The Case for Counterintuitivity

The word counterintuitivity, much like what it stands for, isn’t actually a thing yet. You can go ahead and try to Google it. The underlying concept, however, is something that fascinates me to no end. The fact that we, as marketers, can do things against the norm and yield dividends out of the path-less-taken is something that makes this Candy Jar all the more interesting.

Case in point is a campaign that ran counter to all the advertising ‘norms’ in the digital age. You know how the 30-second TVC morphed into a six-seconder when the industry evolved? The guys at Lagavulin, a ‘dusty’ whisky brand, went the exact opposite way. Instead of a shorter and denser advertisement, they created a 45-minute video that basically had no movement; let alone dialogue or abrasive call-to-actions. It only features Nick Offerman (of Parks & Recreation fame) drinking away a glass of Lagavulin against a crackling old-fashioned fireplace. Absolutely nothing else happens and I love it for that.

Instead of making a comprehensive ad and trying their best to hammer the message through interruption-based un-skippable spots, they created a super-minimal content piece that people actively seek out. In fact, I might be responsible for half of the video’s four million views on YouTube. It’s the perfect white noise when you want to go into deep thought or relax, which is exactly what I imagine the intended brand experience is as well.

Umair Kazi is Partner, Ishtehari.