The art of cringe marketing, plus examples of when cringe works

Oct 276 min read

In an era of polished social media feeds, a peculiar trend has emerged challenging everything we know to be "normal" and socially appropriate: cringe marketing. This counterintuitive approach to brand promotion is gaining speed, leaving many scratching their heads and others covering their eyes in secondhand embarrassment.

But what exactly is “cringe,” and how has it become a powerful tool for marketers?

“Cringe” might mean different things to different people, but according to my favorite crowd-source dictionary, Urban Dictionary, cringe is “when someone acts or is so embarrassing or awkward, it makes you feel extremely ashamed and/or embarrassed.”

This phenomenon didn't come out of thin air. We can trace its roots back to the groundbreaking comedies of The Office and Da Ali G Show, which pioneered the art of discomfort-as-entertainment. These shows paved the way for Tim Robinson and Nathan Fielder, who refined this cringe-inducing craft, elevating awkwardness to an art form.

As society's appetite for cringe content has grown, savvy brands have noticed. They've recognized an opportunity to cut through the noise of traditional advertising and connect with audiences in a raw, authentic—and yes—sometimes painfully awkward way.

Let's explore the psychology behind cringe, its effectiveness as a marketing strategy and the potential perks and pitfalls of embracing the awkward.

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What is cringe marketing?

Cringe marketing is a deliberate advertising strategy that uses discomfort to make products or services more memorable and relatable. Marketers use awkward, embarrassing scenarios that tap into common social anxieties to engage audiences in a unique way.

This approach humanizes the brand and creates empathy with consumers. It's a way of saying, "We understand you," which can foster stronger emotional connections.

Using cringe-worthy content seeks to get strong responses from viewers, banking on the idea that any reaction is better than none; people are, in theory, more likely to remember experiences that evoke strong feelings, even negative ones. This can increase brand visibility, especially on social media where unhinged content spreads quickly (and yes, Nutter Butter, we’re looking at you).

The difference between good and bad cringe

While cringe marketing can be effective in creating buzz and memorability, it also carries risks. If not executed well, it can potentially damage your brand's reputation or alienate audiences. Let’s dive into when cringe might be welcomed versus unwanted.

The good type of cringe

When done correctly, cringe marketing can be a powerful tool, especially when you consider the bombardment of content these days. There’s just too much of everything, and the way to stand out in today’s Attention Economy is to break through the noise.

One theory that can explain the popularity of cringe marketing is the “Benign Violation Theory” developed by Peter McGraw and Caleb Warren. Their research suggests that humor arises when something is simultaneously perceived as a violation (something wrong or inappropriate) but is also benign (not threatening). Cringe comedy often flirts with this boundary, as it places characters in situations that are socially "wrong," yet remain harmless to them or the audience.

There’s not a ton of other research on cringe marketing, but since cringe comedy has been around for a while, we can lean on that.

Soren Krach, a psychiatry professor at the University of Lübeck in Germany co-authored a paper about cringe comedy. In an article in The Ringer he writes, “You’re really suffering with the other person. You’re empathically sharing this awkward state, and it’s not really pleasant.” Meaning, we connect to the awkward situation of the characters in such a strong way that we feel the embarrassment along with them and participate in their discomfort.

Melissa Dahl, author of Cringeworthy: A Theory of Awkwardness, is quoted in the same article:

“It functions almost like a horror movie. You get to indulge in this fear, but then it’s OK. You aren’t actually experiencing it, but you have this simulation.”

As strange as it sounds, the growing appeal of cringe comedies has to do with their unique ability to make us confront our shared human frailty and laugh at it in the process.

Cringe comedy has also been seen as a reflection of a generational shift in humor, particularly appealing to millennials and Gen Z. The humor reflects an awareness of social expectations, an awkwardness in human interaction and sometimes an underlying critique of societal norms.

Most of us spend a majority of our waking hours in front of a screen and have a pretty balanced and uninteresting life. This is probably the main reason why cringe works so well. We all just want to feel something; it doesn't matter if it’s joy, horror or complete discomfort. Other times, we may see a little piece of ourselves in—or at least feel the most empathy for—the awkward or socially inept anti-heroes we see on our screens.

Jason Levin, author of Memes Make Millions, says it nicely: “Is making money cringe? I don't think so. And on the internet, humor gets attention—and attention makes money. Wanna know what's cringe? Thinking of a funny, crazy idea that might help your brand go viral, but you're too scared of doing it because some anonymous troll on the internet might attack you and call you ‘cringe.’ Now that's cringe.”

The bad type of cringe

While cringe marketing can be an effective tool, it’s important to remember that there are situations where it's just simply not appropriate. One such scenario is when dealing with serious or sensitive topics.

For instance, using cringe tactics to market products related to health issues, social causes or financial services can backfire spectacularly. The discomfort created in these situations might overshadow the message, or worse, trivialize important matters.

Another situation where cringe marketing should be avoided is when your brand identity is built on professionalism, luxury or expertise. If you're a high-end fashion brand or a respected law firm, embracing awkwardness and discomfort in your marketing could seriously undermine your credibility. Your audience expects a certain level of sophistication and polish from your brand, and taking a turn into cringe territory might ruin your reputation.

At the end of the day, It's all about knowing your audience and staying true to your brand's essence.

See examples of successful brand marketing in action.

Four truths about cringe marketing

As I’ve been mulling over the art of cringe marketing, I’ve come up with a few suggestions I’d like to share:

If you go cringe, you need to go all the way. There's no point in trying cringe marketing without fully committing. That way, even if your campaign tanks, you'll have earned your place in the Cringe Hall of Fame.

Sometimes cringe happens by mistake. Sometimes companies inadvertently create campaigns that come across as cringey. In these cases, it's often not worth dwelling on it too much. Everyone makes mistakes and it's often more embarrassing for the person who didn't mean to do it than for anyone else.

Cringe is not for every brand. Cringe marketing can be a risky strategy, and it's not the right type of marketing for every brand. If a company is trying to appeal to a more sophisticated audience, then it's probably not the best idea to go for the cringey approach.

Cringe is not for every channel. Just as cringe marketing is not for every brand, it's also not for every channel. Some channels are more serious in nature and don't lend themselves well to this type of content. Before deciding to produce cringey content, make sure it's appropriate for the channel you're planning to use. TikTok will be better than Instagram for example.

Related reading:

7 memorable examples of cringe marketing

After reading so many words about cringe marketing, you’re probably eager to experience it for yourself (or maybe you actually don’t). In any case, I curated a bunch of examples of campaigns from recent years. Although there’s a lot to say about them, we’ll skip that for today so you can just sit back, relax and cringe on.