What Ryan Reynolds taught me about marketing
You might be wondering what Ryan Reynolds has to do with marketing. Or you might be one of the few who picked up on what I’m about to elaborate on. The famous Canadian actor has turned everything he touched into a raving success by using his personality as a brand. Think about it… when you see a Ryan Reynolds ad, you're not just watching a promotion, you're entering Ryan's world. His brand is built on his being authentic, relatable and dosed with a healthy amount of–harmless–humour.
But how does he do it?
It's not just about cracking jokes of course. It's a much deeper understanding of what makes us tick as humans. He understands and values his fans, knows his audience and respect them. As humans we love stories, crave authenticity, and feel the need to be connected. Ryan doesn't just sell products, he tells stories that people listen to.
👉 Authentic
Ryan's authenticity cuts through the noise of advertising. It feels like having a laugh with a friend, except this friend is also trying to sell you a mobile plan. He is not trying to be anything more than what he already is. It’s all about him being unapologetically himself, which in turn, makes the brands he represents feel more human and approachable.
👉 Relatable
What he does really well is leveraging data to understand what people are talking about, what they care about, and how they communicate. This becomes the foundation for campaigns that feel personal and targeted.
His uncanny ability to tap into cultural moments, means he is creating content that feels current and relatable. This responsiveness makes campaigns seen and talked about. One things we should take away from this approach is the opportunity for brands to cleverly engage with current events and remain relevant.
👉 Fun
How is that we forget about fun? Humour is the number one emotional driver for most people, yet it’s not used enough in marketing or branding. We are all too scared about not hitting the right tone so we remain voiceless, creating work that feels generic and gets lost in the echo. Innovation and humour are key to marketing strategies. Brands should be entertaining and memorable. After all, we can all use a bit more humour in our lives.
I promise I’m not a crazy, raving Ryan fan. But I appreciate the way he approaches things in life, and I’m learning by observing. And now… time for some fun content! You might have already seen them all, but here’s a list of my three favourite Ryan Reynolds’ ads. Drum roll please…
Three ads from Ryan I absolutely love
🔥 Remember what 2020 was like? Dark times. Yet, Match made in Hell brought a smile in the mind (or in the face, depending how easily you smile) and made people hit on the ad on purpose (that’s an actual YouTube comment, not my words, but theirs).
🎥 The new Deadpool & Wolverine movie promotion made me crack a laugh out loud. Watch it before or after seeing the movie, it doesn’t matter, still feels brilliant!
💩 Sometimes, all you need is just an ad pretending not to be an ad. And realising that being a bit of an ass is acceptable and maybe a bit endearing (pretty sure only he can get away with that though).
