Did the subhead of this post make you stop and read a little further?
There’s a reason for that, but we’ll get to that in a minute. Let’s talk more about, “I Heart Butt Drugs” first.
That’s a direct quote from a billboard I came across as my family drove from Louisville, KY into Indiana.
The beautifully crafted copy was framed by ice cream cones.
Butt Drugs and ice cream cones?
My curiosity was peaked. Google was being searched within seconds. It turns out that Butt Drugs is a real pharmacy.
The store has been charming people with its unique name for three generations. William (Blackie) Butt, R.Ph. established the family pharmacy in 1952. The company operated as a standard pharmacy until 2001 when Katie Butt took over. It was Katie’s marketing chops that took the Butt dynasty to the next level.
She embraced the name that makes them stand out from national chains. Katie launched merch, an online store, and ad campaigns all about Butt Drugs.
Katie understands that their name is a pattern interrupt. You can’t read, “I Heart Butt Drugs” and not be curious. It’s the reason you clicked on this link and are reading my post right now.
This pattern interrupt alone won’t make them successful, BUTT it’s enough to give them a shot with customers who would otherwise drive down the street to Walgreens, CVS, or Rite Aid.
Don’t be afraid to be different. A little shock might do your brand some good.
The job of great marketing is to make the right people stop and take notice. Figure out the patterns of the people you’re trying to reach and how you can interrupt those patterns with a relevant message they want and need to hear.
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