🍴IWITOT Vol. 14: I just shipped my pants

This week’s I Wish I Thought of That Thursday feature is an oldie and, in my opinion, a goodie.

This ad randomly resurfaced for me, and given this week’s events, I thought the timing was just right.

While some people are happy, others are sad. And if you don’t know what I’m talking about, what blissfully unaware rock are you living under, and can I join you?

But seriously, the election is a heavy topic, and I hope this Kmart ad from 2013 puts a smile on your face.

Here it is in all its glory:

Did some people think it was inappropriate? Yes.

Did some people think it was hilarious? Also, yes.

But, given the timing of this ad when it debuted, they needed to get people’s attention.

At the time, Kmart had just merged with Sears, closed stories, and was struggling to establish itself in the market.

They wanted to promote their new shipping service to the masses, and they did a great job because the video went viral with over 12 million views in the first week.

However…

A true marker of success is sales.

Yes, awareness is important.

You need attention, but if you can’t do anything with it, what does it really matter?

Unfortunately for this ad, the attention didn’t translate into dollars.

And, it’s a good reminder that virality doesn’t equate to success.

In this case, the virality seemingly overshadowed Kmart’s online shopping and shipping marketing message.

A homerun campaign is equal parts good creative (which they definitely had on this one) and an offer people actually want (swung and missed).

When you have both, you knock it out of the park.

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