š This viral complaint cost North Face a helicopter
The most expensive customer service call ever
š„Whatās Hot in Advertising Right Now
Stay up-to-date with the latest advertising trends and news.
Ads of the Week: 5 Campaigns That Caught Our Eye
From Hanes redefining comfort to AI optimism from Anthropic, this weekās ad roundup reveals how brands are trying to stay both real and resonant.
As AI search reshapes the internet's business model, here's what marketers need to know
AI-generated search overviews are leading users to click half as often, raising the stakes for marketers chasing traffic.
Why the advertising industry canāt wait for responsible AI guidelines
AI is accelerating faster than rules; if the ad industry doesnāt build its own guardrails, it risks being dragged into regulation rather than driving standards.
Everyone Got the Sydney Sweeney Campaign Wrong
A marketerās hot take on the controversial campaign.
How Aldi revamped its social media strategy ā and why itās working
Aldiās pivot from discount-only messaging toward playful, culturally aware content shows what happens when a legacy brand leans into social nuance.
Last night, my family and I got caught in the middle of a thunderstorm.
Torrential rain poured down while lightning flashed all around us, followed by loud rumbles of thunder.
Within minutes, our walkway was flooding with several inches of water.
As we sprinted to the car, the heavy downpour soaked us completely.
"I'm drenched from head to toe!" my mom called out.
I lovingly remind her, "I told you to dress for rain." (Thankfully, my Hunter jacket was keeping my underlayers completely dry š¢.)
"I did!" she exclaimed. "This rain jacket isn't working at all. What a waste of money."
If someone had been watching us, it would have been the perfect anti-advertisement for her rain jacket (we won't name the brandā¦ just know it wasn't any of the three jacket companies mentioned in this email š§„).
We finally made it to our car and threw our soggy jackets in the trunk before climbing into our dry refuge.
The other week, we featured a Patagonia ad with our premium members that emphasized their jacket's durability.
It was brilliant messaging since performance matters most when you're hiking (or stuck with your family in the middle of a storm š§ļø).
So what do you do when a hiker makes a viral TikTok blasting your āwaterproofā jacket for failing to keep them dry?
That's exactly what happened to The North Face a couple of years ago.
TikToker Jenn Jensen was hiking in a New Zealand national park when her "waterproof" North Face jacket completely failed in the rain.
Frustrated, she posted this TikTok that racked up almost 15 million views, sarcastically saying she didn't want a refundā¦ she wanted a new jacket express delivered to her on the mountaintop.
She even made sure they knew how to find her: she was the only one there looking like a "drowned rat š."
With the video gaining traction fast, The North Face had to act quickly for damage control.
The North Face actually rented a helicopter and hand-delivered a new jacket to Jenn on the mountain, documenting the whole thing in their own TikTok response.
This strategy worked brilliantly because it demonstrated that The North Face takes customer complaints seriously and will go to extraordinary lengths to solve problems ā even unrealistic ones.
Instead of losing millions from negative viral content, they turned a potential disaster into a showcase of exceptional customer service.
It's a powerful reminder that your brand's response during a crisis moment is just as crucial for customer loyalty as your advertising campaigns.
P.S.
Some people accused the whole thing of being a marketing stunt, which Jenn denied. You can read her response to those claims here.
The North Face flew to great heights to offer impeccable customer service and save their brand image.
This next ad walks the line between being clever and offensive.
Upgrade to premium to read it:
