I love when businesses and people push the envelope. I have been known to do it from time-to-time myself (I know, the understatement of the century). I’ve even written about the WTF factor. But, what about when your brand becomes that envelope-pusher? Can you be too clever?
I was recently contacted by a company that makes golf balls. Their brand? My ball: http://playmyball.com/. See their commercial about playing with My Balls:
It’s in-your-face, attention getting and cuts through the noise. But is it too much? Will the novelty of the joke wear off eventually?
I can make both sides of the argument. The first side is that without the clever marketing and branding, they may have a very difficult time attracting customers in a crowded segment like golf balls and accessories. On the other hand, the brand could be seen as sophomoric and might be hard to extend it over time.
My vote goes to door number one. Grab the attention and make the sale however you can. If you have customers that love your product, your service and will give you their attention, you can always add a sub-brand or related brand and expand your relationship. You can shorten the name once the joke wears down. However, if you never have captured their attention in the first place, you have no place to maneuver from.
Well played, My Balls, well played.
