The Big Smoke dives into how this 60-year-old ageless marketer masterfully creates hooks and subverts expectations, capturing the attention of millions online.
If you read our article on unhinged marketing you may already know this 60-year-old marketer who identifies as 34 and starts his videos with phrases like “Are you infected with bisexuality?”. This may sound shocking, but this ageless maverick is gaining popularity with the LGBTQIA+ community and selling out his t-shirt designs due to his method of subverting expectations and understanding the power of a good hook.
“If you are heterosexual then keep scrolling straighty”
Marcus Pork uses hooks that immediately grab attention with their bold and unexpected humor. With openers such as, “Congrats on the Autism. This means you qualify to wear my new fall collection” and “If you are heterosexual then keep scrolling straighty,” this approach invites the audience into a narrative that mixes identity with fashion in an unconventional way.
These hooks work because they disrupt the ordinary scroll-through experience of social media with something unexpected and often jarring. The shock value is high as they push boundaries and challenge social norms in a way that can be both unsettling and intriguing. For instance, the hook “Send this to someone you are deeply concerned about” is used to market shirts about depression, leveraging the social media trend of sharing and tagging, but with a twist that catches the audience off-guard. It’s this combination of familiarity and surprise that hooks the viewer. By embedding these provocative questions and statements into his marketing strategy, Pork not only ensures that his message is heard but that it encourages both conversation and conversions.
It’s important to acknowledge that part of the reason this strategy works so well is because when a man in his sixties begins a video with a question like “Are you a gay?“, there’s an immediate tension – a viewer may brace for a conservative or even confrontational message. This tension is cleverly subverted when the next words are “congratulations”, making the promotional segue into “that means you qualify for my new shirt” even more impactful. The viewer’s expectations are not only subverted but pleasantly so, resulting in a heightened level of engagement.
This method showcases his understanding of the power of subversion, allowing him to use his age as an advantage instead of a barrier online. By aligning the unexpected with the familiar, he creates a niche that breaks down stereotypes about age and engagement with contemporary social issues. It’s a brilliant use of social dynamics to ensure viewers are not just watching but are actively thinking and reacting to the content.
Hooked yet?
So, should your next marketing campaign start with “Do you like to get freak nasty?” Probably not. However, the underlying principles of this ageless marketer’s strategy can be adapted to fit all brands while still capturing the audience’s attention. Here are three takeaways:
1. Embrace the Element of Surprise
While you might not use shock value to the extent of Marcus Pork, incorporating unexpected elements into your marketing can make your message stick. This could be as simple as an unexpected partnership, an unusual promotion, or a creative video concept that breaks from your norm. The key is to ensure it still fits in the narrative you have created around your brand.
2. Know and Play to Your Audience’s Expectations
Understanding what your audience expects – and then either delivering it in a novel way or subverting those expectations – can significantly enhance engagement. This can allow your brand to be playful and silly, without creating an inconsistent brand experience.
3. Use Authenticity to Connect
Even the most provocative messages can be grounded in genuine communication and a clear understanding of the audience’s values and desires. Ensure that your messaging, no matter how bold or conservative, feels authentic to your brand.
Playing with fire
While bold and provocative marketing can increase engagement, being controversial just for the sake of it can ultimately harm your brand. Successful unhinged marketing is not about crossing lines indiscriminately but about carefully creating a message that fits seamlessly with your brand’s identity and values. Pork’s persona is consistent across all platforms – from his social media to his website’s pop-ups that say, “Are you poor? Good, you’ll get 15% off.” This consistency ensures that his brand resonates as genuine and consistent, as opposed to disjointed or opportunistic.
Brands must tread this path carefully, ensuring that any provocative content is a well-considered part of a broader strategic narrative, not a one-off shock that alienates more than it engages.
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