The Rise of DGAF Marketing
Anti-marketing is seemingly on the up once more, with Oatly, Surreal and Days all leaning into, whilst simultaneously calling out, traditional marketing methods. Although outwardly work-shy in approach, this tactic is entirely well-thought-out and speaks to increasingly savvy consumers in a relatable, funny and memorable way. It seems the subtle art of not giving a f***, actually includes giving many f***s, and could be paving the way for a new type of tongue-in-cheek advertising.
Oatly headed the DGAF charge, with the creation of their online newsletter, ‘Spam by Oatly’, in January 2023. Not only did they call out and turn on its head the universally annoying and often inbox-clogging spam emails by naming their newsletter ‘spam’, but they also went as far as to make the content of those emails indecipherable. From recipes with measurements written in formulas only mathematicians could crack, to a home-made oat milk latte recipe formatted into an optician’s eye exam. And then, taking this approach even further, they broadcast the set-up of their newsletter across a range of OOH advertising spaces internationally.
What was the effect? A huge ramp up in brand awareness through not only their own advertising efforts but UGC. And, in effect, the solidification of their image as a challenger to traditional dairy milk and, to an extent, traditional marketing methods. Their apparently ‘lazy’ marketing juxtaposed with their strong climate credentials, has only served to bolster their market position and has helped them to build a relationship and speak to their younger, more planet-aware, target audience.
Celebrity endorsement of products is a tried and tested marketing method – from Gary Lineker and Walkers to George Clooney and Nespresso – the big-hitting brands have buoyed their bottom line by shelling out thousands for a famous seal of approval. And Surreal is no different, having used the athletic acclaim of Michael Jordan and Serena Williams to boost sales of their healthy, protein-rich cereal. Yet, they managed to do it without the hefty price tag. ‘How?’ I hear you ask – well, they simply found and paid another not-so-famous Michael Jordan / Serena Williams to chow down and review the product and then fully fessed up to their underhandedness on the advert itself. Blatantly bold and brilliant, these ads caught the attention of their target audience and shone a light on their playful, ever so slightly mischievous, brand style. And at the end of the day, surely Serena Williams, who’s in fact a student from London, does have good taste – right?
But that’s not all, Surreal also utilised some anti-marketing flair to home in on the January blues and the altogether ‘can’t be asked’ nature of the month. Billboards plastered around the city were nightmare fuel for us marketers – incorrectly spelled with no formatting or design thought, they rallied against the standard rules of advertising. But there is a happy end to this nightmare, the relatable content captured the hearts of consumers and created an uplift in brand awareness. And much like Oatly, Surreal distinguished themselves as a challenger brand ready to disrupt the big dogs in breakfast.
We’ve discussed anti-marketing in the terms of deliberately going against typical marketing rules, but what about anti-marketing that directly calls out the campaigns of competitors – more of an anti-competitor marketing campaign? Well, Days have done just that. Leaning into the fact that they are both a smaller brewing company and that they produce beer with zero alcohol, they highlight the fact that they have zero budget (although by the looks of their OOH media this may not be 100% true) to do as their competitors have done, whether that’s a gold can promotion (Brewdog) or creating the illusion that your beer is of Italian origin (Madri). The campaign utilised the brand recognition of competitors and turned it into an advert for Days, with the sentiment that they, unlike their competitors, are all about the beer and don’t need to pull the wool over their consumers eyes.
In short, like any marketing, anti-marketing can either work or not. Undoubtedly, every company named did extensive research to examine what content and medium could help to strengthen their position within the market and their relationship with consumers. It may seem simple, but from an agency’s point-of-view we can categorically say that this approach would have been months in the making.
If you’re looking to shake things up and hit the sweet spot with your consumers, B2B or retail, why not reach out to us?