Great Clips and Kawasaki's Super Bowl Campaign Leverages Creative Partnerships and Promotions
In a world where marketing clutter is the norm, standing out requires creativity, innovation, and strategic partnerships. The recent collaboration between the hair salon chain Great Clips and ATV manufacturer Kawasaki illustrates this perfectly, offering valuable lessons for marketing communicators.
During the Super Bowl, one of the most coveted advertising slots of the year, Kawasaki aired a memorable ad featuring its Ridge model. The commercial, known for its humor and creativity, showed every character (including animals) growing a flowing mullet as the Ridge model passed by. Capitalizing on this hair-themed narrative, Great Clips seized a unique opportunity to engage with one of the widest audiences possible.
Through a clever social promotion, Great Clips and Kawasaki offered fans a chance to win a free mullet haircut, driving attention to both brands. The campaign directed users to a dedicated landing page created by relationship marketing pioneer Marigold. The first 15,000 visitors who provided their email addresses were rewarded with a free mullet haircut, with all codes being claimed within several hours of the promotion going live.
For those who missed out, there was still an opportunity to engage with the brand. A $2 discount coupon was available on the same landing page for visitors who subscribed to Great Clips' email list, effectively extending the promotion's lifespan and maximizing the post-Super Bowl ad's longevity. Here are the key takeaways for marketing communicators.
Strategic Partnerships: The collaboration between Great Clips and Kawasaki demonstrates the power of aligning with partners that share a thematic connection to your campaign. This synergy not only amplifies reach but also enhances the relevance of the promotion to the audience.
Creative Engagement: Offering something of value, such as a free service or discount in exchange for customer information, can significantly increase engagement. It's a win-win; customers receive something tangible, and brands gather valuable zero-party data.
Leveraging Major Events: Utilizing major events like the Super Bowl can provide a significant visibility boost. However, the key is to creatively tie your promotion to the event in a way that feels organic and memorable.
Extending Campaign Life: By offering a secondary value proposition (e.g., a discount for email list subscription), brands can maintain engagement beyond the initial promotion, ensuring continued communication with potential customers.
The Importance of Zero-Party Data: The success of Great Clips and Kawasaki's campaign underlines the importance of collecting zero-party data through value exchanges. Platforms like Marigold’s Grow facilitate this process, enabling brands to build direct relationships with consumers.
This campaign is a testament to the effectiveness of creative promotions in building brand awareness and relationships with consumers. By offering value in a fun and engaging way, Great Clips and Kawasaki not only captivated a broad audience but also highlighted the importance of strategic partnerships and innovative marketing in today's digital landscape. Marketing communicators can learn from this campaign's success by incorporating these strategies into their own efforts to stand out in a crowded marketplace.
