Instead, Tubi and Mischief looked for popular things that would be “creatively interesting” to pit the service against, using legally vetted and validated sources like census reports to secure reliable numbers.
For the record, popular didn’t necessarily have to mean well-liked. That’s why the campaign favorably ranks Tubi above such unfavorable counterpoints as divorce, dating applications and even France. (That’s the claim one billboard makes, comparing France’s 68 million residents to Tubi’s 75 million MAU audience.)
“Americans still like a good France joke,” Parlapiano says with a chuckle, noting that the galling Gallic dig won’t be part of any presentations that Tubi might do internationally. “We did talk about whether we should extend the campaign to Cannes when all of the advertisers are there but decided to keep it to the U.S. A fun poke at France is what unites us as Americans.”
More popular than babies
Poking fun at babies and divorce is certainly less likely to start any international incidents. Still, it’s worth noting that those specific ads have attracted some raised eyebrows on YouTube. “This is insanely creepy,” one commentator wrote in response to the “Babies” spot. “This ad is just plain sad,” another person opined about the “Divorce” commercial.
But Parlapiano isn’t sweating that kind of response.
More popular than divorce
“We are a polarizing brand,” she says matter-of-factly. “I’ve always kind of known not to play it safe. Some people are going to hate what we put out there, but it elicited a response, which is better than watering down the creative and no one comments at all. If you see our ads and you don’t remember it or comment on it, that’s a missed opportunity for us.”