Happy Friday Jr. — our second favorite day of the week. Today, there's a lot to catch up on: CGI ads have us doing double takes, we saw Paris Hilton in Crocs (??), and some personal news, we opened a new HQ (hellooo Denver! 🤠).
We couldn't be more excited to share it all with you, so let's get you up to speed — here's everything you need to know now within the marketing + creative space.Consider this newsletter a resource for marketers, by marketers. Enjoy!
Is it Real or is it CGI? Surrealist Marketing is Having a Moment
Social is an endless scroll. Where to stop? Here we analyze relevant moments, cultural trends and the marketing geniuses behind it all.
Last month, TikTok was buzzing about Maybelline's newest campaign showing different modes of transportation disguised as mascara tubes and / or wearing lashes in NYC and London. The comment sections were flooded with messages like, 'omg I have to go see this' and 'is this real??' until Lauren Chapman, a Senior Marketing Manager at Maybelline, posted a video sharing the story behind the campaign: they had worked with an artist to create surreal videos using CGI. As it turns out, a lot of brands are tapping into this trend — Jacquemus, Hyundai and Isabel Marant to name a few. So why has surrealist marketing taken center stage this summer? Let's break it down:
Thumb-Stopping Content is Key: As we always say, social is an endless scroll, so creating content that stops a user in their tracks and creates conversation is incredibly valuable. Surreal content is thumb-stopping as it gives users pause due to its reality-bending visuals — i.e. at first glance, you're not sure if what you're looking at is real or not.
Early Adoption Gives Brands an Edge: We've all heard it, being an early adopter of new technology gives you an advantage. Though CGI technology itself isn't necessarily new, it has improved, and AI-powered image generators are making it more accessible now than ever. With these advancements, brands are jumping at the chance to use CGI in marketing materials as it's fresh and exciting for consumers.
Surreal is the New 'Sticky': Similar to a jingle or meme, surreal content is 'sticky', meaning it's remembered by consumers long after they've seen it. This is important as it drives users to think about the brand associated with the content, and frequently, to return to the content for a second or third time. This level of engagement drives brand awareness, community growth and often coincides with lead gen and conversion.
Summer 2023 has certainly been the summer of surrealist marketing, and we've loved seeing brands experiment with eccentric visuals. With the continued advancements in AI and CGI technology, we're definitely calling this trend one to watch. 👀
The Power of UGC – and the brands that are harnessing it
User-generated content. You know it, you love it. The term UGC is thrown around so often that it's easy to forget how powerful it is — and all the ways it can be used. On the surface, UGC may seem like simply reposting a user's most recent Instagram photo, but when used with purpose UGC can ultimately build trust, credibility, community and be multi-purpose.
Here are just a few of the many benefits of UGC — and the brands that are killing it!
Strengthens Trust and Credibility: Trust among consumers is one of the most (if not the most) important things a brand can have — and UGC has consistently been found to drive high credibility for brands as it's created by consumers who have first-hand experience with the product or service. Lisa Says Gah is a brand that does a fantastic job of incorporating UGC often on social and on their eComm site to drive trust, where they include easy-to-find consumer reviews with photos. Their use of UGC allows consumers to easily see a wide variety of experiences with their products across their channels. Ultimately, consumers want to see themselves in content — Lisa Says Gah gets that.
Builds Community: UGC drives community, as it encourages consumers to share content around a brand they love and interact with one another. Aerie is a prime example of a brand that has encouraged their community to share content for years with their #AerieREAL hashtag, which encourages consumers to share unretouched photos and promotes authentic representation. Through this campaign, Aerie has received and shared thousands of pieces of user-generated content and grown a community around it.
Has Multi-Channel Use: For many, UGC is associated with social media, however, it can have a powerful impact across channels (i.e. social, websites, emails, you name it!). Recently, Poppi thought outside of the box and offered their community the chance to have their picture or comment featured on one of five billboards. This campaign encouraged users to share their own Poppi content and testimonials on social, and then brought that content to untapped consumers on billboards around the country — genius!
User-generated content has been around and will stay around — we love seeing brands find fun, new, creative ways to build trust and grow community across channels with UGC.
Marketing Wins We <3
Who doesn’t love a marketing win? Below are recent marketing moments we couldn’t help but share — and their main takeaways.
MSCHF x Crocs Big Yellow Boot Collab Taps Unexpected Brand Advocates
Earlier this year MSCHF went viral with their Big Red Boot, and this summer, they're taking it to the next level, collaborating with Crocs on an elevated yellow version. As if this collaboration weren't already viral enough, they debuted with several massive (and unexpected) brand advocates rocking the buzzworthy boot, including Paris Hilton, Maluma and Tommy Cash — talk about a viral moment!
💡 Takeaway: Unexpected = eye-catching — and we can't look away. Leaning into the unpredictable is often a recipe for virality — especially on social, as it cuts through the noise.
Vital Farms Acts Fast With a Campaign Paying Homage to the Iconic Twitter Bird
With many mourning (what used to be) Twitter's blue bird logo, Vital Farms thought fast. Known for their pasture-raised eggs, they quickly launched a campaign featuring imagery showing the Twitter bird flying free and killer copy: "Roam free, little bird. Live the way our hens do." Launching in San Fransisco, the heart of the tech world and epicenter of the Twitter turned X drama, this campaign made a splash.
💡 Takeaway: The early bird gets the worm! Though quick timelines can be challenging, striking while the iron is hot is paramount when tapping into a viral trend or pop culture moment.
IKEA Takes Their Big Blue Bag on Tour With an Eye-Catching Activation
Who knew that IKEA's big blue bag could get even bigger?? IKEA did, and they took it on the road. This summer IKEA has made its way through Chicago and Houston, now landing in NYC, with a 19-foot blue bag sculpture that doubles as a community activation. At the bag, visitors can scan a QR code to view an augmented reality experience as well as claim discounts from the retail giant.
💡 Takeaway: Go all-in with activations — make them worth attending. Activations are an incredible way to stay connected to your community, but people are busy, which means incentivizing attendance is key. For IKEA, the 19-foot bag would likely have been enough to pique interest, but offering an interactive AR experience and gifting made it a must-see.
The benefits of boutique agencies – Hint there’s a lot
It's always valuable to have a few tips and tricks in your back pocket. Here we'll offer our best tips to share at your next water cooler convo — whether in-person or virtual.
The Tip: Working with boutique agencies has massive benefits. Outsourcing to them means time-saving, budget-maximizing and niche expertise.
The Details: It's no secret we think boutique is best, but why boutique agencies? Let’s be real, in a rapidly changing and increasingly complex marketing world you can’t do it alone. Outsourcing projects has become the best way — maybe the only way — to stay focused on what drives results. With boutique agencies comes niche expertise, flexibility and understanding — the benefits are endless — so let's break it down:
Budget Flexibility: Boutique agencies often have a flexible price model and approach. This means no ‘big agency’ overheads or costly annual retainers. For many brands, optionality is key, meaning the ability to scale the scope up (or down) as needed in tandem with business needs — boutique agencies offer this type of customization.
Personalized Timelines: Boutique agencies give you the ability to decide the when — you’ll collaborate to align on terms and a schedule that suits your needs, and you'll have the ability to make any necessary shifts along the way.
Niche Expertise: Boutique agencies are true specialists in their respective fields. They don’t span many verticals, they focus on a few things (i.e. branding or paid social) and do them expertly. They know their industry like the back of their hand.
So, consider this a crucial marketing secret, from us to you. Once you start working with boutique agencies, you won’t go back.
Announcing Breef’s Denver HQ!
This just in...
We couldn’t be more excited to announce Breef's Denver HQ! We can’t wait to grow our team in this amazing city and are pumped for our remote and NYC-based teams to visit. And... we're hiring! A few open roles include: Growth Marketing Manager, Senior Product Manager, Product Designer, Marketing + Ops Interns + more!
Join #TeamBreef @ breef.com/careers.
Marketing Jargon
In marketing, it feels like there's a new term being thrown around every day. We've got you! Here are a few you should have on your radar (and mention in your next meeting).
Brand Heat: Akin to buzz or hype, generating brand heat refers to igniting strong interest in a brand — who doesn't want that?
Priming: A subconscious reaction to something (an ad, social post, email, etc.) that influences or triggers conscious behaviors (i.e. making a purchase, engaging on social, etc.). Crucial in the customer journey to ultimately making a purchasing decision.
Thumb-Stopping: Refers to digital content that catches a user's attention in a way that makes them stop scrolling and engage.
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That wraps issue no. 5 of The Breef POV! Keep an eye on your inbox for the next edition. In the meantime, browse more on The Breefing Room.
