THINX’S TABOO-BREAKING OOH CAMPAIGN

We 💛 a bold, outspoken brand.

And in 2016, Thinx ran these taboo-breaking ads on the subway in New York.

They drove a 2,000% increase in website visits. And annual revenue grew 20x.

Not bad, eh?

Originally, Thinx were almost banned from using the word period in these ads. As their founder said: Whether it's breast augmentation, a 50 Shades of Grey commercial where a guy's choking a woman or beach body ready ads with girls' breasts just falling out of their tops… That's all okay, but the minute we're talking about a natural occurrence that a woman experiences, that's considered unacceptable, too suggestive and offensive. You betcha we fought it. And it's a good job they did. In fact, Ipsos and Effie UK analysed thousands of ads and found that campaigns which broke category conventions delivered a 21% lift in ad attention. And further into the study, Ipsos also found that grabbing attention is the #1 leading indicator of long-term brand growth and short-term sales.

And the best thing? Every category has its own version of that taboo, nobody-says-this thing.

Side note: when we talk about “taboo-breaking,” it’s easy to picture big political statements or issue-led activism. (And we 💛 when brands do that.) But here’s the thing: your copy doesn’t have to start a cultural revolution to feel taboo. You just need to say the thing no one else in your category is saying. Because in our brains, it’s the same thing. Whether it’s Thinx saying “periods” or a meal kit saying “cooking after a long day sucks, so we’ve made it easy” or a brand for parents that acknowledges the hardships of parenting, your brain processes both in the same way: 👉 Pattern interrupt AKA woah, didn’t expect that.​ 👉 Emotional jolt AKA actually, I like that. 👉 Validation AKA I feel seen, they get me. 👉 Trust AKA they get me, therefore I can trust them.​ 👉 Commit to memory AKA I need to remember to buy from them. And that’s the same mental process whether you’re breaking a societal taboo or an industry one. So if full-blown activism isn’t your lane (or not yet), no worries. You can still punch through the noise by naming an overlooked truth, calling out a dusty cliché, or simply showing up more human-y than the other brands. Check it out: ​Before: Try the hazy alcohol-free beer packed with hops and notes of stone fruits After: Finally, an alcohol-free beer that *feels* like a beer, not water. Before: Science-backed ways to improve your gut health After: Say goodbye to feeling like a messy, bloated, gassy, crampy mess. Nick this for your brand: next time you're running ads on social media or your goal is to grab attention, try breaking a taboo in some way. Do something that feels like you're pushing the envelope. Something that you feel a tad nervous to push live. That's where that +21% CTR magic lives.