Native is a leading brand of personal care products boasting clean, simple ingredients. But does their brand identity need to be so clean and simple? In this episode of ‘Can They Brand That?‘, Semiserious pitches humorous brand strategies and funny creative marketing campaigns to help them disrupt their crowded industry and win consumers, so get ready for some good, *clean*, fun.
And this brainstorm (of 31 slogan and campaign ideas in 10 minutes!) passes the sniff test because it led to us landing a big project and a long-term creative partnership with @native_cos, so we recorded a game tape intro discussing what it was like hearing from the VP of Marketing after making jokes about ‘Brad Pitt’s pits,’ and how the project is going so far…including a real-life embarrassing story from our work on their new tagline.
The audio isn’t *perfect* because at the time we were recording via Zoom, but nevertheless, we perspired, err, persisted. Pop over here to see the Native’s full client case study and enjoy the highlight reel! Hosted by: Allie LeFevere and Lyndsay Rush Sanders
FYI: This episode was recorded before we rebranded from Obedient Agency to Semiserious Agency.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introducing the Creative Challenge: Branding Native with Humor
00:05 Native Deodorant Brand Analysis
00:07 Improvised Branding Brainstorm for Native [Highlight Reel]: Ideating funny brand activations, taglines, web copy, out-of-home ad campaigns, digital campaigns, and brand ambassadors
Key Branding Ideas from This Episode:
- The most memorable marketing plays on language are often based on straightforward, relatable word twists rather than complex ideas, shifting the creative process toward clarity and cultural resonance, not just cleverness.
- Incorporating nostalgic references or “90s humor” can make brands feel more relatable and engaging to their audience.
- Identify playful or exaggerated cultural cues that your target audience grew up with, and incorporate them into messaging to spark recognition and trust.
- Humorous contradictions, such as “smell you never” instead of “see you never,” flip expectations and generate memorable impressions.
- Deliberately subvert common phrases or ideas in your marketing to surprise and ultimately engage your audience on a mental level.
- Embed metaphors that relate product benefits to everyday experiences, allowing consumers to instantly connect and internalize the message.
- Humor and playful language turn routine messaging into an experience, transforming passive consumers into active sharers.
- Creativity in messaging builds brand personality and loyalty by making interactions enjoyable.
- Regularly experiment with humor and playful linguistic twists that align with your brand voice to foster a distinctive identity.
Semiserious is a female-founded humor branding agency for CPG brands. Their sweet spot is working with founder-led or venture-backed DTC startups to build brands using comedy as a core strategy to help brands stand out in a crowded market. Their roster includes industry darlings like Clif Bar, Native, Blue Bunny, Waterboy, Pie, Argent, JOI, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, Yogi Tea, Choice Organics, GEN Z, The University of Chicago, Alleyoop, Better Than Booze, Backwoods, Bad Rabbit, U Suck at Golf, Hobbyist, and the Dallas Cowboys, but they would never brag about it in their bio. This funny branding agency has offices in Chicago and Nashville, but works with clients globally.
Say hi or snoop around:
🔔 Subscribe for weekly branding brainstorms → https://www.youtube.com/@semiseriousagency
📺 Watch the full Can They Brand That? show series → https://bit.ly/can-they-brand-that-playlist
ICYMI, this show exists 1) to champion originality and creativity in a sea of AI slop, 2) to show potential clients the power and value of fun as a consumer-converting strategy, and 3) to bring some much-needed levity into the world where we can.
#NativeBranding #CanTheyBrandThat #HumorBranding #BrandStrategy #FunnyMarketing
