Activist Advertising, So Hot Right Now

In response to Trump’s countless attacks on all that is good and right in the world, more and more brands are taking a public stance against the administration in their advertising, and winning new customers in the process, as detailed in a recent piece by Retail Dive.

“What would have been taboo 20 years ago is now becoming just another way for retailers and brands to form more meaningful connections with customers,” the story notes, positing that our attachment to social and political issues are one of the most powerful things a brand can tap into in 2018.

And because some do it better than others, the story highlighted those brands that have been behind some of the more effective corporate-sponsored protests and rallying cries.

Levi’s, for instance, released a commercial called “Circles” that “[ties] together people with different backgrounds and ethnicities under two banners: jeans and music,” and the unifying, inclusive 1:30-long piece has racked up over 23 million views on YouTube.

The drinking game, Cards Against Humanity, bought an actual piece of property on the US-Mexico border in November, and then “asked customers to pay $15 for an “America-saving” box and in return vowed to make it as difficult as possible for President Donald Trump to build the wall.” That box sold out within hours.

And since August, Patagonia (as we’ve covered) has basically lived on the corner of DGAF and Come at Me Bro.

Not everyone gets it right, the story notes — shoutout Pepsi, we’ll never forget. But ultimately, now more than ever “it is essential for brands to have a personality, to build an identity, to stand for something.”

You can read more about it at Retail Dive.

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