As a kid, it was very easy for me to fit in among other groups of kids; I’m convinced it was because I was loud and careless. I imitated my dad, who always seemed to get what he wanted by talking his way through and mixing and mingling with many new and different people. I’m grateful for this inheritance as it gave me the confidence to speak to a room full of people without fainting and the enthusiasm to ask questions, no matter if it’s obvious or silly. That boldness wasn’t well received when we moved to a different city, and the local kids made me feel like an outsider. That was the first time I felt different and unwelcome. Thanks to sports and another inheritance (I was tall), I found my way out from under those bullies.
As a grown-up, when I decided to change my diet to a plant-based one, I got a lot of heat about it (and still do). No one cared when I ate two burgers chased by a soda or when I smoked or drank too much. Now, there are many self-professed experts in protein and B12 vitamin deficiency. Others’ concerns come at me with a blast of criticism and judgment, always wanting to change me or call me out for being ‘weird.’ All that noise has made me love being different and has fueled me to explore more uniqueness in my personal and work life. How boring to be like everyone else!
By embracing weirdness in a sensible but researched way, companies can effectively become different and unique and genuinely transmit that through powerful branding. Take Liquid Death as an example; the water brand is killing the status quo. This brand chugs forward with an unapologetic skull logo, shiny bright cans screaming “Murder Your Thirst,” and flavors like “Berry it Alive” or Rest in Peach,” among other fantastic product names. Liquid Death merch is to die for. If you haven’t watched their ads, you should. Be prepared because, oh boy, it gets weird!
This brand makes legacy craft beer brands jealous to the bone. Founded in 2018, Liquid Death is worth more than $700 million.
Equinox’s New Year campaign is another smart and powerful example of embracing the weird. The campaign, “We Don’t Speak January,” was created by Collins in collaboration with the Equinox team and effectively banned new membership sign-ups on the first day of the year. The first of January is known to be the day with the most sign-ups in the fitness industry. But Equinox understands its audience (serious about fitness 24/7/365) and didn’t want to chase the New Year, New You crowd.
This campaign was called bizarre or controversial, and according to the Daily Mail, many who didn’t like it took to X/Twitter “to slam the gym brand.” But many others found it intelligent, bold, and aligned. The Equinox campaign brought in the best-ever January sales and leads, boosting the brand to break all kinds of records.
To close, I want to bring Taylor Swift to the scene (pun intended). Swift has mentioned a group of girls bullied her after they decided she wasn’t cool enough because she liked country music, describing how the experience helped her write songs. Unless you live on Mars, you will have heard something of the Taylor Swift machine. Swift moves economies wherever she performs her Eras Tour or shows her face at a Chief’s game (or the Super Bowl). Her net worth at the end of 2023 was estimated to be 1.1 billion.
But all the money talk aside, Taylor Swift has the influence to help decide who the next US president will be. In a poll conducted for Newsweek, Redfield & Wilton Strategies found that 18 percent of voters say they’re “more likely” or “significantly more likely” to vote for a candidate endorsed by Swift.
That, my friends, is power.
Whether you’re Latino (like me), Black, gay, straight, Muslim, Catholic, vegan, etc., I wish you to use your weirdness as currency and help the brands you work for, collaborate with, and buy from to be more like you.
Cheers to being weird!
Ricardo Saca is the US and Mexico Managing Partner for Cato Brand Partners, a Global Design and Branding Consultancy. He is a Master in Branding from the School of Visual Arts in New York City and has 20+ years of experience working with a wide range of companies, from startups to airlines. He is an animal lover and a plant-based cyclist.