I’m not a proponent of marketing in one fell swoop (betting big on a single tactic or event—if it works you’re launched into another realm, if not, you’re done). Todd McFarlane, the creator of Spawn, has pulled it off, however. You may remember he’s the guy who paid $3 million for Mark McGwire’s 70th home run ball? Which is exactly the point. In Todd’s own words:
“I had to get some kind of attention for the company in advertising and marketing. At the time, I was in the toy business trying to get a mark into sports. Sometimes you have to buy your way to the poker table. Some people spend it on getting commercials into the Super Bowl. It’s $4 million for two 30-second ads. No one questions that move. For me, I did it in a non-traditional way.” (referring to buying the baseball). “People made a leap in logic that in order to have that kind of money to spend on a baseball, I must be successful in what I make to get to that point. Next thing you know, I have the baseball, football and hockey contracts. In the next 10 years we’ll sell $100 million worth in product, make $40 million in profits and out of that comes my advertising. Had I done two commercials in the Super Bowl, 10 years later people wouldn't be standing here asking me about that. And tomorrow someone will ask me again about the baseball.”
And he’s absolutely right. Nicely done Todd! I promise I’ll never recommend you do something like that.
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