Forget everything you think you know about marketing. Seriously. The predictable campaigns you’re running are likely about as exciting as watching paint dry, and guess what? Your customers feel the same way.

Let’s face it: The average person sees between 4,000 and 10,000 ads every day. That’s not just noise; it’s a constant barrage, making your carefully designed marketing efforts feel like white noise. And the scary part? Most of those ads have the next to no real impact.

But here’s where it gets interesting. While traditional marketers are still playing draughts, disruptive marketing is playing interdimensional chess. Take the marketing revolution that Deadpool  launched in 2016. They didn’t just break the fourth wall—they obliterated it. Tinder profiles, emoji billboards, and even a Valentine’s Day rom-com-style campaign that tricked guys into watching a superhero movie with their girlfriends.

The result? A $783 million box office haul that no one expected. This wasn’t just a marketing campaign: it was a cultural event.

This is the kind of bold creativity that has the power to redefine entire industries.

And that’s why we love it.

The Downfall of Traditional Marketing

Traditional marketing, the kind where you plant your flag and hope someone notices, is now about as effective as sending a telegram in a digital world. Here’s why it’s failing: your audience has developed marketing immunity. Consumers aren’t just ignoring ads, they’re actively avoiding them. Ad blockers, Netflix subscriptions, Spotify Premium, we’re all paying to avoid the very marketing you’re trying to serve up.

But why disruptive marketing? That’s like having a secret handshake with your audience. When BrewDog created “Pink IPA,” a beer marketed to women, they didn’t just sell a product. They sparked a conversation that touched on everything from gender stereotypes to the gender pay gap. And with that, they didn’t just sell beer: they created a community of advocates. This campaign, which famously mocked traditional gender roles, was a key driver in BrewDog’s rapid growth.

The proof is in the numbers. According to the Event Marketing Institute, experiential marketing, a key facet of disruptive marketing, drives 65% of consumers to recommend a brand to others. Why? Because you can scroll past an ad, but you can’t unsee someone who looks suspiciously like Elton John in an Asda carpark in suburban Liverpool.

The Science Behind Disruption

The psychology behind why this works is simple: our brains are wired to notice disruption. It’s an evolutionary survival mechanism: as anything different from the norm could be a threat, we pay attention to it. In the marketing world, we work with this primal instinct to make messages more memorable.

When we brought a Cuban carnival to a wet Birmingham city centre, it wasn’t just weird (we love weird…): it was weaponised weirdness. This bold move captured attention and refused to let go, demonstrating how being “offbeat” can generate massive engagement.

ROI in the Age of Disruption

Let’s talk ROI, because we know that’s what keeps you up at night. Traditional advertising ROI has been in a steady decline. In fact, according to Nielsen, TV ad spending has dropped by nearly 5% annually over the last three years. Meanwhile, disruptive campaigns are often showing returns of up to 10:1.

Why? Because when you create something worth talking about, your audience does the heavy lifting for you. They talk about you. A lot.

But how do you know if your marketing is truly disruptive? Simple: if your first reaction isn’t “Can we really do that?” you’re probably not pushing hard enough.

You need what we call your WTF moment. Embrace the weird, the wonderful, the downright inexplicable and roll with it.

Why Choose A Disruptive Agency

So, why do brands turn to disruptive agencies like us for help? Because sometimes, you need a fresh perspective. When your in-house team is immersed in the day-to-day operations of your brand, it’s easy to overlook opportunities for true innovation. At a specialised agency, we ask the questions that others might avoid: “What if we host a pool party in a skip?” (We won an award for that one).

Ready To Think Outside The Box?

In a world of bog-standard marketing campaigns, standing out isn’t optional: it’s essential.

When you hire a disruptive marketing agency, you’re not just outsourcing creativity: you’re investing in a campaign that will capture attention, spark all sorts of conversations and generate results.

Embrace your inner WTF. We’re here to help you break through the noise and shake shit up by creating something that resonates with your audience long after the campaign is over.

Give us a shout today, and let’s grab a coffee and talk about how we can take your brand into areas as yet uncharted.