On episode #023 with Paul Maher, we popped the hood on the secret marketing / PR black art of Trendjacking. Recently, actor Ryan Reynolds (aka Marvel’s Deadpool) who also owns the brand, Aviation American Gin, just pulled off the trendjack of the year. Let’s break down the 8 reasons why this was a legendary trend jack.
The Peloton Ad
The Peloton Ad shows a rich couple, with the husband, giving his thin wife an exercise bike. There was a public uproar as reaction to the ad. In fact, Business Insider reported: “Peloton’s nightmare before Christmas: $1.5 billion vanished from its market value in 3 days amid holiday ad backlash.”
Additionally, Busines Insider reported “backlash over a holiday ad that has been widely panned as sexist, tone-deaf, and dystopian.” This forced Peloton to cut the cost of a monthly subscription to its workout apps.
Trendjack of the Year
Actor, celebrity, and owner of Aviation American Gin, Ryan Reynolds, pulled off, what Christopher claims, as the trendjack of the year. What he and his team did was, they inserted themselves into the controversy around the recent Peloton Bike Ad.
For less than $100K, they hired the actor who played the wife and shot a response ad.
“The ad is funny. It captures what it’s like to break up with somebody. It’s a real jab on Peloton and they never even mentioned the name Peloton.” – Christopher Lochhead
8 Reasons Why It’s Legendary
- They found a way to trendjack the biggest Ad flop of the year
- Radically FAST: They acted in a matter of days.
- Aviation’s response is pitch-perfect. People loved their response as opposed to the original, which was way off-pitch.
- Radically creative. In the ad, she has clearly left her husband who bought her the Peloton.
- The ad was built to be viral. It was posted on social media, starting on Ryan Reynolds’s Twitter.
- This was a move that is virtually impossible for their major competitors, such as Beefeater or Tanqueray, to pull off.
- They did it in “less that $100K.” (NY Times)
- This ad made them the good guys. Yahoo reports: “Ryan Reynolds says he hired actress from viral Peloton ad because backlash can be ‘alienating’”
“This example begs the question: how can we be radically smart, radically creative and radically fast to trendjack the news to build our brand and category?” – Christopher Lochhead
To hear more about Ryan Reynolds Legendary Peloton Trendjack For Gin Brand, download and listen to the episode.
Bio:
Christopher Lochhead is a #1 Apple podcaster and #1 Amazon bestselling co-author of books: Niche Down and Play Bigger.
He has been an advisor to over 50 venture-backed startups; a former three-time Silicon Valley public company CMO and an entrepreneur.
Furthermore, he has been called “one of the best minds in marketing” by The Marketing Journal, a “Human Exclamation Point” by Fast Company, a “quasar” by NBA legend Bill Walton and “off-putting to some” by The Economist.
In addition, he served as a chief marketing officer of software juggernaut Mercury Interactive. Hewlett-Packard acquired the company in 2006, for $4.5 billion.
He also co-founded the marketing consulting firm LOCHHEAD; was the founding CMO of Internet consulting firm Scient, and served as head of marketing at the CRM software firm Vantive.
Links:
Aviation American Gin
New York Times: Peloton’s Cringe-y Ad Got Everyone Talking. Its C.E.O. Is Silent. But the “Deadpool” star Ryan Reynolds describes how he found a way into the conversation.
AdWeek: “Greatest Sequel Ever”
Business Insider: Peloton’s nightmare before Christmas: $1.5 billion vanished from its market value in 3 days amid holiday ad backlash
Yahoo: Ryan Reynolds says he hired actress from viral Peloton ad because backlash can be ‘alienating’
We hope you enjoyed this episode of Lochhead on Marketing™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and subscribe on iTunes! You may also subscribe to his newsletter, The Difference, for some amazing content.
Lochhead on Marketing