Mo' Marketing
Canadian Club Whisky is an iconic brand, the favorite of MAD MEN’s Don Draper, but perhaps best known to you through their brilliant “Damn Right Your Dad Drank It” ad campaign.
And damn right, they’re a SHIFT client.
Our upcoming project for CC is in support of Movember. “Mo” is slang for moustache, and Movember is a moustache-growing contest that takes place next month, to raise money and awareness for men’s health.
As part of the promotional efforts, SHIFT created a Movember Facebook application, with which you can graffiti your friends’ Profile pics with an assortment of moustaches...
Incredibly silly, but incredibly fun. Throughout this post, you can see the fun I had messing with Steve Rubel, Aaron Strout and even B.L. Ochman (sorry, B.L.!).
(To be clear, once you’ve done your dirty work, you can send the “defaced” pic to your victim, or post it to your own Profile: you can’t make a change to your friend’s actual Profile picture.)
Creating Facebook applications is not the type of service you’d normally expect from a PR agency. Yet as our industry evolves, small-scale application development projects like this one may become one of a host of advanced services that we’d never expected to tackle.
Imagine if this cute little Facebook app creates thousands upon thousands of moustachioed Movember supporters? Imagine if such a grassroots 
groundswell caught the attention of USA Today, leading to even more mainstream pick-up. Imagine if one of Perez Hilton’s friends stuck a ‘stache on the gossip king’s pic – leading him to blast the word out to his legion of followers?
Would such results (from such humble seeds) count as a PR victory or as an application development victory? Will such distinctions exist?
Evolution can be fun.
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Comments
Todd,
This is a great example of using social media for relevant campaigns ... or, at least mostly relevant. Hilarity always works well online ... Good luck with the campaign. I'd love to hear how the campaign helps sales!
DW
Posted by: David Weiner, PR Newswire | October 24, 2008 11:08 AM
Great post.
I have been a fan of their OOH campaign for a while, but really dig this Movember execution. Really like the fact that you guys are working in spaces that aren't traditionally "PR". I have been saying for a while that the fences between marketing and PR need to be shortened, if not taken down all together.
Nice going!
Posted by: Sean Bohan | October 24, 2008 11:09 AM
Nice work, Todd.
I'd suggest, though, that a Perez Hilton or USA Today mention would only count as a victory if it moves the needle on your objectives... and in the right direction.
Let's just hope Perez likes the new handlebar moustache :)
Posted by: Dave Fleet | October 24, 2008 11:17 AM
I guess those of us who already have mustaches are exempt.
Posted by: Shel Holtz | October 24, 2008 12:59 PM
That's too funny! I've always envied men's ability to change their appearance with a moustache. Most marketing is too damn serious. This is much more my cup of tea, and sure to spread as a result.
And do say hi to don draper for me.
Posted by: BL Ochman | October 24, 2008 02:41 PM
@David Weiner - In this case, we're not looking to motivate sales, but to grow awareness of Men's Health issues. Point taken, though.
@Dave - There you go, driving us toward strategic objectives, again! ;)
@Shel - You and me both, amigo. And, @BL - thanks for being such a good sport!
Posted by: Todd Defren | October 24, 2008 04:06 PM
This is pretty rad. Can you do it for Twitter profile pics as well? That could really see some pickup. I do not really use Facebook that much and think most of the apps are pointless, but I will support the Mo Campaign.
Look forward to seeing your next campaign to change the industry!
Posted by: Alex Sicre | October 24, 2008 04:45 PM
Really glad to hear SHIFT is involved with Movember. I helped with the Canadian edition in a very small way a couple of years ago, and it's a great cause.
Posted by: Ryan Anderson | October 24, 2008 10:04 PM
I think this is a great idea. Using Facebook and the new Movember application will grab a lot of attention. It is a fun way to get people aware and involved with the cause. Once this new application is picked up by a couple people I think it will spread fast. This Facebook application could very easily create thousands of moustachioed Movember supporters and catch attention of USA Today leading to even more mainstream pick-up. This would be a huge PR victory led by an application development victory. Very little distinction.
Posted by: Meredith Watts | October 26, 2008 01:33 PM
Ah, the memories of CC and water. I remember shots of CC and a beer and a bourbon for that song. hed to quit that after a few years.
Posted by: Blondie/Pam | October 26, 2008 05:49 PM
Nice idea, poor execution. I can't modify the image of my friend or the angle and size of the mo.
Can an update be made so it's more user friendly?
Posted by: Joey | October 27, 2008 09:56 AM
My grandmother drank CC and she wasn't a metrosexual either :) I'm not a whiskey drinker myself but I was struck by the print ad campaign. It just hit a cord with me. And who can resist drawing mustaches on peoples' pictures? My seven year old recently discovered the joys of marking up newspaper photos with missing teeth, mustaches, etc. I get home and flip through the pages and say to myself, "there's another one." Good stuff all around.
Posted by: Tim Allik | October 28, 2008 05:02 PM
This is a great idea, but I wish the MO's looked more realistic...something like an anchorman mustache would be hilarious.
Posted by: Ben Nesvig | November 7, 2008 11:53 AM