THE ROI OF WTF: WHY STRANGE SELLS
You’ve probably seen it in one of our presentations. That wildcard slide. The out there idea that made everyone chuckle… then glance nervously at the Marketing Director.
You know the one that got a polite “Ha!” followed by, “Let’s not scare the board.” The one that the legal department will labelled “brave” – which, let’s be honest, is corporate for kill it immediately.
So it got quietly parked.
Archived.
Banished to a dusty shelf titled “Fun Stuff – Probably Too Risky.”
But here’s the thing: That was probably the idea the customer would’ve remembered.
And right now, in a world where attention is scarce, sameness is everywhere, and safe is invisible - weird isn’t a gimmick. It’s part of the strategy.
And maybe… it’s time to dust off that wildcard slide.
Because today, weird isn’t just working – it’s winning.
The rules changed. The scroll got faster. The audience got sharper.
And sameness?
It stopped selling.
The brands smashing targets and stealing headlines?
They’re not whispering.
They’re kicking the door in – with teeth, timing, and just the right amount of WTF.
Why weird works (and boring doesn’t)
People aren’t starved for content. They’re starved for contrast!
They want a jolt. A surprise. Something that slices through the swamp of safe campaigns and algorithmic wallpaper.
Weird campaigns work because they’re different - but also because they’re:
Deeply strategic (not just silly for the sake of it)
Emotionally sticky
Built to be talked about, shared, screenshotted, debated
When done well, weird delivers:
Faster attention
Higher recall
Better ROI (because emotions drive decisions, not logic)
But don’t just take our word for it…
Weird with ROI: 3 campaigns that broke the rules (and the internet)
1. Aviation Gin – “Peloton Wife” Ad Response
Remember that Peloton ad? The one where a woman gets a stationary bike from her husband for Christmas and spends the rest of the spot looking like she’s being held hostage in a luxury wellness cult?
The internet went feral. Cue think pieces, parodies, and collective concern for “Peloton Wife.”
Enter Ryan Reynolds – professional chaos agent and owner at the time of Aviation Gin - who hired the same actress immediately for a cheeky response ad.
In it, she sits at a bar with two girlfriends, martini in hand, staring blankly into the distance. One whispers, “You’re safe now.”
Result: 10 million+ views in under 72 hours. Every major news outlet picked it up. Aviation Gin became the hero of the internet - and the unofficial rescue squad for adland misfires.
Why it worked:
It was fast, fearless, and freakishly well-timed.
It hijacked a cultural moment, turned cringe into comedy, and made a gin brand feel like the smartest person at the party. And proved again why Ryan Reynolds is a genius!
2. Liquid Death – Murdering Thirst (and Marketing Norms)
It’s water. In a can. That looks like a beer. Sounds like a metal band. And markets like it’s trying to start a cult.
But marketed like a satanic skateboard brand with a Hollywood agent and no chill.
Sure, they launched by asking people to sell their souls for a free 12-pack. Literally – with a notarised “Contract for Eternal Damnation” on their website.
But they didn’t stop there.
They teamed up with The Deep from The Boys – offering “liquid salvation” to cleanse his deeply fishy reputation.
Then partnered with Admiral Atticus Noble from Rebel Moon, releasing limited-edition villain-branded water that looked like it belonged in a war bunker.
And in Call of Duty, they didn’t just do a product placement – they gave players in-game weapon skins and gear inspired by their canned water of death.
Result: Massive cultural relevance. Brand obsession. Now worth over $700M and outselling legacy water brands.
Why it worked: Liquid Death haven’t just build a brand, they built a universe.
Every stunt, every collab, every can screams, “We’re not like the others.”
It’s weird, yes - but precise. Purposeful. Engineered to disrupt a category that usually just whispers about pH levels and glaciers.
They didn’t just sell water. They turned it into a lifestyle. A laugh. A loyalty loop with metal horns on.
3. Tango – You Know When You’ve Been Slapped
In the early ‘90s, Tango didn’t just advertise – they ambushed.
The now-iconic “Orange Man” ad featured a man taking a sip of Tango in a park… only to be suddenly, violently slapped across the face by a bald, bright-orange man in a vest. No warning. No explanation. Just citrus violence.
The tagline: “You know when you’ve been Tango’d.”
Result: 30% sales uplift.
School playgrounds full of kids reenacting it (less ideal). And a campaign that became one of the most infamous - and memorable - in UK ad history.
Eventually banned for health and safety reasons, which only made it more legendary.
Why it worked:
It was absurd. Physical. Visceral. And completely unexpected. Tango didn’t try to describe the taste. They dramatised it. With an orange man. And a slap.
It was weird with punchline, weird with purpose – and it made sure no one forgot the name Tango.
And there are a hundred more from Oatly’s rambling carton copy and tone-deaf CEO singalongs to Greggs launching a vegan sausage roll with the same secrecy as a Marvel trailer, weird has quietly become a British marketing superpower. Dr Pepper leaned into surreal medical imagery with sloth-headed doctors prescribing “more weird.” Pot Noodle gave us “Gary the Sheep Boy” in a bizarre tabloid-style news exposé. And then there’s Jet2’s unintentionally iconic voiceover turning into a TikTok memefest. Each of them broke the rules, and the internet - by delivering something audiences didn’t see coming, but couldn’t stop watching, sharing, or turning into a group chat punchline.
But wait - isn’t weird risky? Of course. But not as risky as being ignored!
Safe ideas aren’t safe. They’re invisible. And invisible brands don’t grow.
You might be thinking: “This is fun, but our brand has real targets. We can’t afford to be silly.”
Let’s be crystal: we’re not pushing random.
We’re pushing brave, on-brand disruption.
A wink with strategy behind it. A weird that works.
How to sell weird in the boardroom
Here’s the cheat sheet:
Back it with tension
Weird works better when it solves a real pain point or emotional truth.Share the proof
Start with case studies, not punchlines.Speak to emotion
Weird wins because it makes people feel - curiosity, joy, surprise.Know your North Star
Your brand’s weird should be your weird. Not someone else’s costume.Frame it as courage
Because in a crowded market, being brave is the safer option.
One final thought…
Weird isn’t a luxury. It’s a tool.
Not the cherry on top, the thing that cuts through, connects, and drives results.
If your brief says “safe, but attention-grabbing,” you’ve already got a problem.
Because those two things rarely share the same postcode.
The campaigns that get remembered, and deliver - often feel a bit uncomfortable at first.
A little off-centre. A little unlike anything in the competitor deck.
And that’s the point!
Weird doesn’t mean reckless. It means real.
Rooted in insight. Shaped by strategy. Delivered with teeth.
And if it gives you butterflies before the board meeting?
Good. That means it might actually work.
Those are the ones people talk about. And those are the ones that work.
Want to go weird the right way?
At Mischievous Wolf, we don’t chase weird for weird’s sake.
We shape it. We frame it. We deliver it with purpose.
Whether you’re launching, relaunching, or just sick of being ignored - we’ll help you:
Sharpen your strategy
Find your own flavour of weird
Make something worth remembering
Let’s talk. Before your competitor does something wild - and you’re stuck playing catch-up.
