very purple marketing thoughts | 11 - 25th oct

And somehow, we're at the end of October.

I actually struggled to keep this fortnight's thoughts to 6, genuinely there was SO much running through my mind (maybe because I finally got over a sinus infection and could think straight? More on that below). As always, let's dive right in.

Tesco’s Campaign: The Inception of Advertisers Advertise to Advertisers

Let’s start with Tesco’s latest billboard campaign - if you haven’t seen it, it’s basically Tesco flexing its brand recognition by dropping the logo altogether. And it’s working. What’s crazy to me is that this feels like an ad created specifically for marketers and advertisers to share online. You know the ones - those campaigns designed to spark conversations on LinkedIn, as if Tesco knew the people talking about it would be the ones in the advertising world.

It kinda reminds me of that cheeky SURREAL cereal campaign that directly targeted marketers, but there’s something more refined here.

Julia Kinner put it perfectly when she linked the campaign to the Zeigarnik Effect - the idea that we remember incomplete tasks better than finished ones. By removing the logo, Tesco is effectively giving us an incomplete task, forcing us to engage and solve the puzzle, which then makes the ad (and brand) stickier in our brains.

But this brings up two thoughts for me:

1. How traditional marketing - literally one of the oldest forms, billboards - is now going viral online. There’s a growing trend of brands using these old-school methods to spark digital conversations, almost like we’ve come full circle. Traditional ads are now being designed with the intention of making waves online (note: going #VIRAL). It blows my mind because it opens up a whole new realm of possibilities for marketers. Now, it’s not just about how your ad looks on a street corner - it’s about how it plays out across social feeds, sparking engagement and reach way beyond its physical location.

2. Are we now making ads for advertisers? Is that necessarily a good thing? When ads are designed to impress the industry rather than the consumer, does that dilute their effectiveness? I wonder if we’re starting to prioritise buzz in marketing circles over genuine consumer connection. I asked my friends if they'd seen the new Tesco ads and not one of them had even heard a peep - everyone in marketing though, all across it.

Regardless, the lesson here is that sometimes, the most powerful way to go viral online is to start offline. By doing something unexpected and minimal, Tesco has made people stop, think, and talk - and I reckon they nailed it.

My Personal Telehealth Fail: Can Everything Be Digitised?

After two months of battling a never-ending cold, I finally gave in and tried an online telehealth service, hoping modern medicine would do the trick. What happened next was a complete disaster. The doctor rushed through our call - 48 seconds, to be exact -prescribed me something rare and unnecessary, and sent me on a wild goose chase to find this elusive medication. After visiting three pharmacies, drenched from the rain and still empty-handed, the last pharmacist explained that the medication I’d been prescribed was meant for viral infections, but only if caught within the first 48 hours and only if I’d tested positive for influenza. She handed me a $12 flu test, and alas, it was negative.

Frustrated, I reached out to the telehealth company (whose name interestingly rhymes with #RAGE) for a new prescription, only to be met with some of the worst customer service I’ve ever experienced. No resolution, no refund, no real care.

In the end, I had to visit an in-person doctor who quickly diagnosed me with a sinus infection and prescribed the right antibiotics. It made me wonder - can everything really be digitised? On paper, telehealth seems like the perfect solution (and their marketing messaging would push you to believe that too), but in reality, it feels kinda risky? A doctor rushing through a 48-second call, failing to suggest proper tests, and handing out a prescription for something irrelevant is not just frustrating, it’s potentially dangerous.

Some things can definitely be streamlined - like refills or quick consultations - but diagnosing and treating patients? That needs time, attention, and some good old-fashioned human interaction. You can’t just wrap that up in a 60-second call. And honestly, in our rush to automate everything - from telehealth to customer service to marketing - it’s easy to forget how much we still need the human touch. Efficiency is great, but at what cost? If we strip out the personal engagement and real problem-solving, the quality of the service (or campaign) is bound to suffer.

It’s all about finding the sweet spot between smart automation and that irreplaceable human touch. Sure, shortcuts might save time, but if you want real results, you need more than just a quick fix.

The Grimace Shake Finally Lands in Australia

Remember the Grimace Shake craze on TikTok in the US? People were posting videos where they’d pretend to drink the shake, only to "mysteriously collapse" in a dramatic scene right after. It was all so wierd (honestly, it might have been the first time I really felt old on TikTok trying to figure out why on earth this trend existed), but incredibly viral. Now, the shake has landed in Australia, and my brain is still trying to figure out why this even took off in the first place?

I think the appeal lies in the absolute randomness of it. There was no real storyline, just endless potential for content creation. And the best part? Maccas didn’t have to push the trend - it just happened. By dropping a limited edition product with nostalgic appeal (who doesn’t love Grimace?), they handed TikTok creators the perfect canvas to play with. It was aimed at the younger crowd - those who grew up with Grimace and are fully embedded in TikTok culture. The fact that it’s limited edition only adds to the hype. You can’t get the Grimace Shake all year round, which makes it feel special, even if people are just buying it to jump on the viral trend.

What’s really interesting, though, is how Maccas leaned into this trend. They didn’t need to roll out big-budget campaigns - instead, they dropped small, fun videos here and there, making it feel like Grimace was hosting a low-key, fun party. But surely the marketing team knew the shake would take off because of its viral history. They barely needed to market it. The initial wave of TikTok virality pretty much guaranteed success, and all Maccas had to do was keep the vibe going with these playful, positive moments. It was all very subtle, yet super smart at the same time.

What I really love about this whole thing is how Maccas just let people take the reins. They didn’t need to over-engineer the campaign - they dropped the shake, sat back, and let TikTok do the heavy lifting. It’s a good reminder that sometimes, the best marketing happens when you don’t try to control the narrative. Give people something fun and let them run with it. The more you loosen the grip, the more your audience will take over and create buzz in ways that you might have ever came up with (god knows I would have never thought of making videos where you drink the shake then pass out on the floor).

Laura Henshaw’s NY Marathon Journey is a Masterclass in Storytelling

Laura Henshaw’s NY Marathon journey with New Balance has been a massive source of inspiration for me (and let’s be honest, for a lot of people). I’ve followed every run, every podcast update, and every Instagram post. But no, I haven't started running yet unfortunately - I'll start on Monday... which is what I've said every week since June #woops.

What makes it so engaging, though, is how naturally it all ties together. Her marathon training is not just a personal challenge - it’s a masterclass in content creation and brand collaboration.

The partnership with New Balance feels so genuine. From the moment she posted the video of them asking her to run the marathon, the excitement was palpable (seriously killer content - and amazing brand building for NB). But it’s more than just a brand deal—it’s storytelling at its finest. By following her journey, you’re not just seeing her run; you’re getting drawn into a larger narrative that connects to her Keep It Cleaner running programs, which you can sign up for for a fee of course. It’s such a smooth, authentic integration that you don’t even feel like you’re being marketed to.

On top of that, her candid conversations about the challenges of running as a woman (and the fear that comes with it) added a deeper, more emotional layer to the whole journey. The media coverage she got from that alone must be worth a fortune in PR value.

Laura’s marathon journey taps into something so important to remember about marketing - people love stories. We’re constantly told that attention spans are short and content needs to be quick, but in reality, people want to invest in something meaningful. They want to follow a narrative, see the ups and downs, and feel a part of the journey. For brands, this is a powerful reminder that storytelling isn’t dead - it’s more valuable than ever. If you can invite your audience into a narrative and make them feel like they’re part of something bigger, the loyalty and engagement you’ll build is far more lasting. Now I just need to actually start running.

Mucinex’s Tinder Campaign Left Me Kinda Confused

So Mucinex launched a new campaign where its mascot, Mr. Mucus, has a Tinder profile. The idea is to raise awareness for their Nightshift medicine during cold and flu season, but the whole thing feels like it’s trying too hard. And yes, this is a US based campaign, but I feel like there's so many lessons in this one - I couldn't not share.

This is what Marketing Dive wrote to explain the concept:

Reckitt-owned Mucinex is setting its mascot — a sentient, scummy blob of snot that relishes spreading the flu — loose on Tinder to raise awareness for Mucinex Nightshift. The campaign is timed to the start of both cold and flu season and cuffing season, a period when young people seek short-term relationships as they hunker down for the winter months. The idea underpinning the campaign is that consumers should make good decisions at night that they won’t regret in the morning, advice that can apply equally to taking cold medicine when under the weather and pursuing a romantic fling. Mr. Mucus’ profile appears as a swipeable ad on Tinder that emulates a real-deal account, albeit a particularly bad one. Pictures show the long-time brand character holding a fish, sweating at the club and getting a pump on at the gym with no shirt on. One picture appears to be a badly cropped photo of Mr. Mucus with a female mucus companion (he has had a wife in past campaigns). Pick-up lines include, “I’m the catch of the day… if you like catching cold and flu symptoms!”

If you need 186 words to explain your campaign idea, something is wrong. Do we really think someone on Tinder is going to stop, engage with a green blob, and connect that to buying cold medicine? I get the desire to be quirky and creative, but this is a case where the creativity feels forced, and the message gets lost in the process.

I definitely feel like marketers (myself included!) can get so caught up in trying to be clever that they forget the core of what makes an ad effective - clarity. Yes, creativity is important, but if people don’t immediately understand what you’re trying to say or do, they’ll scroll right past it. Keep the message clear, concise, and direct. It’s great to be quirky, but make sure the audience gets the point without needing a detailed explanation.

I'm happy to be proven otherwise on this one - does anyone think this would actually drive people to go pick up cold medication? Am I just becoming a cynical marketer who tears apart anything fun?! Please tell me it's not true!

Serious Question: Can Glossier's Marketing Team Do Any Wrong?

A very quick last mention - Glossier’s latest video campaign for Balm Dotcom. It’s a burst of energy - fun, colourful, and completely in line with the brand’s vibe. Watching it made me want to run out and buy that lip balm TODAY. What I love most about Glossier’s marketing is how effortlessly they manage to combine aesthetics with emotion. They know their audience so well that every ad feels like it was made just for them. I am clearly obsessed and will buy anything Glossier puts in front of me #marketersdream.

But in all seriousness, they do such a good job at not just showcasing products - but creating a feeling that makes people want to be part of the brand (me included, clearly). Kudos to Glossier - keep doing what you're doing.

That’s it for this week’s Marketing Thoughts! Can't wait to dissect all of the Halloween campaigns in next fortnight's special spooky edition! 👋