By Eli Haddow | Associate Director of Marketing

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A couple of months ago, I had a tiny little idea. Within 10 days, it got pretty big. One could argue that it changed the course of NFL history.

This was late November, and the New Orleans Saints were preparing to start a new rookie quarterback, Tyler Shough (pronounced “shuck”), for his first home game against the team’s most hated rival, the Atlanta Falcons. Little did we know that Shough would post a brilliant second half of the season to be voted Rookie of the Year by NFL fans.

At this point, few outside of New Orleans had heard of him.

A group of us were in the office brainstorming sports activation ideas for a client when a lightning bolt of an idea struck my brain: “Shough the Falcons.” It’s a 2-cent pun, one that I had to blurt out. It got some laughs, and then a question: Could our agency put this out into the world just for fans to enjoy?

Here's the thing about fans: They value things that are made for them. It’s a simple truth, but even seasoned marketers ignore it. How many ads seem like they were made for you, rather than the brand?  

Here’s another simple truth: If you don’t do the thing, it won’t exist. How many of your ideas lay in waste in forgotten decks and slack threads? How many untold billions of dollars in IP are agencies sitting on right now because they couldn’t sell the thing—or just do it themselves?

It’s our duty to make people laugh and cry and jeer. Here are four steps to get back to making those moments.

Mine the scraps

In many cases small, generous acts of creativity create the most memorable moments for businesses and communities. Think about the time Mr. Clean created a pure white crosswalk tile. Or when Folgers turned steaming manhole covers into giant cups of coffee. Or when fans figured out that KFC’s Twitter account was only following 11 “Herbs” and “spices” (aka the Spice Girls), as an ode to their Original Recipe.

I don’t know for sure, but I’m going to guess that none of those came from a brief. “Shough the Falcons” occurred the same way, a passing idea—just a phrase, really—that we wouldn’t be able to use for a client. We took that scrap and turned it into culture.

Find the MVP (minimum viable product)

Most clients hear the word “activation” and see dollar signs. But in less than a fortnight, we turned this idle thought into an integrated brand activation for under $600.

The minimum viable product was key. We made ten flags and 100 bumper stickers so that we had something to give fans. Then we started shitposting on our social channels, tagging fans and creators. We sent a press release and got a little earned pickup.

If your idea truly speaks to fans, new friends and advocates will follow. Invite them into the quest. Give them something to do. Hand out merch, or ask them to collab on content. Passion follows passion, so make it, own it, but don’t forget to share it. Within hours, “Shough the Falcons” had attracted a group of Saints fans, with followings big and small, who helped carry the message to more people.

Get it in the world

Ten days after I first mentioned “Shough the Falcons,” we were out on the streets with flags and bumper stickers, getting face to face with the fans. And they ate it up. We led the Saints faithful in cheers and enjoyed our fair share of jeers from loving Falcons fans.

In an industry ravaged by consolidation, AI slop, and effective mediocrity, an idea that excites and connects people can re-energize a brand—and its customers.      

But you need to see it in the world. Get face-to-face with your audience and watch them react to your work. Take videos, take photos, jot down notes. Remember the feeling you got from bringing them joy. You can’t get that in a social listening report or a Google Analytics table.

Do it again

After the activation, we looked at the successes: 50,000 media impressions, a few hundred social engagements, a handful of partnerships and most importantly, we converted at least one Falcons fan to our cause. If you Google “Shough the Falcons,” the AI summary points you to PETERMAYER.

World altering? No. Viral? Hardly. Energizing? Hell yeah.

This experience re-affirmed why we do what we do: Use the power of brands to spread joy through creativity. To make things that delight people.  

So, we came back in January, when the Saints again faced the Falcons, and partnered with local creator Jono Barnes. His videos spread the word and got people asking where they could find these flags. By that time, the city had descended into full-on Shoughmania.

Fast forward to February, when Shough was voted as the league’s Pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Year by fans. Was this our doing? We can’t take full credit, but we know we got the Saints faithful involved from the start.

Not a bad result.

Permission slip: Make those ideas happen

No matter how big “the thing” is, my plea to you is to go out and make it happen. Turn a pun into a flag. Put an idea on a bumper sticker.

Then do it again and again. Because nothing is sadder than imagining all those ideas tucked away in those dark, forgotten decks never getting their chance to make someone smile, or laugh, or give you the finger.

Free them. Or think up something new. Just do the damn thing.