Just a day after the world's biggest IT blackout, sporting goods giant Decathlon put up a hilarious new billboard in Canada to inspire viewers to go outside.
Created by agency Rethink, with help from Cossette Media, the giant blue billboard references the dreaded Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) error that plagued Windows PCs all around the world earlier this week.
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The billboard reads "Outage? Get outside. Enjoy 50% off on our outdoor goods," with a QR code that leads to the brand's website.
"When almost every screen in the world looked like this, Decathlon switched their DOOH buy to this — an invitation to get outside," Rethink Executive Creative Director Xavier Blais said in a LinkedIn post.
Inspired Advertising
The ad is a perfect example of viral marketing that uses simplicity and humor to leverage a highly relevant topic.
In this case, a relatively simple ad references the massive IT outage that affected businesses on a global scale to easily catch attention, while also making light of the situation.
Rethink has effectively used this strategy in the past, creating memorable yet simple ads for Heinz, such as the No-Taste Taste Test, asking people on the street to review their pickle-flavored ketchup using only their imagination.
The Canadian agency also worked on a collaborative ad with Marvel's Deadpool & Wolverine, using hilarious subliminal messaging to show the similarities between Heinz mustard and ketchup and the superheroes.
Editing by Katherine 'Makkie' Maclang
