This past week, several brands who take care to maintain their man-friendly images took to Twitter with some engaging campaigns relating to meat, its grilling, its hunting (and the clothes needed for the hunting), and of course the clothes in which to stylishly perform the meat hunting.
Oscar Mayer‘s #SayitWithBacon campaign, a play on saccharine jewelry commercials (i.e. #SayitWithDiamondRing) , suggests that “when words aren’t enough,” you give your loved one a box of Oscar Mayer bacon strips. But it’s not only bacon dad gets – there are three unique gift packages offering a special non-bacon-gift within: “The Commander”, which comprises a stainless-steel money-clip engraved with the words “Bring’ it Home”; there’s “The Matador”, which is a set of bacon-strip cufflinks; and “The Woodsman”, which includes a 12-function multi-tool with, you guessed it, a bacon strip carved into the handle.
All packages arrive as a velvet box containing a pack of Oscar Mayer bacon, with special gift enclosed. 360i, the firm that pushed Oreo into the social media fray, is to thank for the brand consciousness becoming one with the bacon-frenzy consciousness.
Sears‘ long-running #GrillingisHappiness campaign asks Twitter followers to submit stories and participate in a live Twitter party to share Father’s Day plans, and show off each other’s best grilling practices via live chat. Not only is #GrillingisHappiness the retailer’s social media campaign, it’s also a full-fledged online community of grilling specialists and professionals (according to Sears), where visitors can learn new techniques on the art of grilling – as well as other tricks of the outdoor entertainment trade. Recent blog entries on www.grillingishappiness.com have been Father’s Day related, so you know Sears is serious about this holiday.
Dick’s Sporting Goods, as part of their #GreatestGift Twitter campaign, is flying a lucky father and his child of choice (limited to one child per father) to one of five destinations to spend some quality bonding time together either fishing, golfing, hunting, watching baseball, or riding off-road vehicles. Other than making sure their dads are up for these potentially strenuous adventures, contestants should follow the prompts here in order to win. The trip choices are broken up into activity categories: “Baseball” (a trip to the 2013 World Series), “Fishing” (in Alaska), “Golf” (tour of the Golf Channel studios and a trip to Ponte Vedra Beach), “Hunting” (South Dakota’s Cheyenne Ridge Signature Lodge and $500 of hunting apparel), and “Outdoor” (Colorado’s Gateway Canyons).
The NRA (National Rifle Association) is giving away a knife, a hat, and a “shooting vest” for Father’s Day – as well as a “Don’t Tread on Me” package – all part of their #NRAgiveaway campaign. They’ve had little positive engagement with followers so far, and, as in the case of the Tweet I’m embedding here, the campaign is generating some negative feedback, too.
@NRA Yea! Win a gun for dad. Increase your chances of losing a family member! What a blast!
— Radical Rib (@RadicalRib) June 12, 2013
Net-A-Porter‘s men’s style destination Mr. Porter, opened up a competition to its followers on Instagram, prompting contestants to post a photo of their “sartorially smart father” and mention @MrPorter and #DapperDad. The winner receives an Aesop Grooming Kit, and subsequent bragging rights over all of his friends’ unkempt fathers. Unfortunately the competition has already ended, but you can always play the #WristGame at Men’s Health, which has the potential to create a photographic encyclopedia of people’s wrist fashion (finally).
Saving $7 on a Father’s Day gift is a dad-approved move! RT if u’r giving Dad a power brush from Oral-B. #powerofdad http://t.co/gI7X0Xg5mC
— Oral-B (@OralB) June 13, 2013
Oral-B released an only-on-YouTube video, as part of their #PowerofDad Twitter campaign, compiling a chronology of touching moments between fathers and children, beginning with scenes of dads and babies and ending with a dad giving away his daughter at the altar (not the sacrificial kind, though). Apart from this very sweet online-only ad, Oral-B has been fervently engaging followers on Twitter over the past week, encouraging them to participate in the #powerofdad hashtag by speaking highly of their fathers on Twitter and mentioning #powerofdad. From an engagement perspective, it was easily one of the most successful Father’s Day campaigns on Twitter this year, telling some of us, perhaps, that one of the strongest memories we have of our fathers is the one where he first yells at us to brush our teeth.
Which of these campaigns is your favorite? And how will you be celebrating Father’s Day?
