When it comes to the world of branding, playing it safe rarely makes headlines. The 10 marketing risks we explore below show how daring, sometimes reckless, decisions helped brands cut through the noise and win big. Whether a campaign sparked controversy, leaned into self‑deprecation, or flipped industry norms on their heads, each gamble paid off in ways that reshaped the brand’s story.

10 Nike Took a Knee With Colin Kaepernick

In 2018, Nike rolled out one of its most polarizing campaigns by putting former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick front and center. The spot featured his portrait alongside the stark message, “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.” Nike aired it during NFL season, fully aware it could inflame fans, conservatives, and even some of its own athlete partners. The immediate backlash was fierce—videos of shoes being set ablaze flooded social feeds, and #BoycottNike trended for days.

Yet the move wasn’t a shot in the dark. Internal research revealed that Nike’s core audience—young, urban, socially‑aware consumers—viewed Kaepernick as a hero, not a liability. The result? Sales jumped 31% over the opening weekend, social engagement shattered previous records, and the stock surged to an all‑time high within two months. Kaepernick became a long‑term ambassador alongside LeBron James and Serena Williams. The campaign snagged an Emmy, a Cannes Lion, and rewrote the playbook for brands taking a stand without self‑destructing.

9 Old Spice Got Weird—and It Worked

Old Spice had long been associated with older generations, and by the late 2000s it was fading into obscurity against rivals like Axe. Enter the 2010 “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” spot starring Isaiah Mustafa, a surreal, over‑the‑top ad that featured shirt‑less moments, teleporting showers, diamonds spilling from his hands, and a final gallop on a horse. It was a radical departure for a brand that hadn’t felt cool in decades.

The clip exploded online, racking up millions of views in just three days. The real masterstroke came next: Old Spice launched a massive real‑time response campaign, delivering more than 180 personalized video replies from Mustafa to fans on Twitter and Reddit—including shout‑outs to Ellen DeGeneres, Digg users, and even a marriage proposal. The internet went wild, sales of the body wash doubled, and Old Spice vaulted to become America’s #1 men’s grooming line.

8 Burger King Told Customers to Eat at McDonald’s

Amid the economic turmoil of the 2020 pandemic, Burger King UK posted a startling tweet that simply read, “Order from McDonald’s.” The message continued, urging people to support any fast‑food chain—KFC, Subway, Domino’s, Five Guys, or even independent eateries—because they all needed a lifeline. This wasn’t a gimmick; it was a heartfelt call for solidarity as thousands of hospitality workers faced furloughs and layoffs.

For a brand famous for trolling its rivals, especially McDonald’s, this was a bold pivot. Instead of brand‑centric bragging, Burger King chose empathy. The tweet went viral, earning praise for its maturity and community spirit. Global news outlets highlighted the move, and sentiment toward Burger King surged across demographics. The campaign reinforced the brand’s image as both flavorful and compassionate, while shining a spotlight on an industry on the brink.

7 Volvo Let a Truck Drive Over Jean‑Claude Van Damme

In 2013, Volvo Trucks wanted to showcase its new precision‑steering tech, but rather than a dry demo they hired Jean‑Claude Van Damme to perform an epic split between two moving semi‑trucks. The stunt, filmed at sunrise, saw the trucks drift backward down an empty runway while Van Damme held the split, with no visible safety harness. The risk was palpable—one slip could have turned the campaign into a disaster.

The gamble paid off instantly. The video amassed over 100 million views within days, sparking countless parody videos and a wave of social‑media challenges. Volvo Truck sales in key markets rose more than 30%, and the brand earned prestigious awards across the advertising world. The campaign elevated Volvo’s image beyond rugged machinery, positioning it as a maker of sleek, precise equipment, while giving Van Damme a pop‑culture resurgence.

6 Liquid Death Sold Water Like It Was Beer

When Liquid Death hit the market in 2019, it presented canned mountain water with a heavy‑metal aesthetic—gothic skulls, bold slogans like “Murder Your Thirst,” and ads that featured water‑boarding (with water), faux infomercials starring possessed children, and cans being exorcised. Critics dismissed it as style over substance, and many retailers hesitated to stock the product.

Nevertheless, the brand carved a niche for “water for people who hate health branding.” Punk bands, MMA fighters, tattoo artists, and skaters embraced it, and the company even offered a tongue‑in‑cheek “sell your soul” contract on its site. By 2023, Liquid Death was valued at over $700 million, stocked in Whole Foods, 7‑Eleven, and Target, and backed by celebrity investors like Tony Hawk and Wiz Khalifa—all while selling plain water in tall cans with no alcohol, caffeine, or sugar, just attitude.

5 Apple’s 1984 Ad Nearly Didn’t Air

Apple’s iconic “1984” Super Bowl commercial, directed by Ridley Scott, cost nearly $1 million to produce—a massive budget at the time. The minute‑long spot depicted a dystopian, Orwellian world being shattered by a hammer‑throwing rebel, symbolizing the upcoming Macintosh launch. When Apple’s board saw the finished ad, they were terrified, deeming it too strange, confusing, and abstract for a tech product, and wanted to pull the plug and sell back the airtime.

Steve Jobs and marketing chief Lee Clow pushed forward regardless. The ad aired just once during the third quarter of Super Bowl XVIII in 1984. That single airing sparked endless replay on news outlets, hailed as revolutionary. The Macintosh launch two days later was a massive success. The ad is now celebrated as one of the greatest commercials ever, preserved in the Museum of Modern Art. Had the board won, Apple might never have been linked with rebellion and creativity.

4 Patagonia Told You Not to Buy Their Jacket

On Black Friday 2011, Patagonia placed a full‑page ad in the New York Times with the headline, “Don’t Buy This Jacket.” Below was a photo of their best‑selling fleece, accompanied by copy urging readers to consider the environmental cost of producing even one “eco‑friendly” product. The ad wasn’t promoting a sale; it was calling out the culture of over‑consumption, including Patagonia’s role in it.

The move could have killed holiday sales or painted Patagonia as self‑righteous. Instead, it boosted credibility with eco‑conscious shoppers, driving brand trust sky‑high. Sales rose over 30% the following year, and Patagonia doubled down with initiatives like Worn Wear (a resale marketplace), lifetime guarantees, and a pledge to donate all profits to environmental causes. In 2022, its founder transferred ownership of the entire company to a climate trust, aligning the brand’s messaging with radical corporate action and proving that authenticity can be a powerful marketing engine.

3 Carlsberg Admitted Its Beer Wasn’t the Best

Carlsberg’s famous tagline—“Probably the best beer in the world”—had long been a staple across Europe. By the late 2010s, however, cost‑cutting had eroded quality, sales in the UK were slipping, and younger drinkers saw the brand as outdated. The company took a daring step: a campaign that opened with “Probably not the best beer in the world,” openly admitting the product had declined.

The ads highlighted angry tweets, low ratings, and harsh taste‑test results, then unveiled a new brewing process with better ingredients and a smoother finish. Carlsberg even released videos of staff reading customer insults aloud. The honesty sparked massive attention, and within months sales and brand sentiment rose, especially among younger consumers who appreciated the candid reset. A follow‑up campaign kept the cheeky tone with “New Carlsberg Pilsner: Rebrewed From Head to Hop.”

2 Reddit Spent Its Entire Super Bowl Budget on a 5‑Second Ad

Super Bowl spots are the holy grail of brand exposure, typically featuring humor or celebrity cameos. In 2021, Reddit flipped the script, spending its whole ad budget on a five‑second glitch‑style commercial that mimicked a broadcast error. The screen flashed to a block of text referencing the recent GameStop saga, Reddit’s community power, and the idea that “underdogs can accomplish just about anything.” Most viewers missed it live.

But the internet didn’t. Users rewound, paused, and screenshotted the ad, flooding social media. Reddit trended on Twitter, news outlets dissected the message, and platform engagement spiked. The $1 million, blink‑and‑you‑miss‑it gamble turned into tens of millions of dollars in earned media, reinforcing Reddit’s identity as a chaotic, community‑driven disruptor.

1 Domino’s Admitted Their Pizza Was Terrible—and Customers Loved It

By 2009, Domino’s was in trouble. Years of poor reviews, taste‑test failures, and internet ridicule cemented a reputation for pizza that “tastes like cardboard.” Instead of quietly tweaking the recipe, Domino’s made the boldest move possible: publicly admitting their pizza sucked. The “Pizza Turnaround” campaign featured real employees reading harsh customer feedback on camera—comments like “worst pizza I ever had” and “the crust tastes like microwaved Styrofoam.” The company then documented a full recipe overhaul, rebuilding sauce, dough, and cheese from scratch.

Most brands shy away from any public self‑criticism, let alone making it the centerpiece of a campaign. Domino’s risked alienating loyal customers and drawing more attention to its flaws. Yet the gamble paid off: the new pizza earned better reviews, the campaign was praised for its honesty, and Domino’s stock price tripled over the next few years. Embracing a “work‑in‑progress” image, the brand won back lapsed customers by showing it was listening. The case is now taught in MBA and advertising courses as a masterclass in turning self‑awareness into success.

10 Marketing Risks That Paid Off

These ten daring moves prove that taking a calculated risk can transform a brand’s fortunes. From controversial statements to self‑deprecating humor, each example shows how boldness, authenticity, and a willingness to break the rules can lead to massive payoff.

It’s often said that the art of marketing is less about the actual product and more about the story you tell around it. Think of that classic Mad Men episode where Don Draper convinces a boardroom that toasted tobacco is the next big thing – even though every brand already does it. The same trick works with language: sprinkle a few glossy phrases, and suddenly a mundane item feels premium. Below we unpack ten of the most common marketing‑speak that sound impressive but, in reality, are little more than clever fluff.

10 Marketing Terms: Why They Matter

10 Corinthian Leather Is Just Leather

Ever notice how the scent of a brand‑new car seems almost intoxicating? It’s a blend of fresh paint, factory‑grade cleaners, and, of course, that glossy promise of Corinthian leather. The phrase conjures images of buttery‑soft, ultra‑luxury upholstery that drapes your seats like a velvet cloak.

But here’s the kicker: Corinthian leather isn’t a distinct material at all. The term was cooked up by a slick advertising team to give a regular hide an exotic veneer. They latched onto the name of the ancient Greek city – Corinth – because it sounded aristocratic and mysterious.

The story goes that Ricardo Montalbán, fresh from his stage role in Don Juan, was spotted by Chrysler’s agency while performing in Detroit. The execs were smitten and thought his suave accent could sell a car. They asked him to tout the “Corinthian leather” in the Cordoba, hoping the foreign‑sounding word would add allure.

In truth, the leather was just standard, inexpensive upholstery. The only thing special about it was the marketing spin that turned a plain hide into a status symbol. The phrase stuck, and today many still associate “Corinthian leather” with premium quality, even though it’s merely a clever label.

9 There’s No Such Thing as Sushi Grade Fish

America’s love affair with sushi is undeniable – millions indulge in a roll each month, and many aspire to craft their own at home, a skill that in Japan can take a decade to perfect. The natural assumption is that you need “sushi‑grade” fish for a safe, delicious experience.

The FDA does lay down a parasite‑destruction protocol: raw fish must be frozen at –20 °C (‑4 °F) or lower for at least 168 hours. This reduces the risk of parasites, but it doesn’t magically upgrade the fish to a special “sushi” status.

In North America, there’s no legal definition for “sushi grade.” Vendors can slap the label on any fish that meets the freezing guideline, or even on fish that doesn’t. It’s essentially a marketing invention from the early 2000s designed to coax restaurants into expanding beyond tuna.

So when you see “sushi‑grade” on a market sign, remember it’s more about perception than a regulated quality tier. The fish may be safe, but the term itself carries no official weight.

8 Superfruit Is Just a Vague Marketing Term

The buzzword “superfruit” burst onto the scene as health enthusiasts chased the next miracle food. Pomegranates, acai berries, goji berries, and even blueberries were slapped with the title, promising antioxidant overload and other lofty benefits.

In reality, a superfruit is simply a fruit. While many of these berries are nutritious, the label doesn’t confer any scientifically proven superiority over other produce. The term “super” is vague, lacking a concrete, objective definition.

Even the European Union stepped in, banning the unqualified use of “superfood” in 2007 unless manufacturers could substantiate health claims. The designation remains more of a marketing flourish than a nutritional certification.

7 All Salt Is Sea Salt

Remember the days when you’d pick up a plain white box of iodized salt? Today, the grocery aisle is a kaleidoscope of gray, pink, Celtic, and “sea” salts, each promising a distinct flavor or health boost. The phrase “sea salt” has become a marketing gold standard for a premium image.

But chemically, every salt originates from the sea at some point. Even Himalayan pink salt formed from ancient seabeds that long ago evaporated. The mineral composition may differ slightly, but the core chemical – sodium chloride – is identical.

Brands use the “sea” moniker to suggest a higher‑quality, more natural product, yet the difference is largely aesthetic. In the end, all salt is essentially sea‑derived, making the label more about perception than substance.

6 Angus Is Just a Breed of Cattle and Doesn’t Imply Quality

When you see “Angus” on a steak menu, you might assume you’re getting a superior cut. In truth, Angus is simply a cattle breed, recognized for its black coat. The term “Certified Angus Beef” adds criteria like specific marbling and fat distribution, but the breed alone says nothing about quality.

Two pieces of meat from an Angus cow and a Holstein cow with identical marbling will taste virtually the same. The “Angus” label is often leveraged to suggest a premium experience, even when the underlying meat quality is comparable to any other well‑graded beef.

The real distinction lies in the certification process, which verifies that the beef meets stringent standards. However, many fast‑food chains market “Angus” burgers without the certification, charging more for a name that doesn’t guarantee higher quality.

5 Portobello, Cremini and Button Mushrooms Are All the Same

Mushroom lovers may think they’re picking distinct varieties when ordering a portobello, cremini, or plain button mushroom. The truth? They’re all the same fungus – Agaricus bisporus – just at different stages of growth.

Young, white button mushrooms mature into the brown‑ish cremini, and when they grow large enough, they’re marketed as portobello. Restaurants often use the fancier names to suggest a more upscale ingredient, even though the underlying mushroom is identical.

The marketing spin creates an illusion of variety and exclusivity, but botanically there’s no difference beyond size and color. Whether you call it a button or a portobello, you’re getting the same edible mushroom.

4 No Tears Shampoo for Kids Didn’t Have a Specific Meaning

Ever been stung by a sudden splash of shampoo in the eyes? The “no‑tears” promise sounds like a lifesaver for parents, yet the phrase never had a standardized definition. Different brands used the claim in wildly varied ways.

Before 2013, Johnson & Johnson’s baby shampoo even contained formaldehyde, a chemical you’d rather not have near your eyes. The “no‑tears” label was more about marketing than chemistry, with no regulatory guidelines governing what the term truly meant.

Even the interpretation of “tears” got fuzzy – some ads suggested it meant the shampoo wouldn’t tear hair, while others claimed it prevented eye irritation. Ultimately, the label was a vague promise, open to wide interpretation, rather than a concrete, tested standard.

3 Cage Free and Free‑Range Might Not Mean What You Think

Egg cartons now boast a laundry list of descriptors: cage‑free, free‑range, organic, farm‑fresh. While “cage‑free” simply means hens aren’t confined to tiny metal cages, it doesn’t guarantee outdoor access or superior living conditions.

Free‑range sounds idyllic, but regulations only require a door to the outdoors – not that the birds actually get to roam. Some farms keep hens inside a large room, occasionally opening the door, while others provide only a minimal outdoor space that barely qualifies as “range.”

Labels like “farm fresh” and “natural” are essentially meaningless filler; every egg comes from a farm, and by definition, an egg is a natural product. Without third‑party certification, these terms often mask the reality of cramped, poorly ventilated environments.

2 Saltwater Taffy and Regular Taffy Are the Same Thing

Saltwater taffy and plain taffy are identical in composition; the “saltwater” moniker is purely a marketing flourish. The name originated from a legendary flood in Atlantic City that forced a taffy shop to sell its stock as “salt‑water taffy.” The quirky story stuck, and the term survived long after the water vanished.

Despite the name, the candy contains no actual seawater. It’s simply a sweet, chewy confection that’s been given a salty‑sounding label to make it sound more exotic and appealing to tourists.

1 The Term “Teenager” Was Invented in the 40s

The word “teenager” feels as natural as the concept of childhood, but it didn’t exist in the early 20th century. In the 1930s, adults would simply refer to adolescents as “young people” or “youth.” The term emerged in the 1940s as a marketing invention.

As societies shifted from agrarian to industrial, mandatory schooling created a distinct phase between childhood and adulthood. Marketers seized on this new demographic, coining “teenager” to target a fresh consumer group with tailored products, music, and media.

Since then, the label has become a cultural staple, driving countless campaigns aimed at the ever‑evolving tastes of this lucrative age bracket.

Marketing is a tricky game, and when brands chase the spotlight they often resort to out‑of‑the‑box stunts that promise buzz. The quest to stay relevant pushes companies into wild territory, and sometimes the resulting “10 marketing stunts” backfire spectacularly, leaving a trail of chaos, lawsuits, and bewildered onlookers.

10 Marketing Stunts That Went Wrong

10 Jagermeister’s Pool Party

Picture a Venn diagram where Jägermeister’s event crew occupies one circle and seasoned chemists sit in the other. The overlap is practically non‑existent, which should have been a red flag. In 2013, the German‑owned liquor brand threw a pool party in León, Mexico, and decided that drenching the water with liquid nitrogen would create an epic, foggy vibe.

What they didn’t anticipate was the chemical reaction between liquid nitrogen and the chlorine already present in the pool. The mixture generated a toxic gas that quickly filled the area. Partygoers began losing consciousness, and the scene turned from a rave to a medical emergency in moments.

Thankfully no lives were lost, but the aftermath was grim: a 21‑year‑old man slipped into a coma, and eight other attendees required hospitalization. The incident serves as a chilling reminder that party tricks involving hazardous substances need far more expertise than a marketing brief.

9 Dr Pepper’s Treasure Hunt

Sometimes the most baffling ideas sprout from a desire to make a soda feel like an adventure. In 2007, Cadbury Schweppes launched a treasure‑hunt promotion for Dr Pepper, scattering cash‑laden coins across a city and providing cryptic clues for participants to locate them.

One of the clues led eager hunters straight to a centuries‑old Boston graveyard—home to the remains of John Hancock, Samuel Adams, and other historic figures. The city swiftly halted the hunt after contestants began swarming the sacred grounds, fearing they might start digging up graves. Dr Pepper issued an apology, acknowledging that placing a coin in such a hallowed site was a grave mistake—literally.

8 LG’s Accidental Riot

LG’s 2013 promotional stunt aimed to combine excitement with generosity: 100 helium balloons, each tethered to a voucher for a brand‑new smartphone worth over $850, were released over a crowded plaza. The premise sounded like a marketing dream.

Reality, however, turned chaotic when the throng beneath the balloons produced BB guns and began shooting at the floating prizes. The ensuing scramble left twenty people injured, prompting LG to cancel the remainder of the campaign and rethink how to distribute high‑value giveaways without inciting a frenzy.

7 Domino’s Tattooed Giveaway

In 2018, Domino’s Russia rolled out a bold, if somewhat unsettling, contest: fans who got the company’s logo tattooed in a conspicuous spot could win a lifetime supply of pizza. The promise of endless slices attracted a flood of participants.

The original plan allowed two months for submissions, but within five days the brand was inundated with tattoo photos. Overwhelmed, Domino’s altered the rules, limiting the prize to the first 350 entrants. Anyone beyond that number missed out on the cheesy dream, underscoring how a seemingly clever stunt can spiral out of control when demand exceeds expectations.

6 Paramount’s Bomb Scares

Paramount Pictures tried to hype the release of Mission Impossible III by installing electronic devices inside newspaper vending machines across Los Angeles. When a passerby opened a rack, the device would blast the film’s theme music, turning a mundane errand into a cinematic moment.

Unfortunately, the contraptions resembled homemade bombs, complete with exposed wiring and suspicious boxes. Citizens panicked, dialing 911 in droves. In one instance, the bomb squad detonated a device they believed to be a real threat, turning a marketing gimmick into a full‑blown emergency response.

With 4,500 machines outfitted, the city’s emergency services were inundated with calls, and Paramount faced a lawsuit that settled for $75,000 in negligence claims. The episode proves that a little too‑realistic flair can trigger genuine fear.

5 Snapple’s Downtown Flood

Snapple’s 2005 ambition was to crown the world’s biggest popsicle, a towering 25‑foot‑tall, 17.5‑ton ice sculpture they dubbed the “Snap‑icle.” The plan was to showcase it on a downtown Manhattan street, cementing the brand’s place in record‑book history.

On a sweltering summer day, the massive ice column began to melt almost instantly. Strawberry‑kiwi pink runoff cascaded onto the pavement, forcing police to shut the road while onlookers scrambled for higher ground. The spectacle turned from a sweet triumph into a soggy disaster, and Snapple vowed never to attempt such a record again.

4 Fiat’s Love Letters

In a misguided 1994 campaign in Spain, Fiat mailed 50,000 anonymous love letters to women, claiming a secret admirer had taken notice of them on the street. The letters were unsigned and vague, promising a brief, unforgettable encounter.

The unsolicited messages struck many recipients as creepy and invasive. Women assumed they were being stalked, leading to anxiety and fear. Two weeks later, a second letter arrived, revealing the first was a marketing ploy and inviting the women to visit their local Fiat dealer.

Outraged, the women sued Fiat. Although the settlement was modest, the episode highlighted how an ill‑timed, overly personal approach can backfire, especially before the internet amplified such stories.

3 Lay’s Rainy Days

Lay’s (known as Walkers in the UK) launched a betting‑style promotion where participants guessed the timing and location of rain. The concept seemed clever—until the British weather proved too predictable.

Contestants began winning en masse, and despite each correct prediction earning only £10, the cumulative payouts ballooned to over $600,000. Walkers attempted to cap bets midway through the campaign, sparking backlash and a warning from the UK advertising watchdog, which ultimately banned the promotion.

2 Amazon’s Nazi Trains

To promote the 2015 series The Man in the High Castle, Amazon adorned New York subway cars with décor echoing a world where the Axis powers won World War II. Seats and walls displayed reimagined American flags featuring the German Eagle and Iron Cross, deliberately avoiding swastikas.

The immersive design was meant to intrigue viewers, but many commuters found the Nazi‑themed imagery unsettling and offensive, sparking a public outcry over the insensitivity of plastering such symbols on everyday transportation.

Amazon’s spokesperson acknowledged the difficulty of marketing a show with such provocative subject matter, yet the backlash underscored how easily a promotional concept can cross the line into tasteless territory.

1 Cartoon Network’s Shady Boxes

In 2007, Cartoon Network hired an artist to plaster LED‑lit boxes depicting the Mooninite character from Aqua Teen Hunger Force around Boston, aiming to hype the new series. The glowing devices were intended as quirky street art.

Residents, however, mistook the boxes for suspicious bombs and called emergency services. At least one device was detonated by the bomb squad, and the city’s police and security agencies were dispatched en masse, costing the network over $2 million in settlements.

While some locals mocked the overreaction, the incident demonstrated how an avant‑garde marketing stunt can unintentionally trigger widespread panic and costly legal repercussions.

Marketing is the lifeblood of sales. Unless a brand has already established itself as a dominant force in the market, it will be difficult for the public to react positively to its product launch without some form of marketing.

Sometimes, products perform well in the market solely because of an optimized marketing effort. This is the reason why every industry invests in marketing. In the world of video games, there have been successful and unsuccessful marketing campaigns. What we are, however, not prepared for are bizarre marketing campaigns. These marketing efforts are very strange and far from the usual. Some of these campaigns were so unusual that they attracted criticism and even law enforcement.

Here are ten of the most bizarre video game marketing campaigns.

10 Call of Duty: Black Ops III Issues Fake Terror Alert

The makers of Call of Duty went too far when they live-tweeted that a terror attack was taking place in Singapore. The false claim was only a publicity stunt to introduce their new game Call of Duty: Black Ops III. First, it is very unusual for a video game maker to make false terrorist attack claims, but what we find more bizarre is that this extraordinary publicity stunt was totally unnecessary. Call of Duty was already a successful video game franchise.

The marketing campaign backfired quickly, with many people responding on Twitter that the publicity stunt was in poor taste. Most people would agree that the video game maker could have done better, considering terrorist attacks do take place in the real world, and the fear of terrorism exists all over the world. There is no doubt that this marketing campaign was downright bizarre.^[1]

9 Electronic Arts Causes Gridlock in London with Mercenaries 2: World in Flames

The plot of the game Mercenaries 2: World in Flames is straightforward. The protagonist’s aim is to kill the President of Venezuela. Since the plot of the game also involves Venezuelan oil facilities, the marketers of the game actually tied the game to a physical gas station, or maybe they were trying to set the world aflame for real—we may never know for sure. One thing we know is that there was a marketing stunt to promote the game that involved £20,000 worth of free fuel at a single gas station.

The line of cars going to this gas station was very long, and drivers started having altercations. Each driver received £40 of free fuel from the marketers of the game. It didn’t take long before police shut down Electronic Arts’ operations due to the ensuing chaos. In fact, a member of the British Parliament demanded an apology from Electronic Arts, claiming that the video game publishers were trying to cause Venezuelan-style fuel riots in London. Any marketing campaign that gets the attention of the police and triggers a request for an apology from an MP is an unusual one. This is the most considerate way we can tag the promotion.^[2]

The previous week, the same promo seemed to have gone off without a hitch in the U.S. A La Cienega Blvd. gas station in Los Angeles saw actors hired as mercenaries with signs offering the free gas and helping with directing cars.

8 Zynga Vandalizes City Sidewalks with Counterfeit Money

Despite being an online game heavyweight, Zynga let us down with its ridiculous attempt to promote the game Mafia Wars. The company glued fake promotional bills to the sidewalks of Manhattan. This is nothing but vandalization of public property. At one point, the San Francisco City Attorney’s office had to open an investigation into the ignominious act. Besides the counterfeit money Zynga put into circulation, marketers also produced decals depicting gang violence to market the video game. They also glued the bills to the sidewalks in Manhattan, even after receiving a rebuke for the stunt in the City by the Bay.

The Deputy City Attorney called the marketing campaign “illegal and actionable.” Not mincing words about this incident—any marketing campaign that warrants rebuke from the City Attorney’s office is an odd campaign. ^[3]

7 Electronic Arts Stages Protest Against Its Own Game

Just when we think that we have seen the worst of it, we are confronted with another weird video game promotion strategy that we cannot wrap our heads around. This is the second time we find Electronic Arts on our list for a similar reason. In 2009, the game publisher hired a group of 20 fake protesters to demonstrate outside the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles to protest the upcoming game Dante’s Inferno.

The most ridiculous thing about this incident is that these fake protesters found the perfect excuse to stage their protest—religion! According to these jokers, the upcoming game glorified eternal damnation. The fake protesters held up picket signs asking people to “Trade in Your Playstation for a Praystation.” In a strange twist of events, Electronic Arts turned around to admit that the protest was fake and staged by their marketing agency.^[4]

6 Splinter Cell: Conviction Roleplay Leads to Police Intervention

Splinter Cell: Conviction is an action-adventure game that emphasizes stealth; however, the promotional stunt for the game went too far and nearly led to death. In Auckland, New Zealand, a man with bandages on his hand threatened the patrons of a bar with a fake gun, and police were immediately called to the scene. What we find very bizarre about this particular marketing campaign is that even the police officers that responded could not immediately determine that the gun being brandished by the promotions worker was fake until it was retrieved from him.

We find ourselves asking some questions: what if the police had been trigger-happy and fired at sight? What would have happened to the promotions worker? Is death a justifiable end for a video game marketing campaign? No matter how hard we tried, finding an answer wouldn’t be an easy task. But we are certain that this video game promotion effort is far from the usual.^[5]

5 Bethesda Wants to Give a Baby a Dragon-Themed Name

Bethesda is the video game company that produced the game The Elder Scrolls V.Skyrim. The company announced a contest for any child born on the day the game was launched. The catch was the parents had to name the child “Dovahkiin,” which translates to “Dragonborn” in dragon language. If the parents did this, the child would win Bethesda games for life. Coincidentally, parents Megan and Eric Kellermeyer welcomed their baby on November 11, 2011, at 6:08 pm—the same day the game was launched. And as they longed to give their baby a unique name, the contest just happened to have been announced at the most appropriate time.

You can’t deny this might be a marketing campaign taken too far. It is downright bizarre that a company would encourage parents to burden their child with such a name. While we can’t guess exactly what was going on in the minds of Megan and Eric Kellermeyer, whatever was in there was absolutely unusual. Can you hear the teasing on the playground already? However, it shouldn’t surprise you that this campaign has been done before. In 2018, KFC offered a college scholarship for the first child born on Colonel Sanders’s birthday to be named Harland (the Colonel’s first name). So now little Harland Rose will have money when she’s old enough for college. Well, at least it wasn’t Dovahkiin. Poor kid!^[6]

4 Resident Evil 6 Experiments with a Weird Meat

In order to promote Resident Evil 6, Capcom, the company that produced the game, decided to embark on a very unusual promotional tactic. This promo involved the creation of a butcher shop with meat that looked like human flesh. The butcher shop was called “Wesker & Son.” The meat on sale was actually edible animal meat carefully constructed by a food artist to look like human body parts. The butcher shop was open for two days before it closed.

There is another bizarre development relating to the launch of Resident Evil 6. The first marketing stunt involved the creation of fake murder scenes in front of popular media businesses in London.^[7]

3 Acclaim Painted Pigeons for Virtua Tennis 2

Acclaim used a weird and unusual marketing stunt to introduce its game, Virtua Tennis 2, to the world. The company painted homing pigeons with the game’s logo and released the pigeons over Wimbledon. This particular marketing campaign was directed at tennis enthusiasts, considering the chosen venue. Although Wimbledon is already famous for the occasional descent of pigeons, this would be the first time that people would get to see a painted pigeon, especially one that bears a message.

Some will never forget this unusual advertisement stunt. If only video game marketers used their power for good instead of painting the poor, innocent pigeons.^[8]

2 Acclaim Offers to Pay Parents to Name Their Child Turok

Acclaim is here again! The New York-based video game publisher started a contest, offering $10,000 to the first parent to name their newborn child after the dinosaur-slaying hero in its upcoming game Turok: Evolution. In order for the parent(s) to qualify for the prize, the child must be named Turok. There is an understandable reason why we consider this a bizarre form of marketing—the poor child is saddled with the name and has to answer to it. Makes you wonder what’s going on in the minds of these parents.

It’s also worth noting that Acclaim Entertainment as a company has gotten excellent results from such unconventional marketing efforts before this particular move. In the same month that the company announced the “Turok” challenge, it received thousands of responses when it offered £500 and an Xbox game console to anyone in Britain who was willing to change their legal name to Turok. We’ll never know if these people were in love with the name or just keen to take any prize, no matter how small.

Surprisingly, an Acclaim spokesman, Alan Lewis, said that the unusual promotional tactic was the only way to survive in the world of video games because of the stiffening competition. In 2020, a staff writer for VG247 decided to track down the five people who were reported to have received the prize money. After numerous dead ends, he stumbled upon the truth. All five people were actors who had been paid to claim they had changed their name. No one actually had done it. But still, it garnered a lot of buzz at the initial campaign rollout.^[9]

1 Mass Effect 3 Discs Shot into Space

This is the most unusual of them all and deserves the number one spot. Electronic Arts gave fans of the game Mass Effect 3 the opportunity to play the game early in a unique way. The first copies of the game were carried up into space by weather balloons which later released them. People on the ground could track the falling games thanks to attached GPS devices.

Fans could also monitor where the nearest game landed. The targeted cities were New York, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Berlin, London, and Paris. What a fan needed to do to get any of the copies was to create an EA (Electronic Arts) online account, then track down copies of the game as they fell to Earth using EA’s GPS system. Once the game landed, it became an open race. The first set of fans to get to the landing sites would get all the available copies on a first-come basis. While we commend Electronic Arts for this exceptional display of technological proficiency, we find it downright bizarre that a video game company would send video games to outer space.^[10]