Did You “Misunderestimate” Your Closet Space?
If you’ve ever spent time on a New York City subway, chances are you’ve seen one of Manhattan Mini Storage’s poster ads. Some crude, others amusing, and a handful just downright offensive, the ads are eye-catching for any number of reasons … except for what they are supposed to be selling.
The copy featured in the ads ranges from liberal commentary about the current political climate — Republicans get skewered on a regular basis — and social issues (gay marriage, abortion rights) to funny observations about being a New Yorker (See “Remember, if you leave the city, you’ll have to live in America”).
The brash nature of the campaigns is puzzling at first, but it’s safe to assume that Manhattan Mini Storage’s marketing mantra is something along the lines of “Find your audience and then use humor to build a relationship.”
Earlier this year, Marketing VP Stacy Stuart told The New York Times, “We definitely love to be topical and relevant to our Manhattan community.”
Manhattan Mini Storage’s campaign could have alienated people elsewhere, but this is New York City. The majority of those who need storage are twentysomethings with overpriced apartments too tiny to accommodate much of anything. And the denizens of this demographic just so happen to be liberals.
Now this may not encompass Manhattan Mini’s total customer base, but the company chose to risk irking a few potential clients in order to edge out the competition with a series of advertisements that are both dogmatic and risque.
And the strategy seems to have paid off. Manhattan Mini Storage was listed in the top 5 NYC subway ads in 2009—proving that people are seeing the messages and embracing their content.
Liana is an associate account executive at Spector & Associates. Prior to working at Spector & Associates, Liana taught English as a second language in an underprivileged school district in Providence, Rhode Island. She is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island.
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