For a cookie brand to joke about ‘bhang walay cookies’ redefines the way we Pakistani marketers tend to think. Crumble, an Islamabad-based dessert company, has taken on a whole new marketing style and netizens are absolutely loving it! From the life-sized Crumble box that pops up in the weirdest situations to showcasing the proprietary MeowBaksh in hilarious instances, the marketing team at Crumble has put many Gen Z targeting brands to shame through its innovative and tongue-in-cheek approach to social media marketing.

The sheer rawness and absurdity of the humour somewhat strike a chord with younger audiences, speaking their language and producing content that doesn’t seem forced. With references to viral and trending content and the seemingly natural and crazy places it puts its products in, Crumble has proven that being genuine and young and creating the kind of content people really like to engage with actually works, regardless of how mindless it is. Who needs a heartfelt backstory when a five-second clip of your product photobombing a viral trend does the trick?

With the introduction of vertical-format short videos across social media platforms – especially on Instagram and TikTok – where endless scrolling has us watching one trending video after the next, mindless reels showcasing hilarious scenes and skits performed by regular people have become a household habit for many.

Riding the tide, Crumble simply takes the content of these reels and rethinks how such videos would look in its own ludicrous brand world. While many have attempted similar marketing in the past, only a few have successfully created content that resonates with audiences on a genuine level. With a following of over 300,000 on Instagram alone, Crumble emerges strong in the marketing department.

However, it’s not just the marketing that needs to be spot-on – the product quality should also be strong or the brand risks putting itself at the mercy of trialists who don’t like the product. Another thing to learn from Crumble is the way it maintains its brand tonality across all its platforms and even in comments. Whether it’s a poster, a LinkedIn post or an Instagram Reel, Crumble maintains a consistent tone across its communications, making it seem all the more genuine when it interacts with audiences or creates crazy content.

In short, Crumble has represented social media marketing alchemy at its finest. By putting their products in the craziest scenarios, Crumble has hit the sweet spot. Why bother with logic when absurdity sells? The humour leaves people laughing and, more importantly, sharing – and that’s exactly the genius of it – by pretending not to care, Crumble shows that it really does care about understanding its audience. In a world where everyone is trying to be deep, Crumble embraces the chaotic void. It’s not about being smart; it’s about being shareable, snackable and thumb-stopping. And let’s be honest: when your audience spends 90% of their time watching cat videos, the absurdity isn’t just effective – it’s brilliant!

From an absurd representation of a freaky (free ki) cookie asking a customer what the colour of their waistband (read: naara) is in a rather seductive tone to joking about the idea of introducing ‘bhang walay cookies’ – the brand doesn’t hold back from creating what many would otherwise refer to as cringe-worthy content – and is surprisingly winning at it. Now that’s something to learn from!

Alyan Khan-Yusufzai is an advertising practitioner with over a decade of experience in multiple regional markets.