Fart Gravy has nothing to do with this blog. And yet, Fart Gravy probably encouraged you to read on. Yes, it sounds gross. Yes, it’s stupid. Yes, it made you read this first paragraph.

But does crass marketing actually work?

Last year, Kmart entered the world of tasteless TV with two spots created by their agency, DraftFCB. The spots, appropriately titled “Ship My Pants” and “Big Gas Savings,” feature off-color puns to get people talking about the fledgling brand again. Both spots have millions of views and, according to the ad-tracking firm, Ace Metrix, have scored exceptionally well in the “funny” department. But did they translate into a positive, refreshed view of the brand? Boost Kmart’s status among Millennials and Gen X women (two of their target demographics)? Increase foot traffic? No, no, and no. In fact, Sears Holdings, which owns Kmart, reported more than a THREE BILLION dollar revenue decrease for the 2013 calendar year.

So that means there’s no place for this type of lowbrow marketing, right?

Then how do you explain  GoDaddy’s most recent SuperBowl commercial? According to BlueFin Labs, the ad ran more than three-to-one negative, yet GoDaddy reported their best sales day ever the Monday after the Super Bowl. And since they started advertising their tacky (and often sexist) ads every Super Bowl Sunday since 2005, their domain name market share has risen more than 35%.

Huh?

In the end, this type of marketing really only works if you know your audience and know your objectives. It’s Marketing 101, which GoDaddy’s agency, Deutsch NY, and their CMO, Barb Rechterman (yes, we have a woman to thank for all that slurping), have executed beyond reproach, while Kmart should probably take a closer look.

Either way, as a father of two little ones, I’m thankful they don’t air any of this stuff during our dedicated 30-minute block of Caillou on Sprout TV. I’m also thankful no one makes Fart Gravy … although I’m sure Golden Corral is working on it.

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