In this series, Squideo has examined the best ways to turn advertising content into gold. Now that we’ve broken down the eight key ingredients, it’s time to dive deep into some examples of stellar advertising. This week, the advert in question was picked by Squideo’s Video Producer, Adam Leveson. 

Released in February 2023, this is the most modern advert picked for the series so far. When asked why he picked this particular advert, Adam said: “I find Scrub Daddy’s adverts fascinating, as they’re specifically made for a Gen Z audience. They’re high energy with a chaotic nature, the ads even include memes. I think it’s the perfect way to capture people’s attention, but it also shows how much advertising has changed over the years.”

A modern company for a modern advert. Scrub Daddy entered the market in 2012 after an appearance by its founder, Aaron Krause, on the American business reality TV programme Shark Tank. The episode in question, which sparked a bidding war between the Sharks, has over 12 million views on the official Shark Tank Global YouTube page since it was uploaded in 2022. That’s a lot of interest shown for a cleaning product.

Scrub Daddy became one of the top grossing products to ever feature on the show and now sells internationally. Its marketing strategy played a massive part in this accomplishment, capitalising on the fun and brightly coloured branding to create an advertising campaign which would appeal to Gen Z. 

While the younger members of Gen Z may not be high income earners – yet – since they’re still in school, the influence of Gen Z on household shopping cannot be underestimated. 80% of parents say Gen Z influences their buying decisions and, since the number of people living with their parents into their twenties continues to grow, that has a significant long-term impact.

There is also a growing interest amongst Gen Z and millennials in environmental sustainability – 64% reported they would pay more for a sustainable product – which benefits brands like Scrub Daddy which are designed to be reusable. 85% rely on social media to learn about new products. And where does Scrub Daddy focus most of its marketing campaigns, I hear you ask? On social media. 

Scrub Daddy Cool

If you’ve been on TikTok, there’s a good chance you’ve encountered at least one video created by or targeted at ‘cleantokers.’ The accompanying hashtag has been used over 2.7 million times on TikTok, and has racked up even more views on the platform. This content combines formats already popular on social media, including how-to and ASMR videos. 

The winners for this trend are household-themed influences and, you guessed it, cleaning companies. 

Scrub Daddy has numerous social media accounts, predominantly active on TikTok and Instagram, and additional accounts for its international branches like Scrub Daddy UK and Scrub Daddy Mexico. 

Unlike the other guests on Advert Alchemy, all of Scrub Daddy’s advertising is created in-house instead of outsourcing to an agency. Their advertising campaign isn’t as grandiose as Disney’s or haunting like Crusha’s, in fact Scrub Daddy adverts have an obvious home-made feel. Rapid shots are overlaid with animated text and symbols, a voiceover or music, and interjected with memes. 

My Heart Belongs to Scrub Daddy

The Damp Duster advert went viral on TikTok, and this Scrub Daddy product sold out numerous times. It was further promoted by influencers and content creators who were already in the ‘cleantokers’ crowd. But what made the advert – and therefore product sales – so successful?

Hijinx Humour

From the title of the Damp Duster advert – “WTF IS A DAMP DUSTER?!?” – and the reputation of the brand, fun was to be expected from the outset. No wonder the video has over 1 million views on YouTube. Creating a funny advert is a delicate balancing act. According to Ipsos, 81% of consumers like it when brands use humour, but only 28% report brands connecting with their comedic sensibilities. 

By staying active on social media, Scrub Daddy has been able to track what comedy styles resonate with their chosen audience and what current popular culture they can replicate to their benefit. The Damp Duster uses texting slang, attention-grabbing voiceovers, sparing sound effects, and avoids the use of technical language to keep the video accessible for people beyond the ‘cleantoking’ world. Not to mention the effective use of…

Meme Madness

There has been a rapid growth in the use of memes in advertising over the past five years. Easy to create, highly engageable, and very funny – memes can be great. Provided you choose the right one. Like all trends, some remain classics, while others fall in and out of fashion. Take the Bernie Saunders mittens meme of 2021. It was timely, related to a presidential election, and was utilised to great success throughout that year. By 2023, however, the reference has become dated. 

In the Damp Duster advert, the Rock eyebrow meme briefly appears. Given the superstar status of Dwayne Johnson, it was always going to be a safe choice. It adds humour to the product demonstration, a video topic that can easily become dry (even when it’s pre-dampened like the Damp Duster is).

Product Performance

The central feature of this advert is the demonstration of its starring product. The Damp Duster is part of Scrub Daddy’s twenty strong range, and the advert perfectly sets out the unique selling points of this newest member of the family. From unboxing to use, the narrator and footage provides a clear how-to-guide for customers who pick up the product. 

Here the lack of special effects in filming pays off, as none of this looks staged. Companies have been criticised in the past for depicting products in more flattering lights than reality would produce. Instead, Scrub Daddy’s advert builds consumer trust and interest in the product. Their depiction is also verified by the numerous ‘cleantokers’ who filmed their own product demos. 

Content Worth Gold

What do you think? What made Scrub Daddy’s Damp Duster advert so successful? Watch the full advert below and let us know in the comments. 

Get in touch with the Squideo team today to find out how we can improve your advertising strategy with video production, motion graphics, social media management and much more!