Blame is an underused lever in advertising. Not because it's uncomfortable — though it can be — but because most brands don't really consider it. Blame clarifies. It assigns responsibility and shifts perception in ways that rational argument rarely manages.
Here are six creative tactics from the Storytelling Engine that know exactly where to aim.
- Redirect the Blame
- Absorb the Blame First
- Make Blame Visible
- Mirror Blame Back to Reality
- Transfer the Blame
- Remove the Blame
1. Redirect the Blame
Give the audience a scapegoat — and make the brand that scapegoat willingly.
Blame It on Interflora — Interflora, Brandhouse, 2016
Forgetful men face a problem every February: they've missed Valentine's Day, and someone is going to pay for it — most likely them. Interflora Denmark solved this by offering to deliver a gift the day after, accompanied by a card claiming the delay was entirely Interflora's fault. Men got to choose from a list of fictional excuses — a strike at the Dutch border, hungry green caterpillars eating the roses — and the blame transferred cleanly from partner to florist. The campaign launched through digital targeting at men and spread rapidly through social. Both sides loved it: the man escaped blame, the partner got a gift with a story, and Interflora sold a significant volume of otherwise-lost Valentine's business.
