I received in the mail one of the most remarkable direct mail pieces ever (Photo thanks to BruceClay.com – Virginia Nussey talked about it here) via FedEx this week. I opened the package and pulled out a very professional package of chocolate covered grasshoppers.
The first thing I said to myself was, “Are these SERIOUSLY chocolate covered grasshoppers?”
And then I read in fine print at the bottom of the package:
*Yes, these are real grasshoppers. They are even approved by the FDA of Thailand.
Brilliant. I didn’t have any idea what it was… but that alone made me look into it further.
A tag attached to the grasshoppers said, “Entrepreneurs can change the world. Join the movement now!”
Now I’m intrigued.
So, I went to their site and it looks like they are compiling entrepreneurs together and offering some discounts on services… but in the end, they are promoting telecommunication services of some type.
Here’s the lesson… To start something viral… it needs to be worthy of being viral. Business owners talk to us everyday about how they want to do these viral campaigns, but they often want to do things so lame, that nobody really cares. So, take a lesson from the grasshopper guys (and possibly gals, too)… and do something worth talking about in your next viral marketing campaign.
Oh… I brought the package home and had my kids eat them. That’s what the video above’s all about. I know it’s a bit long… sorry.
Haha! This is awesome, Dave. How I imagine it went down: Chocolate covered grasshoppers? Catchy viral marketing idea, but who would eat bugs? Hey KIIIDS?!
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Thanks for the great writeup and post. Loved the video.
-Siamak
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Cute viral idea. I actually use these guys (Grasshopper) and signed up when they were still GotVMail. Good service. Interesting approach.
Better to be weird, funny, terrible, or different in some way than it is to be “ordinary”. No doubt.
- Jon Payne
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