Sign up for afaqs! Newsletters
CRED sends hammers & wrenches to influencers
The company recently sent mystery boxes containing tools to influencers, prompting them to destroy their watches and phones.
CRED, the fintech company, has adopted an unusual strategy to generate buzz for its upcoming annual Black Friday sale. Influencers were surprised to receive mystery boxes from the company, containing either a hammer or a wrench, accompanied by a peculiar request to break their watches. The sale is scheduled to run from November 23, 2023, to November 27, 2023.
Vishal Dayama, a writer, advertiser, and brand consultant, took this opportunity to vent his frustration about India's recent loss in the Cricket World Cup 2023. He shared his experience on X, formerly Twitter, stating, “CRED walo ne ye hathoda bheja hai ghadi todne ke liye kyuki 19th nov 2 baje se waqt kharab hi chal raha hai.”
(CRED has sent a hammer for breaking the watch because time has been inauspicious since 19th November at 2 o'clock.)
The hammer was accompanied by a note that read, “it's time. for your current watch to rest in pieces. 23rd onwards, you can claim the Omega Seamaster as a replacement.“
Similarly, the popular sarcastic meme X page @Sagarcasm received a wrench in the mysterious package. Sagar, the individual behind the page, humorously commented,, “Received this from CRED. Agar do din pehle bhejte toh isse main apna TV phod deta.”
(I received this from CRED. if they had sent it two days earlier. I would have broken my TV with this.)
As seen in the photo uploaded by Sagar, the wrench came with a note that read, “Your stress needs an outlet. for now, destroy your phone. 23rd onwards, you can claim an iPhone 15 Pro Max as a replacement.”
The Omega Seamaster and the iPhone 15 Pro Max are among the five mega rewards featured in Cred’s Black Friday Sale. The rewards also include a BMW G 310 RR, a Louis Vuitton bag, and Tiffany Air Force 1 shoes.
Traditionally, the Friday after Thanksgiving marks the commencement of the Christmas shopping season in the United States, with many brands introducing Black Friday sales. Similarly, in India, Black Friday sales have gained momentum in the past few years.
Notably. Such out-of-the-box promotional antics are not new for Cred. In September, the company generated significant social media buzz by parking a fleet of vintage cars and a Batmobile at their office in Indiranagar, Bengaluru.
Subsequently, it was revealed that this attention-grabbing stunt was tied to the launch of Garage, CRED’s vehicle management platform.