The internet is a weird place. Has always been. In a way, the World Wide Web is the birth place of the absurd. Not that people didn't have crazy minds before but they didn't have a platform to share them with the masses. When Youtube first emerged, independent artists flocked to the platform to challenge traditional media formats that would have n-e-v-e-r pioneered shows like “Salad Fingers”, and pushed the boundaries of what was considered "normal" or “mainstream." 

 

Internet meme culture was born. And it has persisted to this day. And now, we're experiencing a new phenomenon - although arguably, it's “just” the progression of this original infatuation with the bizarre: Brands that embrace the weird.

 

The scale

"Weirdness" is a spectrum ranging from amusing/funny to quirky to cringe to disturbing but what category something falls into is subjective. Let's test this out: on a scale of 0-10, how do you rate these?

Your ratings are based on your individual perspectives and cultural norms. Now imagine these GIFs were used by an insurance company (they are not but shhh)… You'd probably bump up your weirdness scores because they become even more absurd in this new context.

I'm convinced that it's a great deal harder to gauge how people are going to react when compared to what people find beautiful. Why? Because strange things are intended to trigger a much more intense emotional response than things that are simply beautiful plus we have a more standardised, collective understanding of beauty.

So then why take the risk and weave some weirdness into your brand? 

The appeal

Evoking a strong emotional response through the unexpected, such as surprise, amusement, confusion, discomfort, or unease, is what snaps people out of autopilot. It stops the scroll. It stops them in their tracks. And the thing that caused this response cements itself in their brain. 

Or in Chat GPT's words:

The risk

The biggest risk is arguably just another benefit, if done right: You alienate some people - the people that you don't want to target anyway.

As a copywriter that only wants to write personality-packed copy for rule breakers, leaning into weirdness can help you say “hey, I'm not the one if you're into stiff, corporate-sounding copy" without these words ever needing to leave your mouth.
 

Because the thing is, good branding does not only work to attract the right people, it also works to weed out the wrong people. The best brands are slightly divisive. Do you want to be tolerated by everyone or intensely loved by many? Don't be scared of “losing” those that don't fit with your beliefs. Communities/niches are much bigger nowadays thanks to the WWW.

How you can become tactically weird as a brand

Step 1. Assess if it fits the bigger picture. An offbeat personal brand will have a lot more leverage than a corporate B2B brand. Don't force it. It comes down to your brand strategy and knowing what your target persona enjoys. Stuck? Contact us and we'll help.
 

Step 2. Find your quirks. Ideas for where to search: your personality, your approach, your opinions, your sources of inspiration for your business, overlaps with your target audience. 

Step 3: Implementation. Decide how you want to portray your weird trait(s). In your visuals (brand mascot, pattern, photography, etc.)? In your tone of voice (use of specific words, humorous remarks)? In the things you say (content)? Or all of the above? Do you want “the thing” to become a permanent part of your core brand or a more subtle addition that you can switch out (like a one-off campaign)? You get to decide how far you go. If you want to ease into it, opt for the slightly unexpected rather than the super strange. Most brands are so sanitised that it might just be enough to gently tap into your weirdness.

Need inspiration? 
Real life examples

SO, HOW WEIRD IS TOO WEIRD?
YOU AND YOUR AUDIENCE (AND YOUR BRAND STRATEGIST 👋🏻) DECIDE.

Till next time, 
Martha and team 🪲