Never let it be said that we are stuck in our ways; in fact here at the Decision Marketing Nerve Centre we’re always open to new ideas and scour the world in search of them.
In fact, this week we’ve even gone all the way over to the US, where apparently this time of year it is de rigueur to cut down the nets in basketball after winning a conference tournament. Now before you cry, who cares, it seems that nets are not the only thing that gets the snip at this time of year.
Bizarrely a recent study showed a 30% uptick in vasectomies during the first week of the tournament compared to an average week. No-one seems to know quite why this is the case, but, of course, it is the perfect excuse for pants brand SAXX Underwear to get a slice of the goolie action, so to speak.
You see, SAXX pants, which are available in the UK too, are commonly recommended by urologists post-vasectomy because of their patented BallPark Pouch, a hammock-shaped compartment built into every pair that’s designed to provide friction-free support for your bollocks.
But instead of just running wall to wall ads that chase you round until you submit to buying a pair of SAXX, the company’s agency – fittingly named Quality Meats – has created a new online marketing push for what it claims is the world’s first vasectomy registry.
Starring college and professional basketball legend Carlos Boozer as the “gentleman” and actress Nina Bergman as the “ball connoisseur”, the spot explains exactly how it all works.
Basically, once you’ve decided to have your gonads snipped, you sign up to the VaSAXXtomy Registry and share the link directly with friends and family. Loved ones can then purchase SAXX underwear and loungewear to ensure your nuts are as comfortable as possible during your rehabilitation.
Based on the amount of money your friends and family spend on the registry, you can earn a range of other gifts intended to make recovery on the sofa more enjoyable, including a grabber tool, an insulated tumbler mug, a food delivery gift card, a massage gun, a virtual reality headset, a mini fridge, a video doorbell and more.
SAXX chief executive Wendy Bennison said: “We’re obsessed with providing men with the most comfortable underwear for their manhood, and comfort is as important as ever while recovering from a vasectomy.
“As a challenger brand, we’re always looking for disruptive ways to insert SAXX into cultural conversations, so the fact that March is one of the most popular times of year to get a vasectomy presented us with the perfect moment to launch the VaSAXXtomy Registry.”
So, what is the consensus around the Decision Marketing office?
Well, contrary to popular belief, we aren’t reviewing this simply to get a funny headline and pepper this august journal with testicle synonyms, even though we must confess that has been fun.
No, we are celebrating that for once a brand has actually had a good idea and found a strategic fit rather than trying to shoehorn their product into an irrelevant event. Nina Bergman is quite funny too.
Decision Marketing Adometer: A “protect the crown jewels” 9 out of 10
