If you’ve been driving around Denver over the past month, you may have noticed a series of billboards that advertise Totino’s Pizza Rolls. With lines like “Better When Baked,” “420 Is Better on Pizza Rolls,” “Stock Up B4/20,” and “Legal in Every State. Better in Colorado” these ads are particularly memorable due to their playful reference to marijuana and the 420 holiday. The brand supported these tactics with pedicabs and food trucks in downtown Denver that handed out hot pizza rolls to city dwellers during the cannabis celebration.
This is a great example of contextually relevant advertising done right. Totino’s and its parent company, General Mills, took a risk by targeting a subculture and succeeded by activating it in an authentic way. The ads only make sense in Colorado, during a specific time period, and for a specific mindset. Based on tweets about the ads, both marijuana fans and local Coloradoans felt like they were part of an inside joke with the brand. The smart and contextual relevance of these ads in turn created brand affinity and buzz.
Contextual relevance can play a big role inside retail as well. Clever and relevant tactics can break shoppers out of autopilot and get them to consider a purchase. What are some ways that brands can bring contextually relevant activations into the store?
Image Source: Hightimes.com
