotions were domain giveaways.
For instance, Network Solutions spearheaded this virtual trend by making free domain registrations available in hopes that users would stake their claim in the virtual world.
These promotions not only drew traffic to domain registration platforms, but also played a crucial role in the establishment of the web domain economy. People and companies rushed to leave their digital footprints on the internet, which began the crazy rush for personalized websites.
Give-aways of weird products: When brands think out-of-the-box
In the world of wild promotions, some brands took the idea of giving away products to new levels. A memorable one was fast-food chain Taco Bell on April 1st, 1996.
During this April Fool’s prank, Taco Bell advertised in newspapers that they had plans to buy the Liberty Bell in order to help pay off America’s debt. Back then, there was no social media so no one had a way to know if this was a prank or the real deal.
While this was a plain prank, the placement of ads in papers such as the New York Times made it believable. It created a buzz around the US and was declared one of the most successful ad campaigns of all time.
Moving towards the 21st century, online casinos are a great example of weird giveaways. Some casinos have even given away cars and vacations through raffles or VIP programs. Casinotopsonline lists a number of reliable online casinos that have birthday promotions and offers for new players and VIP members.
Social media challenges: Where viral trends meet brand promotion
Fast forward to the social media era, and we have a new breed of promotional mechanics that blur the lines between user-generated content and brand marketing. Perhaps the best case in point is the Ice Bucket Challenge of 2014, which shows how effortlessly a viral trend can be transformed into a publicity machine.
What began as an awareness-raising initiative for ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, took on the form of a viral fever. People were called upon to either dump a bucket of ice water on their heads or give money to ALS research. The simplicity of the challenge and the idea of social nomination quickly spread like a virus across Facebook and Twitter.
While it remains primarily a charity drive, brands soon realized the visibility and positive association they could derive from it. Companies such as Budweiser, among other corporate giants, took to the challenge by voicing their support while also improving their public image. The success of this drive proved to be unprecedented, with the ALS Association raising $115m during the eight-week period that the challenge went viral.
Scented advertising: Captivating multiple senses
Not so long ago, some brands caused quite a stir by targeting senses other than sight and sound. There was a perfume brand that published scented newspapers. Each page of this limited-edition run was embedded with a different fragrance to create a multi-sensory reading experience.
We have also seen magazines with scratch-off sections for perfume advertising, making for an interesting way to promote new perfumes and captivate potential customers.
While not a very practical stunt to reach an expansive audience, it shows how creative thinking about unpredictable ways to reach consumers can have an impact.
The “happiness coupons”: A campaign to sell positivity and social interaction
Tourism promotions are usually the same-old, same-old, but some destinations tried something completely new and offered “happiness coupons”. The concept was that if visitors could bring back a stranger’s smile within a certain time frame, their day would be free. This was intended to create a friendly and welcoming atmosphere, utilizing social media to its full advantage in touting the various experiences travelers would have.
This was one promotion aimed at creating positive social interactions: promoting engagement between the visitors, locals and other travelers to build up some sort of community and shared experience. Marketing-wise, it created very organic, user-generated content as participants took to social media platforms.
Conclusion: The lasting impact of unusual promotions
As we contemplate these examples of internet offers and promotions that have been quite weird, a common thread emerges: the power of creative thinking and unique approaches to marketing. From early free domain name giveaways shaping the internet to today’s multisensory experiments with scented newspapers, creative promotions leave lasting impressions in the minds of consumers and marketers.
These campaigns prove that great marketing isn’t always about having the biggest budget or the widest reach. Sometimes, it’s about seeking innovative ways to engage with your audience, creating memorable experiences and conversations. As the digital space keeps changing, we can expect to continue seeing innovative and unusual promotional tactics emerge from around every corner.
Ultimately, these strange promotions serve to remind us of perhaps the most important tip for marketing: think outside the box. It forces us to adopt creative new ways to reach an audience and reminds us never to underestimate the power of a genuinely new idea. Looking into the future of digital marketing, we can expect the most successful campaigns to continue to be those that dare to be different.
