👋, I’m Kimberly. I’ve been creating obsession-worthy brands for the past fifteen years. And now, I’m giving away my secrets every week in this newsletter.
Welcome to The Boldest List — a new ongoing series in The Branding Newsletter where I’ll be continually adding my favorite high-impact ad campaigns.
I’ll break down what the ad campaign is doing well.
I’ll show you how your brand can do it too.
I’ll keep it quick — in an easily snackable, 3-minute case study format.
First up on The Boldest List…
The Campaign That Answers the Question, “Why So Ugly?”
There have been a lot of “ugly-cool” trending items in fashion throughout the years. Just ask Von Dutch trucker hats, Juicy sweatsuits, and Ugg boots (.ak.a.pretty much any item word by Paris Hilton during the ‘90s).
This allure of the ugly continued — with the crazy success of Crocs, and even the Paris of today is bringing tracksuits back again in her “sliving” way.
When it comes to footwear, it took me a while to fall prey to the “ugly-cool” trend. Never have I coveted a pair of Crocs. Birkenstocks did not entice me. Only Uggs, having once experienced their comfort, had I not been able to turn down. And I’ll certainly say I never coveted them for their look, only for comfort.
Last week, Birkenstocks kicked off an arresting new campaign called “Ugly for a Reason.”
And it just happened to coincide with my first Birkenstock purchase.
The campaign started with a documentary series titled “How Feet Made Us Human” in which experts discuss the evolution of the foot.
They also show all of the abuse our feet take — from the daily 10,000 steps (if we’re being good!) to the crazy extremes imposed upon our ten toes by dancers, athletes, and runners.
According to Birkenstock Group CEO Oliver Reichert, “Foot health is at the heart of everything we do. Without an upright walk, the human species would not have survived. Most people are born with healthy feet and develop painful foot issues because the shoes we’re wearing are often too small, too narrow or have heels that are too high. We want to draw consumers’ attention to this and enable consumers to make better informed decisions—no matter which footwear brand they ultimately choose.”
The Very Best Things About This Campaign
This campaign fully embraces what makes the brand and its style unique.
It is in-your-face with its verbiage— the word UGLY will always turn heads. But it’s also in your face for a reason… leading you down a well-laid path where you get to learn more and understand the why behind the ugly.
This marketing “breadcrumb effect” drives engagement and education, with the added benefit of giving consumers easy and sticky talking points to take away and tell people about afterward.
How You Can Do It Too
Is there anything about your brand that needs explaining… or any sticky talking points you’d kill to have consumers spreading?
Start there — then put your most provocative hat on.
What is the boldest statement you could make about that point? What might shock people - or even hurt their eyeballs a little bit?
Hi, I’m Kimberly. I’ve been creating obsession-worthy brands for the past 15 years. And now, I’m giving away my secrets.
Welcome to The Boldest List — a new ongoing series in The Branding Newsletter where I’ll be continually adding my favorite high-impact ad campaigns.
I’ll break down what the ad campaign is doing well.
I’ll show you how your brand can do it too.
I’ll keep it quick — in an easily snackable, 3-minute case study format.
Aaand if you haven’t already…
Why So Ugly?
A 3-Minute Case Study of Birkenstock's New Campaign
Jul 19
Whether your brand is a Goliath dominating a market or an on-the-shorter-side David throwing stones — every brand in the world can benefit from a big and bold campaign that gets people talking.
First up on The Boldest List…
The Campaign That Answers the Question, “Why So Ugly?”
There have been a lot of “ugly-cool” trending items in fashion throughout the years. Just ask Von Dutch trucker hats, Juicy sweatsuits, and Ugg boots (.ak.a.pretty much any item word by Paris Hilton during the ‘90s).
This allure of the ugly continued — with the crazy success of Crocs, and even the Paris of today is bringing tracksuits back again in her “sliving” way.
When it comes to footwear, it took me a while to fall prey to the “ugly-cool” trend. Never have I coveted a pair of Crocs. Birkenstocks did not entice me. Only Uggs, having once experienced their comfort, had I not been able to turn down. And I’ll certainly say I never coveted them for their look, only for comfort.
Last week, Birkenstocks kicked off an arresting new campaign called “Ugly for a Reason.”
And it just happened to coincide with my first Birkenstock purchase.
The campaign started with a documentary series titled “How Feet Made Us Human” in which experts discuss the evolution of the foot.
They also show all of the abuse our feet take — from the daily 10,000 steps (if we’re being good!) to the crazy extremes imposed upon our ten toes by dancers, athletes, and runners.
According to Birkenstock Group CEO Oliver Reichert, “Foot health is at the heart of everything we do. Without an upright walk, the human species would not have survived. Most people are born with healthy feet and develop painful foot issues because the shoes we’re wearing are often too small, too narrow or have heels that are too high. We want to draw consumers’ attention to this and enable consumers to make better informed decisions—no matter which footwear brand they ultimately choose.”
The Very Best Things About This Campaign
This campaign fully embraces what makes the brand and its style unique.
It is in-your-face with its verbiage— the word UGLY will always turn heads. But it’s also in your face for a reason… leading you down a well-laid path where you get to learn more and understand the why behind the ugly.
This marketing “breadcrumb effect” drives engagement and education, with the added benefit of giving consumers easy and sticky talking points to take away and tell people about afterward.
How You Can Do It Too
Is there anything about your brand that needs explaining… or any sticky talking points you’d kill to have consumers spreading?
Start there — then put your most provocative hat on.
What is the boldest statement you could make about that point? What might shock people - or even hurt their eyeballs a little bit?
Know someone who needs branding help?
My business is 100% referral based — and I work with companies of all sizes, across all industries. If you know anyone who needs branding help, send them my way!
If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, consider sharing it with friends, or subscribing if you aren’t already.
About Me
I help early-stage founders create the kind of brands that get customers so obsessed, they’ll do your advertising for you.
Based on my experience founding my own consumer brand, I developed The Branding Sprint—a uniquely collaborative, streamlined, and agile approach to brand creation.
Click here to learn more about The Branding Sprint, or schedule a call with me.