Play Black Friday the Cards against Humanity way

Before that reaches peak level, we need to get past Black Friday…
Retailers and businesses are determined to make with you part with your money and will try almost anything to encourage you to join in the shopping madness. Most businesses get caught up, and often lost in the melee, so why play into the hands of mainstream advertising when you can subvert it?

It might bit a late for this year, but previous Black Friday ‘advertising’ campaigns by Cards against Humanity show how you can raise the awareness of your brand without reducing the price of your products.

Working with Amazon they increased the price, sales increased on the big day itself compared to the previous year, with sales continuing to grow the following day when the price fell back to its normal price, subversion indeed!

How could you top that? Go in a completely different direction.
By knowing that their audience were probably prepared to do some crazy things based on their game itself, they decided to invite online donors to contribute towards the cost of digging a huge hole in the ground.
A huge hole, for no reason.
The project, dubbed the Holiday Hole, saw people contribute more than $100,000 towards digging costs – with a livestream broadcast showing the crazy idea in process. The hole has now been filled as they say they had to for insurance purposes.

Not all companies could get away with such a stunt, but it makes Cards against Humanity stand out even further, and become even more memorable, and surely that is half of the battle for any type of promotion for Black Friday or any day.

How can you use these ideas in your own promos?
Look at your product or service: is it a one off or repeat purchase?
Can you encourage repeat purchases through a style of campaign?
Could you use user generated content to encourage sales, or give a special discount to customers producing UGC?
Always consider your existing and prospective customers, what things speak to them, humour, cuteness, or just a discount?

If you visit their site today, something called ‘Prongles’ seems to be their Black Friday offering this year!

I’ll leave you with one of the Cards against Humanity FAQs for their Holiday Hole, sums up the campaign!

Why aren’t you giving all this money to charity?
Why aren’t YOU giving all this money to charity? It’s your money